St Finbarr's atone for last year's P2 Minor HC with comfortable win over Bandon
St Finbarrs' Conor O'Donoghue is tackled by Bandon's Daniel Coughlan during the Rebel Óg Premier 2 Minor HC final at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture; Eddie O'Hare
Relief, and joy poured out of St Finbarr’s when the whistle came. After falling last Monday in the football final, losing last year’s Premier 2 Minor Hurling Championship final after a replay to Shandrum, this one mattered hugely.
At Páirc Uí Rinn on Monday night, the Barrs steadied themselves when it counted most, and were worth every bit of their 11-point win over Bandon.
The Barrs had led from start to finish, Conor O’Donoghue and James Martin their standout shooters as they retired at the interval with a seven-point advantage.
The margin remained seven by the 43rd minute, before a stunning over the shoulder point from Martin and an excellent effort from Liam O’Regan pushed them 1-15 to 0-10 clear with a quarter of an hour to go.
They would suffer what would only go down as a wobble, en route to victory. Daniel Murphy was fouled for a penalty, and Michael O’Donovan fired low, bouncing his effort into the roof of the net.
That brought the margin back to six, but within five minutes, an effort from Charlie Galvin and two O’Donoghue frees had wiped out the penalty gain.
Bandon would only score two more points, and the game would only see two more from play. U16 hurler CJ Barrett and Bandon’s Cathal O’Riordan were the only two outside of free-takers Denis O’Mahony and O’Donoghue to raise white flags from there.
Both arrived at the death, after the Barrs lead had swelled to 11, and O’Riordan’s was Bandon’s only point from play in the latter half.
It was a big result and performance from St Finbarr’s. Liam O’Regan and James Murray were excellent in defence, while goalscorer Adam Philips never stopped running.
The first half took its time to find a pulse, but when it did, the Barrs were the ones dictating it.
They rattled off seven of the first eight scores to surge 0-7 to 0-1 ahead after just 13 minutes, moving with the conviction of a side intent on making a statement.
O’Donoghue was the spark and the flame. Four of that early haul were his, that green and red Cooper everywhere in the final third.
He finished the half with seven in total – four from play and one outrageous strike straight off a sideline cut that had everyone stunned.
But the six-point cushion would briefly disappear. Bandon found their rhythm midway through the half, landing five of the next six to cut the deficit to two, 0-8 to 0-6 after 26 minutes.
Four of those came from placed balls, though, and the Barrs’ own momentum had stalled –Martin’s effort in the 25th minute was their first in nearly a quarter of an hour.
The tempo flicked into life again approaching the break. Alex O’Herlihy teed up Adam Philips, whose shot soared high and crept inside the near post for the game’s opening goal – a moment that pushed the Barrs five clear.
Bandon’s O’Riordan, lively throughout, clipped over a reply, but O’Donoghue answered with three white flags on the spin to leave the Togher men 1-11 to 0-7 in front at half-time.
Three more Barrs points on the resumption put them 10 clear. O’Donovan’s 45th minute penalty would be nothing but a scare, their second half lead never smaller than six points.
C O’Donoghue 0-14 (0-9 f, 0-1 sdl), J Martin 0-4, A Philips 1-0, CJ Barrett, C Galvin 0-2 each, A O’Herlihy, L O’Regan 0-1 each.
D O’Mahony 0-8 (0-6 f, 0-2 65), M O’Donovan 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1 f), C O’Riordan 0-3.
J Cuddihy; D McGuirk, E Barrett, P O’Shea; C Galvin; T Howe, J Murray (c), L O’Regan; A Philips, E Malone; J Martin, C O’Donoghue, C Kelleher; A O’Herlihy, CJ Barrett.
H McTiernan for Kelleher, E Burke for Philips, C Herlihy for O’Herlihy (all 60), C McSweeney for CJ Barrett, D O’Callaghan for O’Shea (both 60+2).
K O’Connell; T O’Riordan, M Foley; L O’Driscoll; C McWeeney, D Coughlan, R Tarrant; C O’Flynn, J Heverin; D Murphy, D O’Mahony (c), A O’Driscoll; C O’Flynn, M O’Donovan, C O’Riordan.
O Coughlan for O’Flynn (46), C Hurley for A O’Driscoll, A Hurley for McWeeney, B O’Regan for Foley, D Whelton for Murphy (all 60+2).
N O’Neill (Midleton)
App?
