Cobh maintain momentum with East Cork JHL final win over Sarsfields
Cobh' Timmy Wilk and manager Derek Barrett. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
After winning the East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship title last year, Cobh have added some league silverware to go with it, as a Jason Cotter winner from range put Sarsfields to the sword in the ROCA Sports Junior Hurling League Division 1 final at Lisgoold on Sunday.
It had all started so well for Sarsfields. They’d pushed clear early on with the wind at their backs, leading 0-5 to 0-1 and remaining well in control for almost the entirety of the opening spell.
But the game opened up when Cobh rattled off three green flags in the space of four minutes, as Stevie Dennis, Cotter and Eoin Cullimore all scored, giving them a 3-3 to 0-11 lead. They could even have led by more, were it not for several excellent saves from Sars’ keeper Luke Walsh.
Sarsfields regained the advantage before the break though, with great scores from Michael Funchion and Sean Gallagher ensuring they led by three at the break, 0-16 to 3-4.
Cobh got the first three points of the half to level it, and there was very little between the teams, until it turned in Cobh’s favour with their fourth goal, as Timmy Wilk hit the net in the 41st minute.
With the breeze they forged further ahead, as their substitutes made a real impact on the game, but Sars weren’t finished just yet. Captain Mark Reid had been impressive in midfield, but it was Cian McCarthy, on his return from injury, that brought them back into it.
He scored two goals from frees near the finish, before Tom O’Flynn scored a stunning point to drag the Riverstown side back on level terms, and get the score that looked like it would send this contest to extra time.
But, in the dying moments, Cotter stepped up to fire over from a huge distance out by the sideline to win it for Cobh. It was an impressive display from both teams, while Adam McCarthy in particular did well in defence for Sars.
J Cotter, T Wilk (0-3 f) 1-4 each, E Cullimore, S Dennis 1-1 each, L Meaney 0-3 f, G Keating, A McCarthy, C Farrell 0-1 each.
Cian McCarthy 2-5 (2-2 f, 0-2 sidelines), M Funchion 0-5, S Gallagher 0-3, H Cogan, O McCarthy 0-2 each, D O’Callaghan, R McCarthy, T O’Flynn, M Reid 0-1 each.
J Bates; A Stanton, C McLoughlin, C MacSweeney; A Doran, J McCarthy, S O’Keeffe; G Keating, P Murphy; E Cullimore, T Wilk, J Cotter; S Dennis, A Lynch, T McGrath.
J Doody for O’Keeffe, A McCarthy for Murphy (both HT), C Farrell for McGrath (42), L Meaney for Dennis (49), B Geary for Doran (55 inj).
L Walsh; J Darcy, J McMahon, A McCarthy; D O’Callaghan, S Higgins, O McCarthy; M Reid, Cillian McCarthy; S Gallagher, Cian McCarthy, R McCarthy; M Funchion, H Cogan, C O’Rourke.
A King for O’Rourke (35), J Leddy for O’Callaghan (40), T O’Flynn for Funchion (55).
Arthur Murphy (Killeagh)
App?
