John Purcell is eager to end Rathdowney/Errill’s senior title drought

RATHDOWNEY/Errill joint-captain John Purcell has been a mainstay in his club’s team for many years with Purcell being on the team the last time that the two sides in Sunday’s final last met in a county final in 2012.

Purcell’s side finally got over the line in a semi-final, something that they had failed to do since they last won the Bob O’Keefe Cup.

“It was a massive, massive game for us. Probably didn't turn up on semi-final day for the last few years or didn't come with the mentality that we should have, I suppose. We got caught out a few times, so yeah, it's a massive game to get back into the final,” he said.

The majority of the 2019 winning side are still playing a huge role and Purcell says his team have ‘a good mix’.

“We don't have a huge turnover. We're missing some experienced lads like Jack Kelly and Mark Kavanagh, but there's some young guys after filling their boots and driving on. Then we also have experienced guys like Joe and myself and obviously some good inter-county guys, Paddy Purcell and Roddy and so on. So, a good mix and it's going well,” Purcell said.

The last times these sides met it needed a replay to separate them and the Rathdowney/Errill full-back knows that they’re in for a ferocious battle on Sunday “It's going to come down to maybe who wants it more on the day or fine margins or a decision here or there. It's going to be very tight; I'd suspect. There's very little between the teams in Laois at the moment, especially the top three or four that have been there or thereabouts for the last ten years, so I don't expect any difference this time,” he said.

As Purcell mentions, Rathdowney/Errill are on their longest drought without a Laois SHC title since the club was amalgamated in 2005.

“It'd be huge. We're a big club and five years is a long time for us. It's the longest we've been without being in a final since we joined up, so that's our goal every year is to get to a county final and win a county final, so it'd be massive to get back there again,” he ended.