Steven Sherlock fires 1-14 as St Finbarr's outclass Carrigaline but both teams move on
St Finbarr's defender Sam Ryan makes a superb block to deny Carrigaline's Kevin O'Reilly during their Premier SFC clash at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: David Keane.
Steven Sherlock found top form with a 1-14 haul as St Finbarr’s took top spot in Group 2 ahead of Carrigaline.
The 19-point margin of victory fell short of the landslide required for the semi-final bye, with Nemo Rangers five points better off on score difference.
The dubious prize, however, is a quarter-final against reigning champions Castlehaven.
Still, Sherlock’s form will strike fear into plenty of opponents as he tallied four two-pointers, including one from a sideline, before his final attempt dropped into the net.
Backed by a pair of Darragh Newman saves, the Barrs built a six-point advantage playing into the wind. From there, the outcome was never in doubt.
Carrigaline lined up without Brian O’Driscoll, while Brian Hayes was absent for the Barrs.
The Togher men made light work of the strong wind blowing into their faces in the first half, opening with eight consecutive points inside 14 minutes.
William Buckley clipped the first before Ricky Barrett found joy in the right corner, escaping for a quickfire brace.
Buckley released Ethan Twomey to handpass between the posts and when the subsequent kick-out didn’t travel beyond the 40m arc, Sherlock tapped over.
A missed two-point attempt from Brian Coakley was Carrigaline’s only shot in this spell. The one-way traffic continued with a second Sherlock free followed by one from play, after brilliant work by full-back Alan O’Connor.
Conor Dennehy’s well-timed intervention at one end led to another by Eoin McGreevy.
Trailing by eight, Carrigaline needed something big. They almost found it when Niall Coakley caught his brother’s long delivery, but his shot was saved by Darragh Newman’s outstretched leg. Kevin O’Reilly turned the rebound towards goal, only for Sam Ryan to get in a diving block. Play was called back for Coakley to convert the mark.
Sherlock launched a powerful 45 into the wind before Carrigaline gained a foothold around the middle for the remainder of the half. They couldn’t register from play, though, as they sent four two-point efforts wide.
Coakley tacked on three frees and created a second goal chance. However, Newman produced another big save with his feet to deny Éanna Desmond.
Sherlock’s fifth point left it 0-10 to 0-4 at half-time.
Carrigaline wasted no time opening their account from play into the breeze through Desmond.
The Barrs began to exploit the conditions with the next four points. Ian Maguire slotted a no-look point. From the kick-out, Buckley and Barrett bottled up the defender for a free. Sherlock’s kick raised the orange flag. Buckley then exchanged a one-two for his second.
Carrigaline dug in with a Desmond free and Jack McCarthy’s measured point, but a Jamie Burns block on their next shot stole the momentum.
Sherlock slotted a tremendous outside-of-the-boot sideline from just inside the 45 under the stand. After Twomey and O’Reilly swapped points, Sherlock drilled another two-point free through the posts to bring him into double-digits.
Not content with that, he turned into space for the next point to make it 0-20 to 0-8 before Desmond and Coakley frees cut the deficit to double scores.
The first goal arrived in the 53rd minute. Colm Barrett won the kick-out break, Buckley slipped the ball through, and John Wigginton-Barrett’s sidestep made the finish straightforward.
Sherlock sent over another two-point free. Then, in the second minute of stoppage time, Burns and Colm Barrett filtered the ball to Sherlock, whose shot deceived the keeper to find the net.
S Sherlock 1-14 (3 2pt f, 1 2pt sl, 0-2 f, 0-1 45), J Wigginton-Barrett 1-0, W Buckley, E Twomey, R Barrett 0-2 each, I Maguire, E McGreevy 0-1 each.
N Coakley 0-5 (0-4 f, 1 mark), É Desmond 0-3 (0-2 f), J McCarthy, K O’Reilly 0-1 each.
D Newman; S Ryan, A O’Connor, D Quinn; B Hennessy, J Burns, C Dennehy; C Doolan, I Maguire; E Twomey, S Sherlock (c), W Buckley; R Barrett, J Wigginton-Barrett, E McGreevy.
C Myers-Murray for McGreevy (44), C Barrett for R Barrett (46), L Hannigan for Hennessy (46), B O’Connell for Ryan (46), F Crowley for Doolan (53).
C Dungan; D King, K McCarthy, C O’Herlihy; K Kavanagh, N Quirke, J McCarthy; P Mellett, N O’Keeffe; C Barrett, B Coakley, C Kearney; N Coakley, K O’Reilly, É Desmond.
S Andrews for Kearney (46), E Landers for O’Reilly (48).
J Bermingham (Bride Rovers).
App?
