They went up and scored two quick points. ‘Thomas Hegarty should have had a penalty that he didn’t get when we were two points down. ‘Go back 12 months to when we lost the county quarter-final against Nemo, there are seminal moments in these big games. I think the rub of the green has a lot to do with it,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t say we aren’t after improving that much. Hazel isn’t as surprised as those on the outside-looking-in to see Skibb back in the last four of the Cork SFC, as he feels they have been in the mix the last few seasons, but just couldn’t get it over the line. Hard work is also one of the reasons why Skibb are back in a first county semi-final since 2012 (when they lost to Duhallow).
‘We have worked hard since last October and we need to do the same on Sunday.’ If you don’t have the drive to give it everything you have, then you shouldn’t be on the pitch at all. ‘You need the ambition and the drive to respond to big moments in a game. The belief is there that they are good enough to win. But Skibb aren’t going to make up the numbers. They are a high calibre team and there’s no doubt that they deserve the favourite’s tag that they have on Sunday.’ They were disappointed with how last year worked out for them. ‘We’d talk a lot about football and from the start of the year I know Castlehaven have been training hard.
Hazel crack full#
What’s more, his sister, Jacqueline, is to marry Haven full back and captain David Limrick in December, so Daniel has an insight into his neighbour’s camp. Hazel has lots of respect for Castlehaven, and what they have achieved over the past few seasons, especially winning two county finals in 2012 and ’13. Hopefully that will get us over the line.’ But even if you keep the shackles on him and Mark (Collins), you still have Stephen Hurley, Michael Hurley, all these guys that you have to keep tabs on, so we need to work as hard as we can to the best of our ability. ‘Brian Hurley is as good as there is out there. Training has been going well the last few weeks, the lads are really pushing on, and it’s all about hard work on Sunday. ‘For us to break even we are going to have to step it up another notch. We are all on the same page but, with no disrespect to any of the teams we have played this year, we are coming up against the best forward line in the county this Sunday,’ Hazel pointed out. ‘We are a bit more cohesive at the back this year. This same Skibbereen defence needs to be at its meanest on Sunday when they come up against a Castlehaven attack spearheaded by the Hurley brothers, Stephen, Brian and Michael, not to mention the Haven’s other scoring threats. Sometimes we might not be the most defensively inclined back there, so they steady the ship.’ Between them they have an age of over 90 at this stage! If we ever have any questions they are there to answer them. Eddie (Nealon), Paddy (Nealon) and Conor (McCarthy) have loads of experience. Hazel and his fellow wing back Mark Collins (another player in good form) are surrounded by plenty of experience, and that will be crucial against Castlehaven. Since conceding 2-11 in the first round loss to Bishopstown, the shutters have come down – letting in 0-10 against Clonakilty, conceding just 0-7 against Beara and coughing up only 1-10 to Bishopstown. He is one seventh – not forgetting goalkeeper Ryan Price – of a Skibb defence that has got tighter as the season has advanced. He might miss the mid-week training session but it doesn’t show in his performances, as this attack-minded defender has been one of the Rossas’ best players in this season’s championship run.
I am probably the fittest I have ever been because I work harder during the week because I feel like I am letting the lads down not being there for training,’ Hazel explained. ‘Missing training during the week is tough. This weekend, he can’t wait, and for an obvious reason – the Cork SFC semi-final against neighbours Castlehaven at Páirc Uí Rinn.īeing based in the capital has its advantages and disadvantages, and while he trains three nights a week with Clontarf, who are managed by Noel McCaffrey (Jack’s McCaffrey’s father), it still isn’t the same as togging out with the lads at Rossa Park.
The highly-rated O’Donovan Rossa defender – who got a run-out for Cork in the McGrath Cup in January – works as a financial engineer at First Derivatives in Dublin, and every weekend he looks forward to returning home, to Skibbereen. THIS weekend can’t come quickly enough for Daniel Hazel. Kieran McCarthy caught up with O'Donovan Rossa defender Daniel Hazel to get his thoughts on Sunday’s derby county SFC semi-final against Castlehaven
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