Stradbally not daunted by the task at hand

CLUB FIXTURES can be misleading. What would be David and Goliath clashes at county level don’t always translate as such in the club championships.

The prime example of this greater democracy has to be the Waterford football championship.

Although the county team has just enjoyed its most successful year by securing promotion from Division Four, one of the precursors to that success was the achievement in the middle of the last decade of Stradbally, The Nire and Ballinacourty in each reaching the Munster club final.

On Sunday, Stradbally are in contention for another crack, as they take on Cork champions Nemo Rangers in Páirc Uí Rinn. Nemo are the most successful club in All-Ireland football history having won the Merrigan Cup seven times.

Stradbally won’t be intimidated, however. Five years ago they recovered from a poor first half to make a contest of it with the Cork aristocrats and the previous season on the way to the Munster final they beat Cork representatives Bishopstown.

Within Waterford, they have been the dominant club of recent times with five of the past seven championships. Long-serving coach Seán Aherne says that his team are in good shape for a challenging semi-final having already defeated the Clare champions.

“We’re well prepared,” he said. “We had a good victory over Doonbeg in the first round and played some of our best football all year.”

The team are getting by without two long-term injury absentees, full back Kevin Coffey and experienced forward Ger Power, who had the misfortune to sustain a second cruciate injury just as he was recovering from the first.

But the team has several well known players, including Tony Grey who captained Waterford this year and current hurling All Star Michael Walsh, whose early renown was as a footballer and who was man of the match on the memorable evening that Waterford beat Kerry in the 2003 provincial under-21 final.

“Michael has been a big plus for us,” says Aherne. “He’s equally as good a footballer as a hurler and has been coming on really well.

“It hasn’t been easy for him to switch from playing Tipperary in an All-Ireland hurling semi-final to playing football, but he’s a natural footballer and very comfortable.”

He says that the present team doesn’t lose in the comparison with its 2004 predecessors and feels a similar momentum with the recent win over Doonbeg under their belt. “It all depends on the day. I think we’re striking form at the right time and we’re happy with the switch of venue (from Páirc Uí­ Chaoimh) because we beat Bishopstown in Páirc Uí­ Rinn. We have to close them down and prevent them getting scores, keep out goals as well as improving on our own scoring.

“We scored only seven against Doonbeg (winning 0-7 to 0-4) and that won’t do on Sunday.”

Offaly hurling duo Brian Mullins and Ger Oakley have confirmed their retirement from the inter-county scene.