SAHC final: Padraig Power's late leveller earns draw for Blarney against Newcestown
Newcestown's Richard O'Sullivan breaks from Blarney's Cathal Hegarty. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
AS the clock reached half past five in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, Abba’s played over the public address.
In terms of the Co-op SuperStores Cork SAHC, six more days must pass before the Jim Forbes Cup can find a winter home after Blarney and Newcestown could not be separated.
A crowd of 5,813 passed through the turnstiles on Sunday for both this game and the IAHC decider between Aghabullogue and Midleton. Those who witnessed it all saw action right up to the end.
With 63 minutes gone, the sides were level as Blarney’s Mark Coleman sized up a sideline cut from the right - a minute beforehand, an attempt to unsettle him from the Newcestown dugout resulted in a red card.
While the delivery didn’t have enough to go over the bar, it caused a scramble in the Newcestown goalmouth and Cathal Hegarty pulled the loose ball to the net. For a brief second, the Blarney faithful thought that they had won it but referee Mark Maher’s whistle had gone before the ‘winning’ strike and it was the last action. Next Saturday at 5pm will see the sides do battle again – this time to a finish.
While Blarney led for much of the game, it was they who had to equalise twice in the closing stages. Having battled back in the second half, Newcestown hit the front as Edmund Kenneally and then David Buckley had them 0-18 to 1-14 ahead only for Cian Barrett to tie things again.
Then, as injury time began, great work from James Kelleher set up Trevor Horgan for another Newcestown lead score. One Blarney chance went astray – they had 13 wides in all – but the excellent Pádraig Power, starved of possession for much of the second half, sent over a beauty. A replay adds to the tale of Blarney’s season following the semi-final drama while Newcestown would scarcely have wanted it as they have the SAFC final against Dohenys on November 5 but they would have taken it when trailing by three with 22 minutes left.
After Edmund Kenneally’s first-minute free had given Newcestown the lead, Blarney conjured a strong riposte as they struck for a goal. When Coleman’s diagonal delivery broke and wasn’t dealt with by the defence, Power latched on to the ball – while there was a lot to do, he did well to create space and then crashed home a shot from a tight angle.
Given how three first-half goals had been decisive in Blarney’s semi-final win over Bride Rovers, this could have been a hammer-blow to Newcestown but they steadied and scored three points – two by Jack Meade and one from the effective David Buckley – to move back in front.
Their advantage was merely fleeting and Cathal Hegarty and then Shane Barrett, with a lovely point from the left, put Blarney back in front and they had the upper hand for the rest of the half, though matters remained close.
The Mid-Cork side could probably have put more daylight between them and their opponents but for some wasted opportunities – they ended the first half with nine wides – but they were still able to come back when Newcestown threatened to make inroads.
On 22 minutes, Blarney led by 1-4 to 0-6 when Newcestown had a goal chance after a sideline cut broke. Colm Dinneen reacted first but his shot flashed over the bar. While it tied the match, Shane Barrett put Blarney back in front and he made it 1-6 to 0-7 with a close-range free when Power was denied a goal attempt, dragged dawn just outside the large rectangle.
Jack Meade’s third, well set up by David Buckley, left it a one-point game again but, after chances to level were not taken, Barrett’s fifth sent Blarney in with a 1-7 to 0-8 lead. Olan Hegarty extended the lead 11 seconds in the second half but Kenneally and Richard O’Sullivan hit back for Newcestown.
That was the pattern for much of the second period but, with David Buckley excellent, Newcestown were inching closer. Twice they levelled, through Jack Meade and Kenneally only for Coleman to put Blarney in front each time.
Finally, they hit the front with seven left but Blarney had enough in them to earn the draw.
S Barrett 0-6 (0-4 f), P Power 1-2, M Coleman 0-3, C Hegarty, C Barrett, S Mulcahy, C Dunlea, O Hegarty 0-1 each.
E Kenneally 0-6 (0-4f, 0-1 65), J Meade 0-4 (0-1 sideline), D Buckley 0-3, S O’Donovan, C Dinneen 0-2 each, T Horgan, R O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
C Murphy; S Crowley, D Murphy, P O’Leary; J O’Keeffe, P Crowley, C Power; O Hegarty, C Hegarty; S Mulcahy, C Dunlea, S Barrett; M Coleman, P Power, C Barrett.
E Kirby for Dunlea (43), C McCarthy for Mulcahy (50).
C Wilson; M McSweeney, G O’Donovan, J Kelleher; L Meade, C O’Neill, E Collins; T Twomey, N Kelly; S O’Donovan, E Kenneally, D Buckley; C Dinneen, R O’Sullivan, J Meade.
T Horgan for Kelly (45), C O’Donovan for O’Sullivan (58).
M Maher (St Finbarr’s).
App?
