Carraig na bhFear crowned East Cork Junior A hurling champions
Joy for Carraig na bhFear. Picture: Larry Cummins
CARRAIG na bhFear landed the East Cork JAHC after edging out St Ita's at Rathcormac.
It was a magnificent team performance by Carraig from start to finish led by their captain Paul Sheehan, especially after they were beaten by Lisgoold in the football decider.
James Forde gave a Man of the Match display the number 15 finished off with an impressive 0-8.
They were ahead by 0-11 to 0-5 at the break, and one would be lying if you didn't say they were given an almighty scare in the second half. Credit has to go to Ita's for a great second-half comeback, living up to that never-said-die attitude. Star player Seamus Hardney finished off with a personal tally of 1-12.
From first whistle to the last, the winners were very much in control with Paul Sheehan (2) and Brendan Murphy raising early white flags.
Harnedy opened Itas account in the eighth minute from a free. Then came the first real goal opportunity of the game when Cormac Murphy had a chance to flick the ball into the net, but it went narrowly wide.
Both sides were going toe to toe in the early stages, and a Darragh O'Brien point had the margin down to one.
Aaron Dorgan was very solid in the full-back line keeping the Ita's forward line at bay.
The next score of the game went to Forde converting a free from well inside his own 65, though Harnedy responded with free before a Forde gem from a line ball, that with a sweet connection on the sliotar went straight between the posts: 0-5 to 0-3 on 15 minutes.
Carraig began to take over as a flurry of scores from Forde (2), Oisin Crowley, Cormac Murphy (2) and Billy Connolly saw them pull head heading up to the short whistle: 0-11 to 0-3.
Harnedy's accuracy from frees though meant it was just a five-point game at the break.
A rip-roaring start to the second half meant that within a matter of minutes, Ita's registered 1-2 courtesy of Harnedy.
But Carraig managed to weather the storm as they hit back with three unanswerable white flags 0-14 to 1-7.
It was score for score for the remainder of the game, and when Harnedy pointed from another free in the 63rd minute, it looked like they would get one more chance.
However, Carraig held on.
J Forde 0-8 (0-6 f, 0-1 sl), P Sheehan, C Murphy, B Connolly 0-2 each, B Murphy, O Crowley, T Geaney, D Sweeney 0-1 each.
S Harnedy 1-12 (0-8 f), D O'Brien 0-2.
A Buckley; T O Donoghue, F Murphy, T Hegarty; B Murphy, C Cooney, T Geaney; J Forde, R Sheehan; A Dorgan, P Sheehan, B Connolly; C Murphy, O Crowley, J Forde.
T Coleman for T Hegarty (bs), S O'Donoghue for O Crowley, D Sweeney for C Murphy, J Ahern for J Forde.
P O'Brien; S O'Connor, M Coleman, M Lillis; B O'Neil, C O'Brien, B McCarthy; D Dorian, M O'Brien; G Coleman, D O'Brien, C Deane; J McCarthy, S Harnedy, D Hickey.
K Lee for D Dorian(ht), D O'Rourke for J McCarthy, Ed Collins for G Collins, E Hegarty for C Deane.
B Sweeney (Erin's Own).
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