JOHNNY McINTOSH: No distractions for Sleacht Néill

ON the four previous occasions that Sleacht Néill have reached the All-Ireland semi-finals, they’ve always given a really, really good account of themselves. They’ve never been overly lucky with the draw they’ve got.

To me, the big thing about this game against Sarsfields is that historically, first time Munster winners tend to just be content with winning Munster and they were always quite flat when it came to All-Ireland semi-finals.

Cork teams generally have a bad record and that’s an interesting dynamic.

Sleacht Néill are at that stage where they’ve been there and done it, they’ve been through the wringer twice and had two really good games.

They have no football distractions and are totally focused on their hurling. From Sleacht Néill’s point of view, they’ve had their horror half. That first half against Portaferry, it just wasn’t the same team that looked perfect against Cushendall.

If Paul McCormack can get them to click the same way they clicked against Cushendall, if they go five or six-points up, I honestly think they will beat Sarsfields.

The bookies will always say Sarsfields are big favourites given they defeated Ballygunner, but not for me at all. I would honestly say Sleacht Néill are soft favourites.

They have to do what they did against Cushendall because if Sarsfields go eight or nine up like Portaferry did, there’ll be no comeback for Sleacht Néill and Sarsfields will close the game out.

On the flip side of it, Sarsfields might have had their big day against Ballygunner so I would be very quietly optimistic about Sleacht Néill going into the game and I would fancy them for it.

They’re going down to Newbridge now which is not the biggest pitch in the world, and I don’t think that will be overly daunting for them. Sarsfields might have one eye on the final and this is only a matter of getting his game played.

I know Paul McCormack very well and he’s a really good fella. He seems to have done a good job with them and Sleacht Néill look to be back.

There was a bit of talk that they had their day in the sun but they’re definitely at the levels of a few years ago.

Traditionally what I would have thought about Sleacht Néill is that they get caught in limbo when they have boys playing football and they have to balance and juggle everything.

They did do it very well but that takes its toll on players when they’re having to go week in and week out. They did manage it and were still winning Ulsters but whenever it did come down to those big matches there was that wee tiny dip in quality where they haven’t been hurling enough.

Sleacht Néill were out of the football championship in Derry a good while ago so they’ve really had uninterrupted hurling preparation, it’s been hurling, hurling, hurling and physically they’re as good a team as there is in the country.

They’re so physically strong, physically fit, physically able to keep working which is massively important at this time of the year.

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to seeing how Carey Faughs get on in their All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final. Watergrasshill are strong and they have two or three boys that actually won the Cork Senior title with Imokilly. They’ve very, very physically strong but Carey Faughs have nearly been underdogs throughout the whole season.

They could have been knocked out in the Antrim Championship, they were three-points down in the semi-final with time up and they got a goal in the last minute to take it to extra time and they played well in the final.

They went to a penalty shootout in the quarter-final of the Ulster Championship against Carrickmore, they had a very tight game against Castleblayney in the semi-final, they only won it by three points.

They only beat Swatragh by a point in the final so Carey have been through the mill, they’ve had a tough season, and I think this might just be a bridge too far for them but at the same time I wouldn’t have them as massive underdogs.

They are on a good run, and they’ve learned how to get over the line. They’ve had these real tight dogfights, and they’ve held on. They’ve had an incredible season so far, but I think they’re going to be up against it. That said, they’re slight underdogs going into it which is probably the way they would want it.