“The lads are really buying into it, which is fantastic”

A senior hurling final in September followed by a senior football final in October represents a strong first season for Benji Whelan with Abbeyside/Ballinacourty.

Mark Ferncombe has been his right hand man through thick and thin. He stepped into the breach when Whelan suffered a health scare during the hurling championship. ‘Furry’ believes that the Kilmacthomas native has made them a hard nut to crack.

“We’ve just lost two games: the county senior hurling final and a group game against Rathgormack. A bit of steel, a bit of belief, a bit of wanting to play for the club. It’s one thing that we wanted to see: a team with loads of energy, wanting to go to the depths of a game to win them. Benji is refreshing in terms of his football, he comes up with new ideas every week and he loves it. The lads are really buying into it.” 

Courty showed their mettle to recover from four points down against Gaultier. “We just dug in, there was going to be no other way. There was a lot at stake. Both sides wanted to get into a county final. We hadn’t been in one since 2021 and Gaultier 1996. There was a lot at stake, a lot of mistakes. We turned over a lot of ball in the last ten or fifteen minutes and we put it on the scoreboard. Pudge kicked some great scores again.” 

The aforementioned Patrick ‘Pudge’ Hurney pointed three pressure frees towards the end. The evergreen attacker missed two earlier ones but ‘Furry’ never worried. “That doesn’t bother him, he’ll still stand up, he won’t shy away from it. Really big frees. He missed a handy free at 6-3 at the start of the second half and then he kicked one just inside the 45 out of the hands. Everyone was looking down at Aaron Beresford to come up and kick it. He’ll back himself all day.” 

 A cruciate knee ligament injury two years ago ended Ferncombe’s playing career. He won four senior football titles in the green and white colours (2007, 2011, 2013 and 2020). “Sometimes I miss it alright. You’d love to be playing in these occasions. I’m in a different role now and I’m fully focussed on that. You’d miss days like this but I’m still part of it so that will have to do.” 

Dethroning Rathgormack will focus the mind this week. The champions won by four points when the sides met a month ago. “It’s daunting enough now and I’m not just saying that. Really good team, building year on year. This is their sixth consecutive final. It shows a level of consistency and a level of hunger. They want more. Look, we’re there. We’re going to see what challenge we can put up to them. They beat us a few weeks ago with a bit to spare really and we need to see can we close the gap. It looks like a big gap.”