ST BRENDAN’S will take on Currow this Saturday evening in the Super Valu County Senior Football Championship in Currow at 7pm.
Both sides faltered in the opening round so this will be their last chance to advance in the competition.
It has not been an easy ride for St Brendan’s this summer. In a familiar story around the county, the divisional side has been rocked by emigration and players being withdrawn from the panel.
St Brendan’s will be without Na Gaeil’s Darragh Carmody who has emigrated to the US for the summer.
Before last Saturday’s intermediate championship match between two Brendan’s sides, John Mitchels and Ardfert which Ardfert won by a point, the Mitchels drafted a letter informing the St Brendan’s board that they will be pulling their players from the team.
John Mitchels did not clarify their reasons for the withdrawal, but it is thought that it is in relation to the fixture date of their championship match against Ardfert, which both sides failed to agree on, so it went ahead last week.
On closer inspection, the loss of the Mitchels players isn’t as grave as it may seem. Of the Tralee clubs, three Mitchels players started in the opening round defeat to Laune Rangers, two players were going to be unavailable anyway.
They are full back Lawrence Bastible who has left for the US and star forward Alan O’Donoghue is out because of an injury he sustained against Ardfert.
On the emigration front, key forward and free taker, Na Gaeil’s Darragh Carmody, has gone to San Francisco to work and play his football, while his club mate Micheal Griffin has been off rubbing shoulders with soccer royalty at the World Cup in Brazil.
Ardfert’s John Dowling and St Pat’s Luke Mulligan, who both started the opening game against Laune Rangers, are also unavailable.
Preparations have not been ideal either for Currow who have lost Daniel McCarthy and Pa McCarthy in the lead up to this game.
The club side are finding life in the top flight difficult this year. After six games in division one of the county league, they lie bottom with five defeats and just a solitary win to their name.
This is coming off the back of their most successful season last year when they won the intermediate championship and gained promotion to division one.
Currow’s defeat in the county championship came at the hands of St Micheals/Foilmore who won on a scoreline of 0-11 to 1-6.
Since the opening round game, St Brendan’s have lost six starters with two in the full forward line and the full back line is gone, although they still have some fine players left – Kerry U21 Jack Barry and St Pat’s Kieran Hurley among them.
Currow have been no great shakes this year, but with those Brendan’s losses and home advantage thrown in for good measure, Currow should make it through to the next round.
Verdict: Currow by three points
