Sponsored by
Defiant CBS vow to return more determined than ever
KILKENNY CBS may be down, but they are far from out, and they intend to bounce back strongly in the All-Ireland series of the colleges senior hurling championship.
The James Street outfit fell to the biggest winners in schools competitions, St Kieran’s College in an all Kilkenny Leinster championship final, but even in defeat they proved that they a good team.
“We will be back,” insisted CBS team official, P.J. McCormack. “We would hope to get another crack at St Kieran’s. We are down now, but we will be back chasing strongly in the All-Ireland series.”
Defeat in the provincial final meant that the CBS were diverted into the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Another defeat against St Kieran’s was hard to take, and especially so after the CBS ran up 15 wides. The team officials weren’t interested in the negatives. They saw nothing but positives looking towards the future.
Warnings
“You could look at the game in a variety of way,” suggested team official, Gerard Morrissey afterwards. ”In some ways we lost our way at the beginning when our lads were switched off or something or weren’t switched on and Kieran’s scored a goal from a free.
“It wasn’t for the want of warning people to be alert that that happened. They got a quick goal. Fair dues to our lads, they showed character and fought their way back into the match.
“We know the players have plenty of hurling in them. They got back into the game after going through a difficult patch and scored a goal just before half time.
“We were in a nice place and we were moving along. We struggled to get scores in the second half. Kieran’s lifted their game. They had to.
“They started to make the space. Then they got a second goal. I don’t know exactly what happened there. It appeared we had the ball. Then we didn’t have it. We didn’t meet the man coming in from out the field. Next thing the ball was in the back of the net.
“Credit to Kieran’s, they are a good team and they build on that. They got a few points and suddenly we were four down and we were chasing the game. They have class forwards.
Serious lesson
“Give them half a chance and they will put the ball over the bar. When you are ahead, you have to stay there. There was a serious lesson for us to learn from this match.”
P.J. McCormack said the CBS couldn’t but be disappointing with their finishing. However, he reminded that the players were young. They were still learning to cope with aspects of the game.
“When the pressure comes on, players respond in different ways,” he explained. “Kieran’s got a run on us and the ball started going over the bar for them. When you are chasing a game like we were, it can be very hard for a lad, even a free taker, to put the ball over the bar.
“Obviously we were disappointed with our shooting and finishing, but we won’t fault anyone for that. That can happen. The pressure can be hard when a team gets a run on you. It can be hard to get back at them. I wouldn’t fault the players.
“The two best teams in Leinster were competing. For a long time we were in the ascendancy. Kieran’s upped a gear and beat us in the end. We will be back.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Kilkenny
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 7 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
