'I would do anything to win another one' - Mark Collins sets sights on winning three-in-a-row with Castlehaven
The Haven began the 2014 Cork football championship the same as they do the current edition throwing in this weekend - the back-to-back winners wearing a sizable target on their back.
They should have taken care of the neighbours first day out 11 years ago. They enjoyed a six-point advantage over Carbery Rangers at one juncture. Brian Hurley's 10 second-half minutes on the sideline because of injury was pounced upon by their opponents.
In the Round 4 replay a fortnight later, the men from Rosscarbery outgunned them 1-9 to 0-2 in the second half for a nine-point win. A first county championship defeat in two years, 10 months, and 29 days.
Come throw-in this evening at Ovens, Castlehaven's latest unbeaten stretch on the local scene will sit at 11 games and two years, nine months, and 24 days.
Mark Collins was 24 then, is 35 now. His attitude for this latest three-in-a-row push isn't a second cousin of what it was when last they went after a feat that has been managed by only one club - Nemo, of course - over the past 80 years.
'I'm at a totally different stage of my career now. Back then, everything seemed like a bonus, whereas now you're trying to get every little last bit out of it,' Collins said this week.
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Familiar look to Cork football as county championship throws in
'That time, we probably would have been absolutely delighted to have won two-in-a-row, whereas now I would do anything to win another one.
'We were disappointed with that go at three-in-a-row in 2014, so we'd be hoping to, starting on Saturday against Mallow, which won't be an easy start, to start on a better foot.'
Their Division 1 League campaign wasn't hectic. Lest we forget Rory Maguire and Conor Cahalane lining out the day after featuring in Cork's Sam Maguire group defeat to Meath to help secure a relegation-avoiding victory over fellow strugglers Carrigaline.
Uninspiring League form is nothing new, ditto the challenge of the Cahalane brothers rejoining the local fold days ahead of their championship opener.
They've dealt with all that before. They've dealt too with the expectation.
'We'd never been there before,' said Collins of their 2024 status as the ones to knock.
'All those big matches against the Barrs and Nemo in recent years, we went in as underdogs whereas last year, probably every match we played, we went in as favourites and it was a different thing for the group. We dealt with it well, which was a positive.
'We've had a lot of younger lads break into our team, no fear, plenty of confidence. Winning that county in '23 gave them confidence that they were good enough to be at that level and they progressed even more for us in '24 and became big players and leaders for us.'
Is there enough there for them to go where no Castlehaven side has gone previously? Let's find out.
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