Carrigaline stun defending PSFC champions St Finbarr's in opening round deserved win

Carrigaline 1-20 (1-3-14) 

St Finbarr’s 2-15 (2-4-7) 

The reigning champions St Finbarr’s were stunned into submission by a resurgent Carrigaline side in the opening group game in the McCarthy Insurance Premier Senior football championship at Ballinhassig on Friday.

Probably a record championship attendance for this impressive venue but the Barrs can have few excuses as their overall play was lethargic and were made to pay the price against a side who played with confidence over the hour.

Plenty of heroes for the winners but the kicking of Eanna Desmond scoring nine points from play of which his one two pointer in the 58th minute put the seal on this game.

The Barrs only took 15 seconds to show their power going forward but a tame Cillian Myers Murray shot went inches wide of the post.

Two minutes later poor Carrigaline defending allowed Bill O’Connell solo through to split the posts with an unchallenged shot.

To be fair although Carrigaline looked under pressure in the opening exchanges they responded in style with a classy Kevin O’Reilly point.

Suddenly Carrigaline were in ascendency and they were rewarded with a stunning goal.

A high ball by Eanna Desmond towards the square was superbly flicked to the net by Kieran McCarthy as the Barrs keeper looked sluggish coming off his line.

Cork Senior football star Brian O’Driscoll added another point and the champions looked under pressure when trailing by four points in the ninth minute.

In typical Barrs style they recovered their composure and Cork hurling star Brian Hayes showed his versality in both codes to kick a stunning goal in the 12th minute.

Steven Sherlock showed his kicking skills with the first of his two pointers midway through the half and when he kicked a second from a placed ball six minutes from the interval his side had surged into a three- point lead.

Just when the Barrs looked in command Desmond was on hand to kick the final point of the half with the Barrs going in at the break leading 1-10 to 1-7.

On the restart Ricky Barrett opened the Barrs scoring with their first possession but Desmond once again was quick to respond with an opportunist white flag.

Sherlock completed his hat trick of two pointers in the 35th minute but that was the last score the Cork star would register.

Indeed, the Barrs went 14 minutes without scoring and Carrigaline punished them with consecutive three pointers from Niall and Brian Coakley.

William Buckley who looked energetic at times got his reward with a devastating run that brought the sides on parity with 11 minutes remaining.

Consecutive points from Desmond and O’Driscoll proved the perfect Carrigaline response before the Barrs responded with a sucker punch goal.

A high ball across the Carrigaline square found the fist of Thomas Egan and suddenly the Barrs led by the minimum in the 55th minute.

For the closing five minutes it was the Eanna Desmond show as he kicked the levelling point a minute later following up with a magnificent two pointer.

Hayes almost got the Barrs over the line with a ferocious shot that clipped the crossbar and went over the bar.

It was left to Desmond to finish his man of the match display with a point deep into added time as Carrigaline deservedly made a mockery of the underdogs tag.

Scorers for Carrigaline: E Desmond 0-9 (1-2pt), N Corkery 0-5 (1-2ptf, 0-2f), K McCarthy 1-0, B O’Driscoll 0-3, B Corkery 0-2 (2pt), K O’Reilly 0-1.

St Finbarr’s: S Sherlock 0-6 (3-2pt), B Hayes 1-3 (1-2pt), T Egan 1-0, C Myers-Murray 0-2, E Dennehy, B O’Connell, R Barrett, W Buckley (0-1 each).

Carrigaline: S Mellett; B Murphy, C O’Herlihy, K Kavanagh; C Barrett; C Barry, K McCarthy; P Mellett, J McCarthy; N Coakley, B O’Driscoll, C Kearney; K O’Reilly, B Coakley, E Desmond.

Subs: S Andrews for C Kearney (49).

St Finbarr’s: D Newman; S Ryan, A O’Connor, E Dennehy; B O’Connell, J Burns, C Doolan; I Maguire, B Hayes; J Wigginton-Barrett, S Sherlock, T Egan; C Myers-Murray, W Buckley, R Barrett.

Subs: L Hannigan for C Myers-Murray (46), C Scully for B O’Connell (53).

Referee: Pat O’Leary (Kilmurry).