Premier SHC: Sarsfields see off Midleton to win second title in three years
Sarsfields' Cian Darcy tries to get away from Ross O'Regan of Midleton during Sunday's Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Sarsfields’ superiority was rarely in doubt as they claimed a second Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC title in three years on Sunday.
Before a crowd of 11,740 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the Riverstown side only briefly trailed in the first half following Evan McGrath’s goal for Midleton.
They had moved 1-18 to 1-13 clear in injury time in the second half when a clearance from Craig Leahy – along with captain Conor O’Sullivan and the excellent Daniel Kearney, winner of a sixth medal – sent James Sweeney away and he held off a challenge to score his second goal, guaranteeing victory.
Sars are the first reigning Munster champions to win the Seán Óg Murphy Cup since St Finbarr's in 1981 and they will move forward with belief, not least because they know there is more in them. For Midleton, the regrets will centre around how much better they might have fared had Eoin Moloney and Conor Lehane not been stricken with Achilles injuries.
With the wind in the first half, Sars built a lead of 1-9 to 1-3 and it’s not an exaggeration to say that they could have been further ahead at the break. They had nine wides in the opening 30 minutes – one of them a good Jack O’Connor goal chance – while the goal they conceded could certainly be placed in the ‘avoidable’ category.
It came in the 11th minute, after they had opened the game with a pair of unanswered points. When Sars won possession on their own 20, Midleton midfielder Evan McGrath did well to force a turnover – and, with goalkeeper Ben Graham having left his station in anticipation of serving as an out-ball, there was a welcoming empty net – 1-0 to 0-2 for the Magpies.
Unfortunately for Midleton, the upper hand was the most fleeting of experiences and by the time Cormac Beausang raised their first white flag in the 19th minute, Sars had established a commanding lead.
A pair of Colm McCarthy frees helped them to response to the goal before Donal English won a Midleton puckout and fed Daniel Hogan, whose clever pass allowed Jack O’Connor to point for a 0-5 to 1-0 advantage.
That run was followed by a goal and it was fitting that two of their most impressive performers – full-back Cillian Roche and wing-forward Cian Darcy – should play such pivotal roles, with the latter’s pass allowing James Sweeney to place a drilled low shot to the corner of the net.
Roche was on hand to carry out his primary duties in getting a vital touch when Beausang looked to have created at opening on 24 – in the wake of that, Patrick White had a shot straight at Graham while at the other end Hogan set McCarthy away, but Brion Saunderson saved well.
In injury time, Graham launched a massive wind-assisted clearance, O’Connor gambled and was rewarded as it dropped behind the Midleton rearguard but, under pressure, his pulled effort ended up just wide of the post.
On the restart, it was Midleton’s turn to find that the wind was not in itself a guarantee of scores and their early wides were contrasted by McCarthy and O’Connor easing Sars eight clear.
At that stage, there might have been fears of a cakewalk but Midleton continued to battle and a Killian McDermott point was followed by a Mikey Finn free before Beausang tasted Graham, a 65 accruing.
Finn converted that to leave it 1-11 to 1-6 and moments later it was his free from deep which dropped dangerously in the Sars goalmouth – Alex Quirke prodded the ball goalwards but O’Sullivan was there to take it off the line.
Darcy set up McCarthy for a Sars point – a goal chance might have been there for the taking – and then added on himself, but Midleton retained a chunk of the momentum, exemplified by Tommy O’Conneel’s surge out of defence leading to Finn’s fifth of the gay.
When that was followed by a lovely Patrick White point from the right sideline, the lead was down to four, 1-13 to 1-9, but they would never get closer than that.
So often during the campaign, Jack O’Connor popped up with important second-half points for Sars and this was no different, a pair of quick-fire efforts giving them breathing space again – after Finn and goalkeeper Saunderson replied with Midleton frees, O’Connor scored his fifth.
Daniel Hogan and sub Shane O’Regan were on target for Sars late on and, while some chances were squandered, their defensive disciplined ensured that Midleton were never allowed to eat into the deficit to any significant degree before Sweeney made the game safe.
C McCarthy 0-8 (0-7 f), J Sweeney 2-0, J O’Connor 0-5, D Hogan, K Murphy, B O’Flynn, S O’Regan, C Darcy 0-1 each.
M Finn 0-7 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), E McGrath 1-0, K McDermott (0-1 65), C Beausang 0-2 each, B Saunderson (0-1 f), C Walsh, P White 0-1 each.
B Graham; C O’Sullivan, C Roche, D English; C Leahy, B Murphy, L Elliott; K Murphy, D Kearney; J O’Connor, D Hogan, C Darcy; C McCarthy, B O’Flynn, J Sweeney.
S O’Regan for McCarthy (53), B Nodwell for O’Flynn (57), E Murphy for Elliott (60+1).
B Saunderson; L Dineen, S Smyth, C Smyth; T O’Leary Hayes, T O’Connell, R O’Regan; C Beausang, M Finn; C Walsh, E McGrath, A Quirke; P White, D Cremin, K McDermott.
L O’Farrell for Cremin (41), P Connaughton for O’Regan (46), S O’Meara for Walsh (49), K Burke for O’Meara (57, injured), P Haughney for White (59).
C Lyons (Nemo Rangers).
App?
