BY KIERAN McCARTHY
SEAMUS Hayes has been here before, facing a relegation battle in the county senior championship.
In 2007 he made an impact as a Carbery Rangers footballer. Seventeen years on, Hayes hopes to make the right calls in this must-not-lose game as his home club’s manager.
‘When we came up first with Ross we were in a relegation battle when there were four teams involved in it,’ Hayes says, his mind darting back to the ’07 campaign, the Rosscarbery team’s second season at senior level.
A Star clipping from the 2007 senior football relegation play-off.
Defeats to St Nick’s and Na Piarsaigh consigned Ross to a four-team relegation battle involving St Finbarr’s, Douglas and St Vincent’s. Victories against Douglas and Vincents were enough to see Carbery Rangers survive – and Hayes, who was on target in all three games, is hopeful of a similar outcome this Sunday when they play Éire Óg in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC relegation play-off in Bandon (4pm).
‘I have some experience of what it’s like to play in games like these and the pressure that’s involved,’ Hayes says, knowing that reality will bite for either Carbery Rangers or Éire Óg on Sunday evening.
‘At the end of the day I do believe – and it’s the same for both teams – that whichever team loses you might be finding the grade that is right for yourself, unfortunately,’ he admits, with the belief that it will be the Carbery club surviving the dreaded drop to the senior A grade.
After finishing bottom of Group 2, following losses to St Michael’s (1-8 to 0-8) and Castlehaven (0-14 to 0-9) that sandwiched a draw with Clonakilty (0-12 to 1-9), Rangers are in last-chance saloon. There’s no room for error here. Beat Éire Óg and Ross stay up. Lose to the Mid Cork club, and Hayes’ team slips through the trapdoor.
‘The reality of the situation is we’re in the relegation play-off and we need to front up to that challenge,’ the Ross boss insists.
‘There is no time now to be feeling sorry for yourself or reflecting on what could have been, the sole focus is on preparing for Éire Óg and the huge challenge they will bring. Games like these are a pressure-cooker and whoever can handle it the best should come out on top.’
While it’s the result that matters on Sunday evening, Hayes is demanding a performance that will give Carbery Rangers the best chance of the result that they need.
‘All year we have been saying to focus on the performance and the rest should take care of itself. So far, we have performed in patches,’ Hayes explains.
‘The second half against Castlehaven we played well. The second half against Clon we played well. We were in control for most of the match against St Michael’s apart from their goal that changed the course of the game. You have to focus on the performance. If you become overly focussed on the result, that you have to win, it creates an extra pressure.
‘Something I always say to the lads is that if your opposition comes out and plays better than you on the day, you take it on the chin. It’s when you don’t perform and you get beat that the real question marks come in.’
Carbery Rangers will be without their long-term absentees for this crunch collision as Ciarán Santry (shoulder), Barry Kerr (broken wrist) and Cian Daly (cruciate) are all out, and Hayes has belief in the players available to get the job done against an Éire Óg team that lost all three group games to Nemo Rangers, Ballincollig and Newcestown.
Both teams have averaged 0-10 per game in this championship campaign, and whichever team keeps their cool and finishes with a higher conversion rate on Sunday will, most likely, guarantee their safety. Carbery Rangers have room for improvement, Hayes feels. John O’Rourke (0-10, 6f), Brian Hodnett (0-4), Jerry O’Riordan (0-4) and Mark Hodnett (0-3f) are Ross’s top scorers in this campaign.
‘I was very disappointed with the first-half performance against Castlehaven,’ Hayes notes. ‘Tactically we tried something different and it didn’t quite work, and we changed absolutely everything at half-time: personnel and tactics.
‘We took the game to the Haven, but potentially they took their foot off the gas too. I’ve watched it back a couple of times and we left about 2-6 or 2-7 behind us. In terms of creating opportunities, we did, but it was the execution that was the problem.
‘All year we’ve told the players that we’ll never criticise them for creating the opportunities and not scoring them or taking the shots when they are on, it’s when we are not taking those chances or not getting enough numbers up the pitch to create those attacking platforms, that’s where we do let them know if we’re unhappy.’
Hayes knows what’s at stake on Sunday. It’s all about survival. He’s been here before and survived. More of the same, please.
