Cobh hit eight goals to sink Donoughmore in U21 C hurling final

Cobh 8-18 

Donoughmore 2-16 

In the end it was all too comfortable for Cobh, but the scoreline doesn’t reflect the challenge that Donoughmore put up to their opponents for three quarters of their U21 C Hurling Championship final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh 4G on Sunday.

Donoughmore had spent much of the first half in front, only falling three points behind just before half-time.

Cobh managed to stretch that lead to six on the restart, but Donoughmore had brought themselves back within a point with 44 minutes elapsed.

And then Cobh took off, scoring 4-7 unanswered in 16 minutes.

Their fifth green flag kick-started the run, Ben Geary, outstanding throughout, linking up with Alex Finnegan as he attacked Donoughmore’s left flank once again, the area that had led Cobh to their four first-half goals.

Finnegan buried it, Stevie Dennis added a point, and Donoughmore needed an answer now with the game slipping from their grasp.

David O’Connell tried to fashion a response out wide, but Aaron Murphy pulled off an outrageous diving block, forcing a turnover that would lead to one of several superb Timmy Wilk white flags from impossible angles.

All of a sudden Cobh were six in front by the 47th minute, and they kept on firing.

Wilk won a turnover, played a perfectly timed handpass to Denis, and he smashed home his second goal. Then came a flurry of points – Wilk getting two of the four – with Donoughmore unable to fashion any response as they trailed by 13.

There were more majors to come, though, both in the 58th minute. The first as sub Kieran Hurley made a brilliant run through on goal, but lost his footing just as he rounded goalkeeper Jack Cullinane. Dennis made the run and was there to poke home his hat-trick.

Thirty seconds later they had their eighth, this time Adam Lynch pulling to the net, as Cobh were exploiting every bit of space that the 13-a-side competition provided.

Cobh’s final quarter was breathless. Lynch and Denis were ruthless, Wilk was outstanding, and their opponents could not stop the surge. It was a cruel finish for the mid Cork side.

The first quarter had been almost all Donoughmore, with Paddy Murphy on fire as he hit three from play. They had gone 1-3 to no score in front after four minutes, O’Connell with the goal after a brilliant team move starting with the goalkeeper and working its way through Sean O’Hanlon, Eoin McNamara and Paddy Murphy before O’Connell’s finish.

Cobh’s first score was a major – Wilk getting the final touch – though Lynch deserves as much credit after his driving run down the flank that was saved into the path of Wilk for the finish.

In a near identical move three minutes later, the net rippled again.

Again, Jason Cotter’s puckout found Lynch, but he ran all the way through this time and was able to bury it beyond Cullinane, 2-1 to 1-4. Donoughmore regained control but Cobh’s third major rocked them again, Geary’s low pass finding Wilk, who flicked the ball cleverly over his man before driving through and finishing, putting Cobh in front, 3-5 to 1-10.

A Jack Barrett free nudged Cobh one ahead before their fourth goal arrived in the 30th minute, Wilk’s long ball in was claimed by Denis and he turned his man and blasted across goal.

David O’Connell – who contributed 1-3 from play for Donoughmore – landed a close range free and could have had another to shave the deficit to two, but instead went for a short one with Paddy Murphy, though neither of them were able to find a way through and the short whistle went with Cobh ahead by three, 4-7 to 1-13.

The east Cork side would move six in front by the 35th minute, but subs Scott Barrett and Daniel Holland combined for the latter’s green flag to get Donoughmore back in contention. They had the lead down to one point with 16 minutes to go, but would be blown away by Cobh’s final quarter display.

Scorers for Cobh: T Wilk 2-6, S Dennis 3-1, J Barrett 0-8 (0-3 f, 0-1 65), A Lynch 2-1, A Finnegan 1-0, B Geary, C Morrissey 0-1 each.

Scorers for Donoughmore: D O’Connell 1-8 (0-4 f, 0-1 65), P Murphy 0-4, D Holland 1-0, S O’Hanlon, D McDonald, T Murphy, S Barrett 0-1 each.

COBH: J Cotter; C McSweeney, J Doody; B Geary, S O’Connell, A Murphy; A Finnegan, A Doran; C Morrissey, A Lynch, A Doran; T Wilk, S Dennis.

Subs: K Hurley for Morrissey (55), L O’Regan for Geary (57), T Foley for Dennis (59).

DONOUGHMORE: J Cullinane; R McLaughlin, F Honohan; DJ Foley, R Honohan, J Murphy; D McDonald, K O’Connell; D O’Connell, E McNamara, S O’Hanlon; D Lawton, P Murphy.

Subs: T Murphy for F Honohan (18), S Barrett for Foley (27), D Holland for McNamara (HT), C Lawton for D Lawton, B O’Connor for K O’Connell (both 59).

Referee: R King (Kilbrin)