Sarsfields v Feakle: Cork runners-up ready to reach first Munster hurling final

When Sarsfields take to the field on Sunday, there will be a handful of firsts on the line.

Appearing in their fifth Munster semi-final, the Riverstown club enter as bookies’ favourites to master Feakle and reach a first provincial decider.

It would mean even more given Sars donated the O’Neill Cup to the Munster Council in 1972 to commemorate the club’s founder Billy O’Neill; a legendary Cork hurler who was also a renowned footballer and rugby player.

A final berth would also snap the county’s losing streak in the competition. Since Newtownshandrum raised the cup in 2009, the Rebel representatives have lost 12 of their 13 encounters. Glen Rovers, in 2016, remain the sole exception.

To achieve that, however, Sars must overcome the knockback of qualifying without a county championship in their back pocket.

This is the eighth occasion that a divisional success has led to a club side entering Munster on the back of a loss. None have yet forged on to reach a provincial showpiece.

The Glen were the most recent team placed in that position in 2019. Their second-half fightback fell three points short of a Borris-Ileigh side who would advance to Munster honours and an All-Ireland final appearance.

Then boss Richie Kelleher felt the difference between winning and losing their county title harmed their Munster prospects.

“We lost momentum after the county final, they had it and it got them over the line. If we had won our county, we probably would have won today,” he reflected in the aftermath.

“The last couple of weeks was tough trying to get back up on the horse and keep it going. We did the best we could but it was always going to be hard.

“If you win, you are full of confidence and you are coming up here full of confidence and you are ambitious.

“We threw everything at them but I think the better team won on the day.

“We did some stupid things in the first half, we gave away some silly frees and that is a bit of laziness because your mind is not right after losing a county final.” 

FRIGHT

The others to take up the mantle after county final defeats to Imokilly were Midleton, who gave Ballygunner a fright before losing by a pair in 2018, and Blackrock, who were dismantled by Limerick champions Na Piarsaigh.

“It is difficult to pick yourself up after losing a big game and we weren’t able to do it after losing the county final,” remarked Rockies’ manager at the time Fergal Ryan.

“We made it very hard on ourselves. I thought we were in a position where we had the appetite coming up here but we didn’t muster up anything.

“We dropped balls, fumbled balls. There were a lot of basic errors and mentally, they looked spent out there. The harder we chased, the further it went away from us.

“We didn’t play. Na Piarsaigh absolutely played and hammered us.” 

But teams with recent experience of an extended campaign can be better equipped to overcome the sting of defeat.

After all, St Finbarr’s won their third All-Ireland football title in 1987 despite losing a county final to Imokilly. In the '90s, Cork was represented by hurling runners-up in 1994, ’97, and ’98, and by a losing semi-finalist in ’96 when two divisions contested the final.

Midleton, All-Ireland champions six years previous, came closest to a final in ‘94 when hockeying Mount Sion before losing a semi-final replay to Kilmallock.

Na Piarsaigh couldn’t manage the same after being nominated semi-finalists in ’96. Sarsfields debuted with a quarter-final draw before losing to Ballygunner the following year. In ’98, Blackrock navigated past Kerry champions Causeway but lost their semi to Toomevara.

CLOSE

Sars’ subsequent semi-final record brings back bad memories of close calls. 

In 2008, they registered their sole Munster victory against Clonlara but were beaten narrowly by De La Salle in their last-four encounter.

It was even closer in 2010 when a controversial retaken placed ball helped the Waterford champions come from five behind to force extra time. De La Salle won by the minimum in the end.

They were bested by Thurles Sarsfields in 2012 before another extra-time agony against Kilmallock in 2014.

On all four occasions, their conquerors went on to claim the Munster silverware.

Sars weren’t as close when outgunned on their provincial return last year but that experience will steel them for this opportunity.

They have the experience edge on Feakle, who have qualified for a first time in 36 years.

Can Sars make it count?