U19 Premier 1 Hurling: Midleton battle back to beat Valley Rovers on penalties
Joy for the Midleton U19 hurlers. Picture: Denis Boyle
Midleton 1-12 Valley Rovers 2-9 (Midleton win 2-1 on penalties)
MIDLETON have been crowned U19 Premier 1 hurling championships following a penalty shoot-out victory over Valley Rovers at Ballygarvan on Saturday evening.
The game was played in slippery underfoot conditions. This final ebbed and flowed throughout the game with very little to separate the teams. Both teams had periods of dominance at various stages without ever pulling away.
It was a stop-start opening 30 minutes, Midleton lost key forward Rory Hartnett to a shoulder injury after two minutes, resulting in a lengthy delay. Valley Rovers were aided by a very strong wind in the first half and opened the scoring after seven minutes through an Evan O’Shea free.
Midleton replied three minutes later, as Mikey Finn, who played a key role for CBC in the Harty Cup last Wednesday, pointed from a free, a very good point against the wind. O’Shea converted a free for the Carrigdhoun team before they billowed the back of the net through Evan Hennessy.
Midleton suffered another injury blow when captain Ciarmhac Smith was taken off, but they responded well to the goal, as a pair of Finn frees left two points between the teams at half-time, 1-2 to 0-3.
The winners, now aided by the wind in the second half started to impose themselves and by the third quarter they led 0-8 to 1-3, with Finn playing a pivotal role.
Valleys responded, with O’Shea and Sean McEntee levelling the game. Finn once again pointed from a free after 58 minutes, but a Jonathan Kenneally effort sent the game to extra time.
Midleton, aided by the wind in the first period of extra-time dominated the opening nine minutes, Tadhg O’Leary-Hayes (two) and a Finn free giving them breathing space, but on the stroke of the half-time break in extra-time, Valley’s sub David Carthew finished well from close range to level the game once more, 2-6 to 0-12.
The Innishannon side were now aided by the wind in the second half of extra time, and with five minutes remaining they led by two points, Kenneally and O’Shea with the white flags.
It looked like Valley’s would prevail, but one minute from time, a goal-mouth scramble resulted in David Cremin kicking the ball into the net. With time nearly up, O’Shea, who had a fine game for the beaten time bisected the posts to send the game to penalties.
It was a nervy penalty shoot-out, with Midleton prevailing 2-1.
M Finn 0-8 (0-7 f), D Cremin 1-1, T O’Leary-Hayes 0-2, E Kelly 0-1.
E O’Shea 0-5 (0-3 f), E Hennessy 1-0, D Carthew 1-0, S McEntee 0-2, J Kenneally 0-2.
B Saunderson; C Sunderland, A Faye, N Fitzgerald; L McGarth, C Smith (capt), E McCarthy; M Finn, N Corcoran; T O’Leary-Hayes, R Harnett, D McCarthy; E Kelly, D Cremin, P McGann.
T Roche for R Hartnett (2, inj), A Moloney for C Smith (23, inj), C Beausang for P McGann (47), S O’Connor for E Kelly (ET, 4).
A White (c); J O’Driscoll, C O’Sullivan, T McGrath; C Brady, C Johnson, J O’Leary; J O’Sullivan, E Guinane; E O’Shea, R O’Donovan, E Hennessy; S Kiely, C McCarthy, S McEntee.
J Kenneally for E Hennessy (40), J Murphy for J O’Sullivan (47), D Carthew for T McGarth (ET, 5).
Mark Maher (St Finbarr’s).
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