This article is from page 50 of the 2008-06-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 50 JPG
AS the surprise package of last year’s championship, Corofin were Mohi- canlike in their scalping of big sides on their way to the quarter-finals but there is one major drawback to Corofin’s unprecedented champion- ship run last season. In the Premier- ship, it’s referred to as “second sea- son syndrome’ but in simple terms, the reality is that Corofin had only one campaign to catch opponents unawares because this season, every- one will be cautious of their threat. It’s a factor that manager Ambrose Heagney is only too aware of but he welcomes it as a litmus test of his emerging side.
“We are certainly hoping to build on last year and this will be the test whether last year was a fluke or not. Obviously teams will be more pre- pared for us now. Doora/Barefield will be right eager to play us after last year and will want to reverse that result and the Bridge will be wary of us I’m sure as well.”
Before last season, a tendency to pigeonhole Corofin as a one-man team based on county senior Gerry Quinn, rather overlooked their true potential as a team. It was one of the factors that caused such an upset against Clarecastle and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. After last year, that shortsightedness has been rectified
and Corofin can boast seven county players between the minor, under 21 and senior grades, something which Heagney feels has given his squad immense experience ahead of this year’s championship.
“There is a great bunch of young lads in the squad this year. I had three of them training with the county sen- ior panel [Gerry Quinn, Darragh Clancy and Darragh Shannon], two with the county under 21 team [Mar- tin Tierney and Neil Killeen] and two in the county minor squad [Kevin Heagney and Luke O’Loughlin]. So that is seven lads who are getting inter-county experience and that is wonderful really. And that would be a new enough scenario for Corofin.”
A major factor in Corofin’s eventual exit to Crusheen in the quarter-finals was fatigue. As one of only four sen- ior dual clubs in the championship, a number of Corofin players were made to pay for their duality by be- ing forced to play for ten successive
weekends between the hurling and football championships. But rather than dwelling on it as a disadvantage, Heagney is positive about Corofin’s success in both codes.
“For some of the players, the Crusheen game was a bridge too far in terms of tiredness and energy after so many weekends of action but that is something we have to live with and something which is going to always be there. We are a dual club and we will always be a dual club but we have a great relationship with the football management. Seamus Clancy and myself meet regularly to talk about training schedules and iron out any difficulties or problems arising with dual players.”
When referring to the draw, Heag- ney feels that in many ways this year’s group mirrors last year’s. Corofin are drawn with St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield once again but Sixmulebridge are replacing Clare- castle as the second prominent team
in the group while all the others are on a similar even keel but he 1s under no illusion as to the enormity of the task of qualifying for the latter stages for a second successive year.
‘We have a good bunch of lads and I’m expecting to at least make the quarter-finals. It is going to be a huge undertaking for us but I think they are capable of doing it. Our main problem really is that we are can either blow hot or cold. If we get it right and when their gander is up, we are a match for any team, there is no doubt about it. They amazed me last year with their ability and our goal 1s to get back to that game we lost last year. That’s my main aim, to redeem that game back again but it will take a huge effort from everyone.”