Sarsfields manager Johnny Crowley proud of response of his side in semi-final win over Midleton

Like last year, the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC clash between Sarsfields and Midleton was a tight game that did not produce a goal.

A 0-21 to 0-19 win for Sars in the 2023 decider was followed by a 0-22 to 0-21 result in favour of the Riverstown club, who are one game away from retaining the Seán Óg Murphy Cup.

Aaron Myers was the match-winner for Sars, scoring the decisive point in the 63rd minute after they had led by four points and then trailed by four in the first half and then having to hold off their opponents in the second period.

Sars manager Johnny Crowley was well aware of the fine margins involved.

“Semi-finals are very funny occasions,” he said, “it’s all or nothing, really.

“If you win, you have this fantastic occasion to look forward to that’s brilliant for the village, for the kids and brilliant for the club.

“That’s all brilliant for everyone but then if you lose, you’re back on the bus and you’re gone for six or eight months again. There’s so much at stake in a semi-final.

“I think that we started really well, but then we went back into our shell a small bit. On reflection, maybe our minds went a little bit and our headspace went.

“Half-time couldn’t come quickly soon for us but it came and we rejigged, we changed one or two small things and got a bit tighter. We just asked them to work and, by God, did they work in the second half.”

Six points in a row from Midleton in the latter part of the first half put them 0-12 to 0-8 in front before Sars’ Daniel Kearney had the last point before half-time. Slowly, Sars reeled in the deficit in the second half, without recourse to scoring a goal.

“Sometimes I wouldn’t mind a few goals, to be honest!” Crowley laughed.

“Of all the games we’ve played this year, this was our lowest tally – we’d been getting 25 or 26 points per game.

“Certainly, we don’t make things easy for ourselves but we’re playing against a Midleton side that we beat in the county final last year. You know the way Midleton are, they’re such a famous and honourable club, you know they’re going to come at you and they did and kudos for them for that.

“In the second half, we just got the break of the ball and we got that chance at the end – Ben Nodwell won an unbelievable puckout and Aaron put it over.”

Myers had been away in the USA during the summer but returned home for the championship and this was his first start.

“Aaron’s an unbelievable guy, like all of them are,” Crowley said.

“They’re such good young fellas, give them credit – they’ve come from winning a county last year and this year we’ve been to pillar and post trying to get pitches and it’s been a logistical nightmare, to be honest, even presently.

“We must give credit to Brian Dillons – they’ve stepped up and we’re out there now at the moment, under lights, which is fantastic.

“I think that this will be a great boost to the club. We’ve a great two weeks to look forward to. It’s all about the kids, the next generation, showing them what it’s all about.

“County finals are great to be able to look forward to.”

With Imokilly through on the other side, the semi-final win also confirmed that Sars will once again be Cork’s representatives in the AIB Munster Club SHC.

Before then, though, there is a bigger test for Crowley and his management to assess.

“We wouldn’t even look that far ahead, we never do,” he said.

“Before Sunday, we didn’t look at county finals or anything else, we looked at it as its own identity and we went at it.

“Thankfully, we got the result and we came out on the right side of it.”