P1 U16 Hurling final: Ballincollig and Midleton go to replay after added time drama
Ballincollig's Cal McCarthy is tackled by Midleton's Charlie McCarthy during the Rebel Óg under 16 Premier 1 HC final Church road. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Church Road played host to another bruising chapter in this Midleton–Ballincollig rivalry, their Premier 1 Minor Hurling Championship final ending where it started – level pegging on Monday night.
If the scoreline suggested stalemate, the closing minutes were anything but flat. Ballincollig were three clear entering the last 10. Midleton, as ever, refused to go quietly. Sweeper Finn Cahill scored from a free to cut it to two, before Liam Walsh landed a peach to leave the minimum, 2-13 to 1-15.
Ciarán O’Brien won a free, Walsh converted. Second time level, three to play. Then Walsh had one that looked destined for glory – the finger half-raised in celebration – only for the ball to drop short. Ballincollig countered in a flash – Cal McCarthy to Shay O’Brien, over. Hour gone, Village back in front.
Deep in injury time Bobby Power, flawless from frees until then, missed his first with the chance to stretch the lead to two. From the puck-out Midleton launched one last assault. John O’Sullivan, ice in the veins, nailed the leveller.
Still time for one last sting. Riain McCormack turned over possession, Alfie Hennessy found the space to shoot, and split the posts – only for referee Pat Lyons’ whistle to go, just as he struck.
Agony for Midleton. Relief for Ballincollig. The Magpies felt hard done by, but a share of the spoils was no less than Ballincollig merited.
The numbers tell part of it – five wides for Ballincollig, two of them at the death, nine for Midleton. Jack Costello swept brilliantly, Éanna Ó hUrnaí was everywhere. Midleton, sluggish before the break, clung on for the replay.
That first half had been a nightmare start for the Magpies.
After Cork U16 Charlie McCarthy had his goal attempt after 15 seconds saved by Kaden Coomey, Ballincollig, from the first restart, worked it to Joe Miskella, who struck one long. Will Stokes came to meet it, Daithí Murphy pounced, turned him over and lashed to the net. Clinical.
By the sixth minute it was 1-3 to 0-1. Then, on the quarter-hour, Cal McCarthy produced the outrageous – a thunderous drive low past Stokes to make it 2-4 to 0-3.
Seven the gap, and it stayed hovering there until the 25th minute. Cahill and O’Sullivan narrowed the margin before O’Brien dragged Midleton back into it. Under siege, he somehow jinked through three tackles, dribbled with the hurley and buried across goal with an emphatic pull.
It was 2-8 to 1-8 at the half. Midleton were grateful to be that close, Ballincollig looked set to roll again. Yet the second half turned into a grind.
There were only two scores from play in the first 20 minutes of the latter act. Ciarán Kelly with one in the 39th minute, a score well worked by Cahill and Tadhg O’Dowd. That left Midleton behind by the minimum, for the first time on the evening.
The other white flag from play came from Cal McCarthy, a thundering run and better strike in the 50th minute. That score would leave three between them for the final time, as Midleton scrambled to force the replay.
The other eight white flags were split evenly – Walsh and Power with four each ¬– as their placed ball boxing bout epitomised the close nature of this one.
Midleton coped far better with the sweeper after the break, Alex Molumby hugely influential, but Ballincollig’s defensive workrate was ferocious. Neither side shirked, neither side buckled. And so, they will do it all again.
L Walsh 0-10 (0-8 f), C O’Brien 1-0, F Cahill 0-3 f, J O’Sullivan 0-2, C McCarthy, C Kelly 0-1 each.
B Power 0-9 (0-7 f), C McCarthy 1-3, D Murphy 1-0, S O’Brien 0-2.
W Stokes; P Egan, R McCormack, F Cahill; C Hogan, B Dunlea, J Quill; A Hennessy, A Molumby (c); C McCarthy, C Kelly, L Walsh; J O’Sullivan, C O’Brien, T O’Dowd.
P Spellman for Quill (50), R Nolan for O’Dowd (52).
K Coomey; S Richmond, L Higgins, E Stack; J Harrington, E Lynch, E Harris; J Miskella, E Ó hUrnaí; B Power, C McCarthy, F Lordan; D Murphy, S O’Brien, J Costello.
C Murphy for Miskella (43-44 temp).
P Lyons (Bishopstown)
App?
