Imokilly take flight in second half to dethrone Sars and claim sixth county crown
Imokilly's Seamus Harnedy is tackled by Sarsfields' Paul Leopold during the Co-Op Superstores Premier SHC final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Imokilly are Cork senior hurling champions for the sixth time, having produced a dominant final quarter to see off Sarsfields at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon.
Trailing by six points at half-time, Adam Murphy’s goal helped them to claw their way back early in the second half. While Sars stayed in front for a period, an unanswered surge of ten points had Imokilly 1-22 to 0-16 in front as the game moved into injury time.
Following the three-in-a-row of 2017-19, the East Cork barony suffered with the creation of the Senior A grade, reducing their available pool of players, but they continued to contend and this year they looked formidable throughout.
The first half here was the first time where they had been behind for a sustained period but the second half showed their lack of panic.
Sarsfiels’ Cathal McCarthy, just on as a sub, set up Aaron Myers to extend the lead to seven on the restart but then Imokilly made a decisive move.
After a Jack Leahy pointed free, a good Bill Cooper turnover led to a goal chance for Murphy and he drilled his shot to the top corner. Diarmuid Healy cut the lead to two and, though Cathal McCarthy had a good response for Sars, two from Séamus Harnedy left just a point in it.
Myers almost got in for a goal opportunity for Sars, denied by Timmy Wilk, and Imokilly made the most of that let-off as Leahy sent over a 65 and then a free to put them ahead for the first time.
Sars deserve credit for how they reacted to that as Hogan scored his fifth point of the game and Jack O’Connor landed a beauty from a tight angle on the left. After Desmond’s second for Imokilly, Myers got his second for Sars – 0-16 to 1-12, but it was the last time they led.
Two from midfielder Shane Hegarty had Imokilly back in front, setting in train a sequence of ten straight points. This included a huge free from goalkeeper Eoin Davis and a driving run from the influential Ciarán Joyce ending in a foul, the free converted by Leahy – subs Barry Lawton and Mike Kelly also got on the scoresheet.
By the time the run ended, with Jack O’Connor’s third for Sars in injury time, the outcome was beyond doubt, Imokilly champions for the sixth time – Leahy rounded things off with his 11th point.
The divisional side had been favourites and ultimately lived up to that billing, doing enough in the first half against the wind to stay with Sars, who had enjoyed qualified success with the elements. While they led by seven points at one stage, 0-11 to 0-3 after 27 minutes, they also retired at half-time with a 12-4 ‘lead’ on the wides front.
Daniel Hogan had opened the scoring inside 15 seconds but Imokilly almost replied with a goal – from Ciarán Joyce’s diagonal ball, Seán Desmond might have gone for his own score but instead tried to play the ball across, with the onrushing Timmy Wilk unable to meet it.
Wilk had number 2 on his back but was detailed to mark the roving Cathal McCarthy, while at the other end Brian Lawton, named at wing-back, dropped back as a sweeper, with Bryan Murphy shadowing him at times.
McCarthy and Daniel Kearney had extended the Sars lead to three before Jack Leahy’s point got Imokilly off the mark, but the champions continued to augment their tally as the divisional side took time to click into gear.
The score was 0-8 to 0-3 when a dropping ball towards the Sars goal was not dealt with by goalkeeper Donnacha McCarthy or full-back Craig Leahy – Murphy was presented with an open goal only to pull his shot wide, but the whistle had gone for a free out in any case.
Conor O’Sullivan set up Jack O’Connor – well-marshalled by Ciarán Joyce up to then – to make it 0-10 to 0-3 before Cian Darcy extended the advantage but Shane Hegarty and Seán Desmond were on hand to make Imokilly’s deficit that bit more manageable by half-time. They wiped it out in admirable fashion.
J Leahy 0-11 (0-7 f, 0-1 65), S Hegarty, S Desmond 0-3 each, A Murphy 1-0, S Harnedy 0-2, D Healy, M Kelly, Barry Lawton, E Davis (f) 0-1 each.
D Hogan 0-5 (0-2 f), J O’Connor 0-3, A Myers 0-2, P Leopold, B Murphy, C O’Sullivan, Cathal McCarthy, D Kearney, C Darcy, Colm McCarthy 0-1 each.
E Davis (St Catherine’s); T Wilk (Cobh), M Russell (Aghada), C O’Brien (St Ita’s); C Joyce (Castlemartyr), D O’Leary (Watergrasshill), J Cronin (Lisgoold); S Hegarty (Dungourney), B Cooper (Youghal); Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr), D Healy (Lisgoold), S Harnedy (St Ita’s); A Murphy (Watergrasshill), S Desmond (Watergrasshill), J Leahy (Dungourney).
K O’Neill (Watergrasshill) for Russell (36), M Kelly (Castlemartyr) for Murphy (47), Barry Lawton (Castlemartyr) for Healy (52), W Leahy (Aghada) for Desmond (63).
D McCarthy; P Leopold, C Leahy, C O’Sullivan; L Elliott, E Murphy, B Murphy; C Darcy, D Kearney; J O’Connor, D Hogan, A Myers; S O’Regan, J Sweeney, Colm McCarthy.
Cathal McCarthy for O’Regan (half-time), L Healy for Sweeney (39), K Murphy for Kearney (52),
S Scanlon (Newcestown).
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