Late Mikey Finn frees steer Midleton U21 hurlers past Carrigtwohill in thriller

Midleton 1-22 

Carrigtwohill 1-20 

After a breathless final 10 minutes, Midleton held off Carrigtwohill, but only just. Mikey Finn sent over two clutch frees to book their place in the Mulcahy Steel East Cork U21 A Hurling Championship final.

For the better part of 50 minutes in Caherlag on Sunday morning, Midleton were measured and dominant. When Peter Barrett laid off for Finn to make it 1-18 to 0-13 on 43 minutes, the game looked boxed and wrapped. But they would not score again from play.

From the moment Finn’s free stretched it to nine in the 49th minute, Carrigtwohill began to pry at the seams. Tom Walsh to Mark O’Connor, point. And Patrick Walsh’s frees piled pressure brick by brick.

Then the spark; Jarlath Cullimore set up Matthew Barrett for a beautiful point, and that same minute Patrick Walsh added another free to leave four between them. Five minutes, and Midleton suddenly left feeling mortal.

Barrett hurled over a long-range monster, another slice into Midleton’s lead. Finn’s next free, their first score in nine minutes, applied gauze to the wound, 1-20 to 0-19. But the tide had turned.

In the first minute of added time, Midleton were penalised for three catches. Matthew Barrett stood over the free, lifted, and lasered it into the top corner, a thunderbolt more than a strike.

One point in it.

A minute later, Walsh had the leveller in his grasp. He pulled his free wide, but redemption arrived almost immediately. O’Connor turned Finn over, Walsh steadied, and this time he split it to leave his tally at 0-15. Level, 1-20 apiece, the eighth-minute parity restored and the Magpies rattled.

Yet, Midleton found an answer. David Cremin won a free, Finn slotted over. And for the insurance, Peter Barrett drew another whistle, and one last swing from Finn sealed it. The comeback of comebacks, stopped millimetres short.

Carrig emptied every pocket of effort in the final 10. They had fallen six behind by the 13th minute, a spell of 1-4 unanswered from Midleton in the space of five minutes the difference. The goal came from Conor Morley, as he rattled low to the net off Evan McGrath’s hard run.

The deficit sat at five by the interval, 1-12 to 0-10, and Carrig’s best chances – Barrett denied brilliantly by Zach Smith, Tom Walsh losing possession by force in front of goal – had gone begging.

Midleton looked comfortable again at seven up early in the second half, Tadhg O’Leary-Hayes defiant in defence and Daragh Egan landing his fourth from play. When Cullimore crashed a point attempt of the post and it pinballed around the Midleton square, Carrig were left wondering how they were still without a goal.

Further scores from Cremin, Finn and Barrett had Midleton in a commanding nine-point lead after 49 minutes, Carrig paying the price for only scoring thrice at that stage in the latter half.

It was ultimately what cost them despite the surge. Walsh brothers Tom and Patrick were so influential, Daniel Nolan and Neil Coughlan impressive in the full-back line, and Barrett nerveless when they needed it.

But survival has its value too. The Magpies’ three-in-a-row bid goes on. Winner of Bride Rovers and Erin’s Own await.

Scorers for Midleton: M Finn 0-9 (0-7 f), D Cremin, D Egan 0-4 each, C Morley 1-1, P Barrett 0-2, C Beausang, C Cronin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Carrigtwohill: P Walsh 0-15 (0-11 f), M Barrett 1-3 (1-1 f), M O’Connor, J Cullimore 0-1 each.

MIDLETON: Z Smyth, S McSharry, T O’Leary-Hayes, C Lawton; M McSweeney, C Cronin, E Fraser; D Egan, M Finn (jc); C Beausang, E McGrath, C Stack; D Cremin (jc), C Morley, P Barrett.

Subs: D Scanlon for Morley (44), S Carroll for McSweeney (47), N Coughlan for Stack (56), J Hogan for Egan (60+1).

CARRIGTWOHILL: A Lee; D Nolan, N Coughlan, S Ahern; C Cashel, D Murnane, S Brennan (c); M Barrett, J Cullimore; C Seymour, P Walsh, C Barry; D McCarthy, M O’Connor, T Walsh.

Subs: S Allen for Cashel (27), J Flanagan for McCarthy (52).

Referee: W Wallis (Aghada)