Sean Meade rescues Killeagh to force replay with Carraig na bhFear in East Cork JAHC final
Cormac Murphy of Carraig Na bhFear tries to stop Killeagh's Barry Walsh during the East Cork Oil Junior A Hurling Championship final in Castlemartyr. Picture: Howard Crowdy
It was an entertaining, albeit rain soaked stalemate in Castlemartyr on Sunday. But Carraig na bhFear and Killeagh will have to go again to decide who will be crowned East Cork Junior A hurling champions.
The Jamesy Kelleher Cup looked set to return to Killeagh for the first time since 1995 – though this would be the first ever JAHC title for their second team.
Carraig na bhFear hadn’t scored a single point from minute seven to 37 – and when Evan Flynn did finally convert for Carraig, it only cut the gap to four.
In a game so starved of scores – four points was a huge margin.
After 48 minutes of play, the gap remained four points. Anything Carraig had thrown at Killeagh was matched by their opponents.
That was until substitutes Billy Connolly and Oisin Crowley seemed to conjure up a goal chance, before the latter was brought down.
Flynn converted the free for Carraig. Three-point game.
Then it was time for a Carraig starter to step up. Captain Paul Sheehan made a dangerous run cutting in from the flank, but was swarmed by two Killeagh defenders, and lost his hurley.
No matter.
He got the handpass off to Crowley.
Crowley turned, and fired. It bounced underneath the oncoming Fionn Murphy and trickled into the net. Draw game, eight minutes to go.
The goal got Carraig going, and scores from Paul Sheehan and David Sweeney had them 1-9 to 0-10 in front with five remaining.
In the 58th minute, Ben Walsh’s long ball in took a deflection. Sub Dan Landers was there to receive it. A stunning over the shoulder score followed.
One point game.
That lifted Killeagh for one last surge. Sweeney was forced into overcarrying in midfield. The roar from Killeagh’s dugout told all – it was as good as a score.
Barry Walsh made no mistake against the wind. Level again, 60 seconds to go.
A mistake from Killeagh gifted Jack Ahern a scoring opportunity. It sailed between the posts, and he looked to have won it with 30 seconds of injury time to go.
But deep in the red – Killeagh had one last chance. Former Cork minor Sean Meade was there. A great run to get away from his man and an even better strike levelled it at the death.
The teams will go again this Saturday at 2pm. A fair result all things considered.
Killeagh led by three at the break – 0-6 to 0-3.
There had been more towels used than white flags raised, such were the conditions.
The breeze had favoured Killeagh in the opening period, but the rain certainly weakened its effect.
It was a first half where both teams' defensive prowess took the spotlight. Tadhg O’Donoghue and Felix Murphy were outstanding for Carraig. Full-back George Walsh Wallace was equal to it for Killeagh – and even surged forward to get a point.
But after Carrig moved 0-3 to nothing ahead with seven minutes on the clock, Killeagh took control. Eight scores without reply left them five in front after 33 minutes.
The second half saw much more from both teams' forwards. Ben Walsh was everywhere in midfield, his cousin Barry was immense under pressure.
Carraig’s substitutes changed the game. So too did Paul Sheehan.
Were it not for Sean Meade’s 0-3 and last gap score, Killeagh may not have lived to fight another day.
James Forde 0-3 (0-2 f, 0-1 65), O Crowley 1-0, E Flynn 0-2 (0-1 f), C Murphy, John Forde, J Ahern, P Sheehan, D Sweeney 0-1 each.
Barry Walsh 0-6 (0-4 f), S Meade 0-3, Ben Walsh, G Walsh Wallace, K Budds, D Landers 0-1 each.
A Buckley; T O’Donoghue, F Murphy, P Geaney; M Ahern, C Cooney, T Geaney; John Forde, J Ahern; C Murphy, D Foley, R Sheehan; P Sheehan (c), James Forde, E Flynn.
B Connolly for R Sheehan (HT), O Crowley for Foley (38), D Sweeney for James Forde (47), A Dorgan for M Ahern (54).
F Murphy; A Morrison, G Walsh Wallace, P Leahy; D O’Brien, C Fitzgibbon, R Treacy; Ben Walsh, M Fitzgerald; D Kelleher (c), K Budds, D Motherway; S Meade, B Walsh, J Fogarty.
P Mackey for Kelleher (38), D Landers for Budds (55).
Anthony O’Regan (Youghal)
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