La Touche Cosgrave looking to make up for lost time

ANDREW LA Touche Cosgrave will be a key part of the Monaleen side that will take to the field in their All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Final at Croke Park on Saturday.

The versatile hurler has endured an injury nightmare in the last number of years but is happy to be just back on the field and being able to contribute to Monaleen's cause:

"It's long and tedious i can tell you," La Touche Cosgrave said of his road back onto the field. "I wouldn't be playing any hurling this year if it wasn't for lads that I had around me.

"Even Eoin when he came in at the start of the year. I was up and down to Santry even before he came in. I told him the story and it was nipped straight away.

"I got onto the best people and got it sorted. I've had a very good group of people that have helped me get where I am today."

The past year has been one of great success for Monaleen with the Premier Intermediate and Munster crowns already in the bag.

There has been great excitement around the club since the victory over Bray Emmets but the 2018 All-Ireland winner says that the players are very much concentrating on the job at hand.

Eoin Brislane took over as manager this season and his influence has been clear: "The proof is in the pudding. We are going up to Croke Park for an All-Ireland Final having just been relegated a year ago.

"If we had got to a semi final in the Premier Intermediate Championship you would have been happy. We set out a plan at the start of the year just to have a future and things just took off. The impact Eoin and the lads that he brought with him have had."

Monaleen's game with Tooreen has a 7pm throw-in at Croke Park and is also live on TG4.