Red FM Division 1 SHL: Sarsfields prove way too strong for Carrigtwohill and advance to final

Carrigtwohill 0-19 

Sarsfields 2-28

Sarsfields warmed up for the RedFM Division 1 Hurling League final by defeating Carrigtwohill 2-28 to 0-19 away from home on Sunday morning.

Johnny Crowley’s team were already into the decider before the sliotar was thrown in, and they polished their campaign with a comprehensive performance that saw ten different players put the ball over the bar.

Barry O’Flynn and Shane O’Regan also raised first half green flags, which helped give the club a commanding 2-18 to 0-7 lead at the break.

Sars are now going for three in a row, further cementing this period as a golden era for the club following their county championship success in 2023 and victory over Ballygunner in last year’s Munster final.

Carrigtwohill were in a different position on Sunday, as they had nothing to play for after avoiding relegation.

Sarsfields were relentless despite the game being a dead rubber, with the club charging into a 0-9 to 0-1 lead inside ten minutes.

Colm McCarthy got three in a row during this spell with Cian Darcy hitting a brace, while Sean Walsh offering a solitary response for Carrigtwohill.

What helped Sarsfields was James Sweeney dropping back as the half-forward was able to use his height to pick off puck-outs and with that came the bulk of their scores during the first half on Sunday.

Carrigtwohill struggled to get into such positions and this showed at the break as Sean Walsh and Liam Gosnell were the only two players in a yellow and blue jersey to put the sliotar over the bar.

Everything just looked easier for Sars, including O’Flynn’s blistering run down the left wing and goal in the 19th minute from the tightest of angles.

That made it 1-13 to 0-4 and it was followed by O’Regan tapping the sliotar over the bar for his second of the game.

The forward’s next involvement involved picking up a Daniel Kearney pass and running at the Carrigtwohill back-line. The U20 All-Ireland winner unleashed a shot that went beyond the reach of Shane Devlin and Sarsfields soared in front at 2-14 to 0-5 in the 23rd minute.

The second half saw more of the same, despite a late rally by the home side that slightly closed the gap.

Carrigtwohill’s best run was at the 40th minute when they outscored Sars 0-6 to 0-1, with Sean Walsh getting two from frees. Mark O’Connor also chipped in, but it counted for very little as the visitors started emptying their bench.

Jack Kelly was one of those that came on and immediately made his name known, by raising a white flag that pushed Sars further in front at 2-26 to 0-18.

Conor O’Rourke tried goaling on one occasion following his introduction, and the substitute’s effort was pushed out for a 65 that was missed in the dying minutes.

Carrigtwohill only got into that position once and Sean Walsh put it wide on the edge of the square.

Scorers for Carrigtwohill: S Walsh 0-12 (7f); D Murnane and M O’Connor both 0-2, L Gosnell, L O’Sullivan, and M Barrett all 0-1.

Scorers for Sarsfields: S O’Regan 1-6 (1f); C McCarthy 0-7 (2f), B O’Flynn 1-1, D Kearney, C Darcy, and J Sweeney all 0-3, K Murphy 0-2, B Murphy (1f), D Long, and J Kelly all 0-1.

Carrigtwohill: S Devlin; C Flynn, A Walsh Barry, D Joseph, J Horgan, C O’Riordan, D Murnane, D Nolan, L Gosnell, P Walsh, L O’Sullivan, T Hogan, S O’Sullivan, S Walsh, M O’Connor.

Subs: M Barrett for S O’Sullivan (35); J Scully for Joseph (40), J Tynan for O’Connor (50).

Sarsfields: D McCarthy; C O’Sullivan, K Walsh, D English, K Murphy, L Elliott, B Murphy, C Darcy, D Kearney, J Sweeney, S O’Regan, S King, C McCarthy, B Nodwell, B O’Flynn.

Subs: J O’Leary for Kearney (29); D Long for King (HT), J Leahy for O’Sullivan (35), A Hartnett for Sweeney (56), J Kelly for Nodwell (56), C O’Rourke for Darcy (59).

Referee: Niall Fahey (Brian Dillons)