DLS Macroom and Patrician Academy in driving seat but can CBS Mitchestown upset the odds?
Macroom's Millstreet And Pic: De Tackled Hourihan Corn Is La Browne Tom Salle, Patrician The By O'hare Cian Jamie At Cooney Academy, Uí Mhuiri During Mallow's Eddie
As the Corn Ui Mhuirí group stages near their end, progression and elimination are still very much on the table.
That's the case in Group 4. An opportunity spurned last time out means De La Salle, Macroom were made to wait for a chance to seal their knockout berth.
That missed chance came against current table-topper Patrician Academy, Mallow a fortnight ago.
With both sides already having a win and two points on the board, Patrician Academy reeled off three late frees to grab a share of the spoils deny De La Salle a major scalp, and one that would have sealed their safe, and early, passage directly into the quarter-finals.
For De La Salle, another bite of the cherry awaits in their clash with already-eliminated IS Killorglin in Fossa on Wednesday afternoon.
The Shane Ryan-coached outfit can right the wrongs of two weeks ago, and seal their - although belated - berth in a quarter-final by bettering Patrician Academy's result on Wednesday, who currently hold a four-point scoring advantage over their fellow Cork school.
A win of any kind will guarantee them a preliminary quarter-final slot.
As ever, those who have been involved in underage Rebel setups - Denis O'Mullane and Sean O'Leary - as well as free-scoring centre-forward Tim Browne will once again prove crucial.
And as for last year's semi-finalists Patrician Academy? As asked in the pages in the aftermath of that meeting of the Macroom and Mallow schools at Milstreet: was it a good point or a bad point?
Patrician Academy were satisfied with the result directly afterward, if not the performance. Having never led, they did manage to reel off a perfect seven points from the same number of attempts after the interval.
Repeating that sort of scoring percentage will go a long to them coming out the right side of their meeting with newcomers CBS Mitchelstown, and ensuring their playing ball beyond Wednesday evening.
Senior 'A' first-timers Mitchesltown - led by the dangerous Diarmuid O'Brien - will have garnered needed momentum from a first win, over IS Killorglin, since regrading to the Corn Uí Mhuirí for the 2025 campaign.
They've got their chance after being outclassed for portions of their opener against De La Salle. That's all they wanted, as noted by boss Cillian Bohane.
"It gives us a chance anyway. It's our first year in it and it's great for the school, it's great for the lads to win at this level, to get a taste for it now going into the next game."
The Patrician Academy frontline have proved they can find the necessary accuracy when called upon. Stop O'Brien - who will likely be tagged by Cork underage star Gearóid Daly - and the rest of the Mitchelstown forward unit and knockout qualification should fllow for the Mallow school.
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