East Cavan Gaels to test Cootehill Celtic's resolve

Senior Hurling Championship final preview

The latest instalment of the Cavan Hurling Roadshow rolls back into Kingspan Breffni on Sunday next (1pm) when the county SHC final takes place.

The county senior team’s achievement in making it to Croke Park for the 2021 Lory Meagher Cup final and, more recently, its success in annexing the NHL Division 3B title earlier this year will increase expectations among hurling purists that a quality contest between Cootehill Celtic and East Cavan Gaels is in the offing.

The Celts go into the game as defending champions and the smart money is on them completing a hat-trick of blue riband title triumphs.

However, East Cavan Gaels will travel to Headquarters on Sunday more in expectation than hope given the fact that they have beaten Cootehill in their last two meetings; most significantly in last year’s league final.

Unlike ECG, Cootehill have been there and done that over the years. They won what was only their 5th ever SHC crown in 2016 (ending a barren period which began in 1965) but it wasn’t until 2021 that they stopped Mullahoran Saint Joseph’s run of title successes to make it six titles in total. On that day, the Celts had to pull out all the stops to beat Pearse Óg by 2-12 to 2-11; a real struggle for Cootehill which makes the failure of Pearse Óg to field a team this year all the more disappointing.

Last year, Cootehill retained their SHC title by comfortably accounting for long-time kingpins Mullahoran Saint Joseph’s on a 1-16 to 0-9 scoreline.

However, even the most partisan fan within the Cootehill hurling camp can scarcely be anticipating a comfortable day at the office this Sunday given East Cavan Gaels’ form of late.

Based broadly in the Bailieboro/Kingscourt area but nurtured also by talent from Killinkere, Knockbride and Cuchulainns GAA catchment areas, ECG have spent the past 14 years slowly but surely coming to the boil and this Sunday could see Cootehill’s goose being well and truly cooked if ECG manage to get all their ducks in order.

Sunday will mark ECG’s first appearance in the Cavan SHC final since their inception in 2009 but no one in the county who is au fait with hurling is likely to be surprised by their success in reaching this year’s flagship decider.

ECG’s 2-16 to 1-8 victory over Mullahoran in this year’s SHC said it all about their right to contest this year’s decider. And while Cootehill’s subsequent 2-21 to 1-4 victory over Mullahoran put ECG’s aforementioned win in perspective, it does lead one to believe, unequivocally, that the two best senior hurling teams in the county will go toe-to-toe this Sunday.

As already stated - in last year’s final - Cootehill posted 1-16 to win the day against Mullahoran but the same tally is very unlikely to get them over the line ahead of ECG this weekend.

ECG come to the table with two major big hitters in their ranks; arguably the two best hurlers in Cavan at present.

Canice Maher and Nicky Kenny are both former Kilkenny county minor hurlers. Both have achieved success with their native county at under 18 level with Maher actually captaining the Cats to Leinster MHC success.

Maher is particularly potent from frees but is also physically very strong and, not surprisingly, brave and fiercely determined too.

Kenny is someone who belies his 34 years and his work rate and leadership skills are key tools in his locker.

Apart from starring with the underage Cats in times past, Kenny has also proven his mettle by winning All-Ireland Club SHC medals as a half-forward with his adopted Cuala in 2017 and 2018.

Both Maher and Kenny were invaluable in Cavan’s odyssey this year to the NHL Div. 3B title with the former scoring (0-9, 3f, ’65) and the latter (most people’s man-of-the-match) notching seven points in Cavan’s 0-17 to 0-16 win in the final over Leitrim.

But like the Kerry footballers who fell short last Sunday in compensating for an-out-of-sorts David Clifford, ECG’s supporting cast will be under pressure to show their worth this Sunday.

Unfortunately for Maher, Kenny and co. this weekend’s underdogs are almost certain to be without midfield dynamo and countyman Jack Barry who has been spending his college-free days this Summer abroad.

As such, a lot more responsibility will rest on the shoulders of the likes of Colin Gargan, Cian McEntee, Darragh Madden, Tadhg Barry, Rory Farrell and Declan Mernagh to shore up ECG’s challenge should the twin axis of Maher/Kenny fail to consistently hit the high notes.

Jack Barry’s presumed absence from the cockpit will also mean ECG will be under pressure to unearth sufficient ammunition in the middle of the field for Maher, Kenny et al to engineer a match-winning tally.

Cootehill Celtic will go into the bearpit this Sunday believing that while they may not have all the best players on board on their side, they have the best team and that the collective skills and energy of their line-up will trump the individual talents sported by their opponents.

If the weather is kind, expect a high-scoring game and a close one too.

Either way, the Tom Walsh Cup is unlikely to be garlanded before the final whistle is sounded.