Sarsfields v Midleton: Underdogs lean on squad depth with Conor Lehane and Eoin Moloney out

There’s no shortage of form lines and repeat match-ups heading into Sunday’s Cork Premier SHC final.

As the two most consistent clubs of the past three seasons, Sarsfields and Midleton have been frequent foes.

Yet, developments over the past 12 months, and indeed the past 12 days, will make this a standalone encounter.

Sars’ standard tactic of the previous two campaigns, the seventh defender, has been discarded since they took the more conventional route to Munster honours. 

They’re still adept at running through the lines, but possess a greater variety to their play now.

Meanwhile, Midleton have been backed into a major rethink with the news that two of their foremost influences, full-back Eoin Moloney and centre-forward Conor Lehane, have been ruled out through Achilles injury.

No club has the resources to directly replace such leaders. Yet, more than most, the Magpies have the depth to draw on high-level alternates.

They maintain Séadnaidh Smyth, a 2023 Reardens All-Star, and Seán O’Sullivan, their county-final full-back that same year, as defensive reserves.

Luke O’Farrell has plenty of attacking nous, although his semi-final only lasted 17 minutes due to injury.  Recent debutant Evan McGrath has impressed since stepping up from intermediate, while Alex Quirke was named Man of the Match against Newtownshandrum.

For all the familiarity, there has also been enough evolution in these sides. If Sars retain their semi-final line-up, they will have five players starting their first county final.

That said, three of those have experienced Munster and All-Ireland finals due to the rejig that followed last October’s defeat to Imokilly. 

Ben Graham, Cillian Roche, and Killian Murphy feature down the Sars spine and won’t lack for big-game knowledge.

The other pair, Donal English and Barry O’Flynn, have been credited with adding hunger for further glory. English was Man of the Match in their minor championship-winning team of 2014 before a stint in Dubai. Cork U20 O’Flynn has bagged three goals in his rookie year.

Since last year, Paul Leopold and Aaron Myers have gone travelling. Cathal McCarthy is a notable loss to injury, given his switch to midfield proved the winning move in the 2023 final. 

Thus far, they have taken such departures in their stride. Given their present predicament, that’s a model Midleton will seek to replicate.

NEW FACES

All bar two of the Midleton semi-final team have started a county final. Clarecastle-native Killian McDermott and Tadhg O’Leary Hayes are the new men in.

McDermott played opposite his future club teammate Tommy O’Connell at midfield in the Munster U20 semi-final in 2019. 

That game also featured O’Leary-Hayes’s older brother, Seán, who won a New York hurling championship in August.

Recent history shows that Midleton have more ground to make up. Sars memorably recorded one- and two-point wins over Midleton in the past two seasons. 

There was also the 2021 group-stage victory to secure a semi-final bye and the opening-day turnaround in 2020. Midleton’s last championship win over the Glanmire men was nine years ago.

In fairness, they have, for the most part, lost those games by fine margins. And the only time they absorbed a heavy defeat, in 2021, Midleton rebounded to finish the season as county champions.

In Lehane’s absence, they will need players to step up on the scoreboard. The last time he was missing for a game, against Blackrock in 2023, Cormac Beausang deputised to good effect on frees in a five-point victory. 

That much will give the Magpies courage.

Pa White’s 0-7 haul down the stretch against Blackrock signals his ability to piece together a match-winning total. Ross O’Regan has a decent scoring record against Sars, although he has been reassigned to defensive duties this term.

If semi-final line-ups repeat, county men Tommy O’Connell and Jack O’Connor would meet on the 40. 

The Midleton centre-back will want to drop off to protect his inside line. That instinct may be even stronger without Moloney behind him. O’Connor will want to roam to exploit spaces between the lines. 

Anytime O’Connell drops, that’s an opportunity for the forward to escape under the radar. 

O’Connor has struck 1-22 in four starts. 

The Sars star is the top scorer from play in championship, and making a case for more minutes in a Cork jersey in 2026.

Yet, he’s not the only threat to require close monitoring. 

There’s Cian Darcy’s game-breaking pace, James Sweeney’s aerial threat, Daniel Hogan’s long-range danger, and Daniel Kearney’s playmaking. Colm McCarthy has settled nicely on frees.

Between all their challenges, Sars’ consistency in close-run games has been remarkable, and they are now better able to mix up their style of play. Midleton aren’t far off by any means and lack no motivation, but injuries may prove an obstacle too many.