Premier SHC: Killian Murphy looking forward to first final start

While midfielder Killian Murphy has been a key member of the Sarsfields team since emerging in 2021, Sunday’s Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC decider against Midleton will be his first time starting a final.

Having shone throughout the 2023 campaign, Murphy sustained a cruciate ligament injury in the semi-final win over Imokilly and missed the final victory over Midleton. After a tough rehabilitation period, he was able to come on as a sub in the 2024 final as Imokilly gained revenge on Sars – but there was a consolation as Sars represented Cork in Munster and he played a key role in their provincial victory.

Murphy is mature enough to know that cruciate injuries are a part of the game and he is keen to win his second county medal on the pitch.

“Yeah, obviously, it was a bittersweet in the final [in 2023],” he says, “winning but not playing.

“But there was good fellas around me there, like Cillian Roche, he'd done his cruciate that year as well, and there was all the fellas that had done it before me.

“It's a good group of lads there to come around you.

“I suppose it's becoming kind of the norm now; Cathal [McCarthy] did it this year, it's obviously devastating for him. But, as I said, physios and strength and conditioning coaches, they get you back as fast as possible.

“I think it took me about nine to ten months to get back. Some fellas might be longer, some fellas might be shorter, but it just needs time, really.”

The 25-year-old is the younger brother of Sars defender Eoghan, who has himself struggled with injuries, being limited to substitute appearances so far in the championship.

“Even when I was coming into the panel, he'd been there a good few years ahead of me,” Killian says, “so it made things easier to break into the panel too with him involved.

“I think he came back in June or July there, so obviously it was a short space time between getting back and championship, but he's pushing hard there now, pushing the lads there in the backs to try and get himself in.

“Obviously the lads in the backs are playing well too, but it's great to have the likes of him on the bench too as an experienced player like that. It's fantastic.”

And it is that strength in depth which is a key reason why Sars are favourites to make it two titles in three years. Cathal McCarthy, as mentioned by Murphy, is out with a cruciate, forced off in the last group game against Glen Rovers but few teams would be able to absorb the loss of a Cork panellist in such a fuss-free way.

Goalkeeper Ben Graham will be playing his first county final, having earned the number 1 spot during last year’s Munster run, while teenager Barry O’Flynn has settled in so well that it’s easy to forget how young he is.

In both teams’ quarter- and semi-final wins, strong second-half surges were key in turning the games in their favour, for Midleton against Glen Rovers and Blackrock and for Sars against Charleville and then St Finbarr’s, whom

hey trailed by six points at half-time.

Unfortunately for the Magpies, the epic extra-time semi-final win over the Rockies came at a cost, with both Eoin Moloney and Conor Lehane succumbing to Achilles injuries. The pair have arguably been the team’s most impressive performers during the campaign to date and their absences will be tough to compensate – while Micheál Keohane’s side will still of course be putting out a strong starting 15, they could suffer in terms of options from the bench.

You have to go back to 2022 and the group-stage loss to St Finbarr’s for Sars’ last county championship defeat to a club team. Since then, the final defeat to Imokilly last year is their only reversal within the county, while Ballygunner and Na Fianna are the only sides to fell them when action outwith Cork is taken into account.

Since Johnny Crowley returned for his second stint in charge, they have been incredibly consistent – as Midleton have found in running them close in both the 2023 decider and last year’s semi.

The Magpies do at least the narrowest of silver linings in that the key absences have been known enough in advance to allow them to plan accordingly, but trying to stop Sars and actually doing so are different things.

Nevertheless, there is still a talented cast of attackers in black and white. It may need someone such as David Cremin, Cormac Beausang or Patrick White producing a big performance, but they can never be written off.