Cork club hurling All-Stars: Reardens dream team revealed
Sarsfields' captain Conor O'Sullivan lifting the cup after the Cork County Premier Senior Club Hurling Championship final between Sarsfields and Midleton at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
SARSFIELDS’ return to the top has brought with it the inclusion of six players in the Reardens All-Star hurling team for 2023.
Runners-up Midleton finished with four playes, beaten semi-finalists St Finbarr’s have two included, while Charleville, Newtownshandrum and Kanturk all have one each.
It was a season where the Glen’s relegation was one of the most prominent talking points, but Sars’ seventh title arriving the year we lost Teddy McCarthy was a fitting conclusion in many ways.
Picked by myself, Denis Hurley, Éamonn Murphy and Barry O’Mahony, it was inevitable that some key players would miss the cut. After all – we can only have 15.
Daniel Kearney narrowly missed out after another great season for Sars, while his clubmate Donnacha McCarthy was also unfortunate not to be included.
Damien Cahalane had a stellar season with St Finbarr’s and would certainly have been the 16th man were we to include one, while Midleton’s Conor Lehane was also close to making it.
Saunderson’s impact on his return to the Midleton squad was remarkable.
After missing the first two games through suspension, Brion stood in between the posts from their last group game against Blackrock to the final against Sars and didn’t concede a single goal.
His puckouts were crucial this year to Midleton, and he’ll certainly be knocking on Pat Ryan’s door for 2024 after his performances with the Cork U20s and the Magpies this year.
Cathal McCarthy set the benchmark for what a big game player is this season.
He was superb for Sars, arguably their best player this season and he shone in the last two games, scoring four from play against Midleton and five against Imokilly.
He managed a total of 13 points across five games, and while he did have a license to get forward, it’s an incredible scoring return for a defender.
A stalwart in defence for the champions, Leopold was immense all season. He made life difficult for forwards, and his quality and leadership helped secure a spot in the team of the week an impressive three times.
His performance in the final was, as always, top class.
Smyth had an outstanding season in the corner for Midleton, with standout moments including that incredible tackle against the Glen, or his incredible job marking Robbie Cotter.
His consistency was key this year, and the strides he’s made as a player can’t be ignored.
Lining out at centre-back for each of Sars’ six games, Eoghan was one of the standout performers this year. He was crucial in each game, with his distribution and defensive strength integral to their county success.
Tommy was another incredible performer for the east Cork side this year, as he provided the crucial link between attack and defence.
He was top class on both ends, with some great pieces of defensive display to partner his quality ball distribution. He picked up four team of the week awards in six games.
Arguably Midleton’s best player, Sean excelled in his man marking duties throughout. With the job of dealing with some of the most threatening forwards in the county, he rose to the occasion and proved to be a thorn in the side of every opponent he faced.
Excellent for Sars until his cruciate injury against Imokilly, Murphy was another one of the club’s standout performers. He showed his class all year and it was heartbreaking to see him miss a final he had worked so hard to get to.
While Kanturk ended up on the verge of relegation, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Lorcán was outstanding, with big performances against Glen Rovers and Sarsfields while playing in a free role.
The former Cork hurler showed he certainly still has it.
A consistent performer throughout, O’Connor managed scores in all of Sarsfields’ games. Scoring 1-13 from play, Jack was one of the most threatening options going forward.
His performance against Blackrock was the standout one though, as Jack starred and got his team over the line and into the semi-final.
The Cork U20 star finished as the championship top scorer, managing a staggering 1-58 in just five games of hurling. He was outstanding for the Barrs, hitting the target from all areas of the pitch, and leading the forwards.
Cunningham’s teammate for both club and county, William was outstanding for the Barrs this year. His pace proved to be a nightmare for many defenders, and he picked up some quality scores along the way.
It will be interesting to watch his development over the next few years.
Charleville certainly made progress this year, and Doyle was integral to that. Wrapping up a tally of 0-27 across four games, he stepped up and lead the team in Darragh Fitzgibbon’s absence, with big performances against Douglas and Erin’s Own.
Like his teammate Cathal, Myers must be up there as one of the best players this year. His huge tally of 2-51 was invaluable to Sars’ success, and he stepped up massively in the final with four from play.
Though Newtownshandrum didn’t make it out of the group, it’s impossible not to include Coughlan. 4-28 in three games is remarkable, an average of 13.33 scores a game. The veteran was exceptional again this year, continuing to deliver at the age of 31.
App?
