Evening Echo
by John Horgan
Saturday, 31st August 2002

The small village of Newtownshandrum will be out on a limb at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday against Avondhu in the permanent tsb Cork Co. SHC semi-final.

North Cork will be united against the 2000 county champions for this one hour as the divisional representatives seek revenge for a one point defeat by the same opposition two years ago.

Newtown went all the way in that glorious odyssey and are desperate to return to the top table again under new boss Tom Ryan.

The minimum margin separated them on that wet Saturday night in Charleville and it's likely that there won't be much in it again this time.

Avondhu haven't had a bother en-route to this juncture and the one worry they have is that they haven't been seriously examined in championship fare.

Castlelyons, Douglas and Ballyhea all fell well short of the requirements while Newtown didn't have it all their own way against Sarsfields and Erin's Own.

On the evidence presented thus far, however, Avondhu look a more balanced side and under Conor Hannon and Johnny Keane appear to be extremely focused.

Players like Tomas Fitzgibbon, Fergal McCormack, Mervyn Gammell, Pa Dineen and John Quinlan have been doing the business and the scores have been coming quite frequently.

Newtown took a long time to put away Erin's Own and, in the midfield sector in that encounter, there was a sluggishness that mightn't suffice again.

Pat Mulcahy was, and is a central figure and his duel with McCormack will be crucial.

The O'Connor boys, Ben and Gerry will, as always, be major players and how their inevitable threat is counteracted will be critical.

Donal Mulcahy's return from the land of Oz is a huge boost and alongside Ian Kelleher he gives Ryan and his selectors more options.

Phil Noonan and JP King have a lot of responsibility resting on their shoulders as well and Noonan's long deliveries out of the half-back line will ask questions of the Avondhu defence.

But this is their acid test and if they can emerge it will be another glorious chapter in their book of success.

It really is too close to call but sitting on the fence isn't the easy way out. We'll go for Avondhu by a whisker.