Charlie McCarthy free snatches it as Midleton edge Glanmire in P1 U16 Football semi-final
Charlie McCarthy, Midleton, under pressure from Tom Huggins and Aaron O'Sullivan, Glanmire during their Rebel Og Under 16 Premier 1 Football Championship semi final at Caherlag.
It was a brilliant battle from first whistle to last, Midleton only snatching it in the second minute of injury-time when Charlie McCarthy held his nerve from a free. That late kick nudged the Magpies into the Premier 1 U16 Football Championship final, where they will meet Ballincollig, the same opponents who await them in next Monday’s hurling decider.
Glanmire pushed them to the edge in Caherlag on Monday night. From seven points down with 18 minutes left, they conjured two goals, levelled it twice, and had one last charge repelled only when McCarthy hacked the ball clear before James Regan’s whistle set the Magpies free.
It was breathless. Midleton had surged clear after 39 minutes when Alfie Hennessy and Jack Cahill combined to send John O’Sullivan through for their third goal. He followed with a point for 3-7 to 0-9.
That should have been the finish line. Instead, it was the cue for Glanmire’s uprising.
Elliot Dawson dropped a brilliant pass onto the run of Aidan McCarthy, who fumbled the take but improvised with a soccer-style jab. Jack Sweeney got something on it, but not enough, and the ball hit the post on its way in.
The gap was down to a goal by the 48th minute, before Huggins forced an outstanding save from Sweeney for what would have been the leveller. Another loomed.
Three minutes later, it arrived, Cork U16 Donagh Healy letting fly, his shot taking a deflection and thundering to the net. Parity, once again, with nine minutes to play.
Still, Midleton found a way. Cahill clipped over a vital score, before Matthew O’Sullivan levelled again, but McCarthy’s winner closed it out.
The opening half had been evenly balanced, Glanmire drawing level after 23 minutes courtesy of goalkeeper Tadhg Lynch, who made a brilliant save to deny McCarthy from the penalty spot before Matt Mulkerrins levelled it.
But football’s new rules underlined just how quickly a contest can be transformed.
A McCarthy free in the 27th minute cannoned off the upright, dropped kindly for O’Sullivan, and he buried it. Moments later, Finn Cahill landed the game’s only two-pointer, the orange flag raised to leave Midleton five clear at the break, 2-6 to 0-7.
Glanmire came out strong on the resumption, two quick points cutting it back to three, and they might have been level only for Eoin Considine flashing a goal chance just wide on 33 minutes.
Midleton’s reply didn’t come until the 39th, but when it did, it was decisive, O’Sullivan’s goal leaving seven between them, though there was still more drama in store.
Fittingly, McCarthy had started it all, on the scoreboard inside 14 seconds with a point and hammering home a goal after 50 seconds — both made by the tireless Hennessy.
At 1-3 to 0-1 they were already moving, but Glanmire struck back with five on the spin, Considine architect of the first three and scorer of the fourth, before Huggins’ effort levelled it at 1-3 to 0-6. It laid the ground for everything that followed.
There were outstanding displays on both sides. Midleton had Cork U16 Riain McCormack immense at full back, Hennessy influential throughout, O’Sullivan ruthless with 2-2, and McCarthy ever reliable with 1-5. Glanmire leaned on Considine’s craft, Armin Soltani’s resolve in defence, and the fearlessness Healy.
In the end, their resistance just fell short, and Midleton now march on to meet Ballincollig with a football-and-hurling double there to be chased for both teams.
C McCarthy 1-5 (0-4 f), J O’Sullivan 2-2, F Cahill 0-3 (1 tp), L Walsh 0-1.
D Healy (0-1 f), A McCarthy 1-1 each, M O’Sullivan 0-3, A Morley 0-2 (0-1 f), J Daly, E Considine, E Dawson, R Murphy, T Huggins, M Mulkerrins 0-1 each.
J Sweeney; L Cronin, R McCormack, J Quill; C Hogan, F Cahill, A Molumby; A Hennessy, C Kelly; J Cahill, C McCarthy, L Walsh; C O’Brien, B Dunlea, J O’Sullivan.
R Nolan for Hogan (HT), A Murphy for J Cahill (42).
T Lynch; S Carey, A Soltani, A Byrne; F O’Sullivan, A O’Sullivan, J Daly; T Huggins, E Considine; M O’Sullivan, R Murphy, D Healy; A McCarthy, E Dawson, M Mulkerrins.
A Morley for Mulkerrins (HT), E O’Donovan for Carey (58).
J Regan (Lough Rovers)
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