SAHC: Fired-up Watergrasshill knock last year's runners-up Castlelyons out
Watergrasshill's Colin Cronin takes on Castlelyons' James Kearney in the SAHC clash on Sunday. Picture: Chani Anderson
Castlelyons are out. The beaten Senior A finalists of 2025 are removed from the promotion conversation.
The team that was six points ahead with seven minutes remaining in last November’s replayed county final will not be involved in the knockout phase.
Moving on at their expense are the neighbours a short spin down the road.
2025 was Watergrasshill’s first season wearing Senior A clothes. They landed into a ferociously difficult group. And while they did not emerge from said group, they gave notice of their coming when scoring victory over eventual champions Bride Rovers.
Another established Senior A force was taken down here. On this occasion, the victory is much more than a Watergrasshill statement of future intent. This second victory of the campaign has delivered knockout involvement with a round to spare. Themselves and Blarney will vie for direct progression to the semis in a fortnight.
This was a victory fully merited. The Hill had an answer each time this enjoyable local derby required one of Eddie Enright’s charges.
Dáire O’Leary and Kevin O’Neill were colossal in the winning half-back line. The pair hurled a colossal amount of ball. Aaron Spriggs was prominent at midfield, while Brendan Lehane’s directness, Sean Desmond’s intelligence, and Adam Murphy’s everything were the decisive personnel and proponents in attack.
Ahead by two at the break, Watergrasshill clipped four of the opening five second-half points for a 1-14 to 1-9 lead. It was a significant and sizable advantage. And considering they trailed 1-7 to 0-6 on 26 minutes, in a 12-minute period they’d outgunned Castlelyons 1-8 to 0-2. A significant and sizable swing.
Leon Doocey fired his second goal to ignite the Castlelyons response. Alan Fenton (free) and Shane Cotter had Ciarán McGann’s charges level, 1-14 to 2-11 on 44 minutes. They’d not score again, though, for another 10 minutes. When they did, their opponents had already bolted for the winner's enclosure.
Watergrasshill’s second goal came from a Castlelyons clearance charged out over the sideline. Dylan Roche’s 53rd-minute cut ended on the hurley of Adam Murphy. A second goal for the terrorising No.13.
Desmond, Lehane, Liam Foley, and Anthony Cronin picked off four points for a 2-19 to 2-12 lead two minutes into injury-time.
Alan Fenton’s goal hereafter wore consolation status. From a position of being two in front of Blarney four minutes into injury-time of their opener, Castlelyons’ summer now shows back-to-back defeats and early elimination.
Watergrasshill were and weren’t satisfied with a 1-10 to 1-8 interval scoreline reading in their favour.
They’d responded to the concession of a fifth-minute Leon Doocey goal that was wholly avoidable. They’d responded to finding themselves five behind as early as the 10th minute. They’d responded to a three-in-a-row of Castlelyons points that shoved the crowd over the road four in front five minutes from the break.
They’d responded to each difficult situation that presented itself in the opening half hour, and yet satisfaction levels were somewhat muted. They were muted because they registered 10 first-half wides.
An 11th missed attempt from Spriggs came back down off the post. There had been four goal chances. Only one was taken. Jack and Colm Barry did so well to keep out two of the four, while Adam Murphy’s shot in first-half stoppages to double his green flag tally fizzed over.
The route one approach of the second period didn’t always suit them or an isolated Desmond. For efficiency, though, far less was left behind. Most importantly, they took the two points out of Rathcormac for a short and sweet journey home.
A Murphy 2-4, S O’Regan 0-4 (0-2 f, 0-2 65), S Desmond 0-3, D O’Leary, B Lehane 0-2 each, A Foley (f), D Roche, A Cronin, L Foley 0-1 each.
L Doocey 2-1, A Fenton 1-4 (1-2 f), K O’Leary 0-2, C Spillane, D Morrisson, A Spillane, S Cotter, O Lenehan, B Murphy 0-1 each.
A Foley; S Field, D McCarthy, D Roche; R Loftus, D O’Leary, K O’Neill; C Cronin, A Spriggs; S O’Regan, B Lehane, I O’Callaghan; P Cronin, S Desmond, A Murphy.
A Cronin for O’Callaghan (45 mins); L Foley for P Cronin (55); R Murray for C Cronin (58).
J Barry; C Barry, N O’Leary, J O’Leary; S Moroney, C Spillane, D Spillane; J Kearney, E Maye; A Fenton, O Hallihan, K O’Leary; D Morrisson, A Spillane, L Doocey.
S Cotter for Hallihan (h-t); O Lenehan for Morrisson (38); B Murphy for Maye (46); B Spillane for J O’Leary (58, inj).
B Sweeney.
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