Holders Midleton cruise past Newcestown to U21 hurling final
A shot by Cian Stack, Midleton, is blocked by defender James Burrows, Newcestown in the U21 A Hurling Championship semi-final in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh 4G. Picture: Larry Cummins
The Midleton U21 machine keeps on rumbling.
One more stop to make it back-to-back U21 A Hurling Championship county titles, and you’d struggle to say they don’t look the part.
Tested at times – but never close to being derailed – the same rang true here as they brought down Newcestown with ease at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh’s 4G on Saturday.
Twelve different scorers, eight wides, and 24 points to spare. This semi-final was effectively done by the interval, even if the scoreline hadn’t yet ballooned.
Newcestown, playing with the breeze, had stuck within three approaching half-time. But Midleton tacked on three points in injury-time – two from Dave Cremin, one from Peter Barrett – to lead by six at the break, 0-12 to 0-6. With the wind now at their backs, the Magpies went for the throat.
Carthaigh Cronin’s long delivery within 60 seconds of the resumption was plucked from the air by Peter Barrett, and he rattled home. And from that moment, it was as if a switch had been flicked.
Midleton ploughed on, hitting 1-6 without reply to stretch the overall run to 2-9 unanswered since Newcestown’s last score in the 24th minute.
Cian Stack clipped over a pair from play during that burst, while Mikey Finn – sharp as ever from frees – flicked a quick one short for Barrett to bury his second goal on 38 minutes.
Newcestown could feel aggrieved at certain calls, one Midleton score followed three catches unpunished, but by then the tide was long gone.
When Oisín O’Sullivan finally ended the drought from a free after 42 minutes, the scoreboard read 2-18 to 0-7.
He’d add two more frees in quick succession as Midleton briefly loosened their grip and gave away soft fouls – they finished with 18 in total – but the fourth quarter belonged entirely to the East Cork outfit.
Barrett added a beauty over the shoulder, Conor Morley powered through for a goal he had grafted and earned, and even corner-back Cian Lawton joined the party with a point of his own before sub Senan Carroll chipped in to make it 3-21 to 0-9.
Newcestown’s tireless Patrick Twomey, set up by Sam Long, landed their only second-half score from play. But the final four points all went Midleton’s way as the pace finally faded.
It was a perfect storm of sorts; Newcestown struggled to put their mark on proceedings as they had done in this meeting last year, while Midleton were on it from the start and looked fresh and focussed.
They had shown the same sharpness early doors, too. Against the breeze, they led 0-5 to 0-1 after ten minutes. Newcestown had threatened a response, Humphrey Canty’s drive, created by a quick Ciarán O’Donovan sideline, forced a fine save from Zach Smith, while O’Sullivan’s frees trimmed the margin to two.
But for every flicker of hope, Midleton found an answer, Cathal Beausang and Eoghan Fraser chipping in during the first half. But after Midleton pulled six ahead, inevitability was creeping in. When they added a goal immediately on the resumption, inevitability was set.
Midleton will meet Shandrum in the decider.
P Barrett 2-2, M Finn 0-7 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), C Morley 1-1, D Cremin 0-4, D Egan, C Stack, C Beausang 0-2 each, M McSweeney, E Fraser, C Lawton, S Carroll, N Coughlan 0-1 each.
O O’Sullivan 0-7 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), P Twomey 0-2, F Kenneally 0-1.
Z Smith; T O’Leary-Hayes, C Lawton; C Cronin; M McSweeney, M Murphy, E Fraser; D Egan, M Finn (jc); C Beausang, E McGrath, C Stack; D Cremin (jc), C Morley, P Barrett.
S Carroll for Stack (47), D Scanlon for Finn (50-52 temp), Scanlon for Cremin (54), J Hogan for McSweeney (56), N Coughlan for Barrett, A Moloney for Egan (both 58).
R McSweeney; J Burrows, P Kelly, O Callan; C O’Sullivan; F Kenneally, J Kenneally, H Flanagan; F Ó Donnchadha, H Canty; D Flanagan, C O’Donovan (c), O O’Sullivan; E McSweeney, P Twomey.
S Long for Flanagan (39), T O’Sullivan for Kelly (51), J Hayes for O O’Sullivan (59).
W King (Banteer/Lyre)
App?
