Bandon grind out victory over Sars to reach Intermediate A final
James O'Leary, Sarsfields, watching Rob Long, Bandon getting his pass away during their Co-Op Superstores Intermediate A HC semi-final match at Riverstick. Picture: Dan Linehan
It was a contest of little real quality, but plenty of drama, in Riverstick on Saturday evening where a bold and battling Bandon outfit booked their place in the Cork IAHC final.
Up against Sarsfield’s second string Bandon prevailed thanks to late scores from talisman Michael Cahalane and sub Conor Calnan.
Bandon will find themselves underdogs once more as they play Aghabullogue in the final - their first in nine years - in a fortnight.
With the advantage of a gust at their backs, Sars started the stronger, Kevin Crowley putting the first score on the board from distance after four minutes.
Michael Cahalane responded with a nearly identical action and floated over his second from a free soon after. Daragh Long made it two apiece on 10 minutes.
Two points from Rory O’Brien - both from deadballs - got the Sarsfield steam train chugging again with 10 to go in the first period.
Mark Sugrue and Jack Cullinane pulled two back for Bandon, their first set of scores in 16 minutes.
Down the other end, Bandon keeper Pat Barry did what needed to be done when Luke Hackett smashed one goalward, stretching to make a point blank save.
Hackett would place one between the posts, though, just before the interval to give the Glanmire gang some breathing space.
Sars will have been disappointed to clock up 10 wides in a first half where they played most of the hurling. It would come back to haunt them.
Half way through the second half and there was yet to be a score on the board from either side. Bandon’s wayward shooting was doing them no favours, while Sars simply couldn’t get any shots off with the stiff breeze in their faces.
That coveted point eventually came courtesy of Bandon’s Michael Cahalane from a 65. Cahalane struck again to level it with seven minutes left on the clock.
Finally some quality was injected into the contest. Sam McNamara would turn things around for Sars, pucking over with composure to put them into the lead once again.
Cahalane saw an ambitious effort slip wide and Jack Cullinane’s effort was blocked brilliantly by John Leddy but in the next sequence of play Darren Crowley pointed to make it seven a piece.
A desperate goalmouth scramble almost produced a Bandon green flag but referee Aidan Hyland intervened.
Jack Cullinane remained calm under pressure to score a vital eighth for the Bandon men but Luke Hackett cancelled it out seconds later with a towering effort off his right.
On the hour mark, before three minutes of added time, Sars were done for overcarrying, a vital mistake when you have someone with the dead ball skills of Michael Cahalane on the opposition team.
Predictably, Cahalane drilled it over and sub Conor Calnan would seal the deal with a score of his own with 90 seconds remaining.
M Cahalane 0-5 (0-3 f, 0-1 65), J Cullinane 0-2, C Calnan, D Crowley, M Sugrue 0-1 each.
R O’Brien 0-2 (0-1 f, 0-1 65), L Hackett 0-2, K Crowley, D Long, A Hackett, S McNamara 0-1 each.
P Barry; N McCarthy, T Twohig, E Twomey; C Lynch, P Murphy, D O’Donovan; M Cahalane, C Long; D Crowley, M Sugrue, C Calnan; J Cullinane, S Carey, E McSweeney.
P Calnan for N McCarthy (22), C McCarthy for C Long (43), R Fogarty for M Sugrue (43).
D McCarthy; K Walsh, D Roche, J Huggins; J Leddy, K Crowley, J Leahy; S McNamara, J O’Leary; C McCarthy, A Hackett, D Long; S King, L Hackett, R O’Brien.
S Bracken for C McCarthy (36), C O’Rourke for R O’Brien (50), C Austin for A Hackett (60).
A Hyland (Kilworth).
App?
