Last Tuesday evening, after the long weekend, numbers where at a premium for both sides as Fermoy Junior footballers traveller to Ballyclough in the Division 1 League. While numbers may have been low on the night that didn’t take away from the standard of footballer to be played. With championship only around the corner, both teams last met in the North Cork Final and wouldhave to put their best foot forward. Fermoy needed to put the result of the final to the back of the head and get on with the game in hand. The reverse fixture two years ago boiled over the top and ended up an ugly one so there was no love lost between both teams. Fermoy started a young but energetic team with experience mixed through-out. Jack O’Callaghan in the middle of the pack played from end to end in the first half and got on the score sheet with a well taken point. Cian O’Carroll and Ronan O’Hagan played as a deadly inside line and tipped a few over the cross bar. In the Backs, a new face in Dean Ryan started at corner back and can be very happy with the overall performance but it was Conor O’Driscoll and Dan O’Flynn, who took the game to Ballyclough on the offence and in the defence. In a hard hitting and close game the last few minutes Fermoy lead and needed to close out the game defending well and being careful in attack, not wasting ball or giving easy turnovers. The game ended 1-8 to 0-10 in favour of Fermoy and the lads can be confident heading into the run into Junior Championship against Kilshannig on the 6th of May.