Adam Dunlea dominates as Sarsfields trio headline Premier 1 MHC scoring charts

When Sarsfields went one better than last year to beat Midleton and lift the Premier 1 Minor Hurling Championship title, it was no shock to find their fingerprints all over the scoring charts.

Three players in the overall top 10. Three of the top five from play. Proof, if needed, that the trophy found the right home.

It was a campaign defined by control – a quietly relentless Sars machine that finished the job with a commanding win over Midleton. That victory, mirroring what their seniors would soon accomplish against the same opposition, carried an added poignancy too – a fitting tribute to the late Ray Ryan.

At the centre of it all stood Adam Dunlea. Still eligible for another year at minor, Dunlea was already entrusted with frees last season as an U16, ending that run with 2-30 (just 0-6 from play). Twelve months later, his output has exploded. Dunlea is a different animal entirely – his final tally of 3-47, including a staggering 3-18 from play, made him untouchable on both fronts.

Behind him in the overall scoring charts came Mark O’Brien of Douglas, whose 4-37 (4-7 from play) anchored their push to the semi-final while Peter Barrett of Midleton completed the podium with 3-31 (2-5 from play).

The chasing pack was tight – St Colman’s Adam Lee and the Glen’s Gavin O’Callaghan tied for fourth, while Ballincollig U16 star Bobby Power is sixth with 1-23.

Douglas’s James Naughton wasn’t far behind Power. Naughton’s 4-8, every bit of it from open play, earned him ninth overall but second on the from-play table – only behind Dunlea.

Further down in the from play chart, Sarsfields’ Finn O’Connor and Tom Huggins joined O’Brien in a three-way tie for third from play, each player accumulating a total of 19 points. Cian Stack lies sixth for Midleton with 2-12 from play, just ahead of Lee who has 2-8 for Colman’s.

Tied for eighth are Midleton U16 Liam Walsh – who scored 2-6, all from the bench – and Gavin O’Callaghan who has 0-12 from play in three games with the Glen.

Premier 1 Minor HC Top 10 scorers overall:

1 Adam Dunlea (Sarsfields) 3-47 (0-28 f, 0-1 65) 

2 Mark O’Brien (Douglas) 4-37 (0-25 f, 0-3 65, 0-2 sdl) 

3 Peter Barrett (Midleton) 3-31 (0-24 f, 1-0 pen, 0-2 65) 

4 Adam Lee (St Colman’s) 3-22 (1-14 f) 

=4 Gavin O’Callaghan (Glen Rovers) 2-25 (2-10 f, 0-3 65) 

6 Bobby Power (Ballincollig) 1-23 (0-19 f) 

7 James O’Sullivan (Inniscarra) 0-23 (0-11 f, 0-1 65) 

8 Tom Huggins (Sarsfields) 0-22 (0-3 f) 

9 James Naughton (Douglas) 4-8 

10 Finn O’Connor (Sarsfields) 4-7 

Premier 1 Minor HC Top 10 scorers from play:

1 Adam Dunlea (Sarsfields) 3-18 

2 James Naughton (Douglas) 4-8 

3 Finn O’Connor (Sarsfields) 4-7 

=3 Tom Huggins (Sarsfields) 0-19 

=3 Mark O’Brien (Douglas) 4-7 

6 Cian Stack (Midleton) 2-12 

7 Adam Lee (St Colman’s) 2-8 

8 Liam Walsh (Midleton) 2-6 

=8 Gavin O’Callaghan (Glen Rovers) 0-12 

10 Shane O’Mahony (Midleton) 1-8 

=10 Nicky Coughlan (Midleton) 1-8 

=10 James O’Sullivan (Inniscarra) 0-11 

=10 Tadhg Murphy (Ballincollig) 0-11 

=10 Darragh Heavin (St Colman’s) 2-5 

=10 Peter Barrett (Midleton) 2-5