Barry O'Flynn fires 1-11 as Sarsfields cruise past Killeagh in East Cork U21 A HC semi-final
Barry O'Flynn scored 1-11 for Sarsfields in their East Cork U21 A Hurling Championship win over Killeagh. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Not since 2014 have Sarsfields won an East Cork U21 A Hurling Championship title, but Sunday’s commanding victory over Killeagh showed they’ll be hard to stop this year.
With former Cork manager Pat Ryan leading the group and a host of former Premier 1 winning minors, they blitzed Killeagh early in Aghavine during their semi-final and ensured their opponents were always chasing the game.
There were some excellent individual displays – most striking of all the show Barry O’Flynn put on – as he finished with 1-11 (1-5 from play) and was simply unmarkable for Jack Coleman in the first half and Ben Walsh in the second.
In the half-back line, Rory Higgins and Eoin Considine were immense for Sars. Higgins tracked Cork senior Barry Walsh for much of the game and kept him frustrated, while Cork minor Considine stepped up to do the same in the latter period. Both were hugely influential in and out of possession.
Still, despite their best efforts, Barry Walsh was the catalyst in so many Killeagh chances. Their regret will be that they only scored three goals and not double that figure, given the plethora of chances they created across the hour.
Sars led from start to finish, the couple of first half goals giving them the platform and control of proceedings. The first goal arrived on 11 minutes – when there was only one point between the teams – as Cullen Condon worked it to the impressive Finn O’Connor, and he fired a pass across goal that Barry O’Flynn plucked from the air and buried to the net.
And that could have been his second, only a Jack Coleman hook and then the post had denied O’Flynn his first in the ninth minute.
O’Connor then added a point himself and Ben Geary answered with a free, before a brief scuffle broke out and a couple of yellows were flashed.
From there, Sars turned up the heat, leaving Killeagh a long way back at the break. Two points from O’Flynn – one from play – followed, before Adam Dunlea launched a dangerous pass across goal, right where Sam McNamara appeared to pull home and leave it 2-8 to 0-5 after 22 minutes.
Killeagh stemmed the bleeding but the gap remained nine at the break, 2-12 to 0-9. Sars’ supremacy in midfield and their own half-back line ensured the service to their full-forward line was phenomenal, and O’Flynn’s first-half tally of 1-7 was a reflection of that.
Moving Ben Walsh to full-back was Killeagh's solution, but they needed goals to spark some life into their own challenge. They got their first in the 37th minute, after Sean Meade was fouled for a close-range free and Barry Walsh lashed it home with a rocket, cutting the gap to six.
Two minutes later, they were almost in again, as John Ogbebor set up Meade but his shot was saved by Jack Austin. O’Flynn then threatened a Sars goal at the other end and would have had one, only for Fionn Murphy to get his body in the way and send it over for a white flag.
However, Tom Huggins – fresh from the bench – added another white flag and O’Flynn notched his fifth from play to stretch the lead back to nine with 45 minutes played. Only in the 50th minute did Killeagh get their next score, and it was an excellent goal.
Colm Leahy played a clever one-two with Barry Walsh after the latter’s run from deep, and Leahy set up Meade, who pulled to the net, leaving it 2-16 to 2-10.
But again, as they had done before, Sars answered the goal with enough white flags to wipe out its effect, and they were 2-20 to 2-10 ahead heading into added time, courtesy of two points from another sub – Cuan McMahon – and a couple of assists from the lively Tom Huggins.
Killeagh had seen another goal chance saved, this one after Ben Walsh and Cormac Deane made a brilliant run together to conjure up a chance for John Farquhar, but Austin made another big stop with 56 minutes played.
By the time they finally got their third goal it was in the final minute of four added, as Ogbebor passed to Ben Walsh, and he launched one with top spin from distance and into the net.
It was only a consolation but Killeagh’s efforts certainly deserved it. With only one player on the age this year, they’ll be a strong force again next season. Now, Sarsfields advance to take on four-in-a-row chasing Midleton in the decider.
The last time that Midleton won three consecutive titles and were gunning for a fourth? In 2014, when Sarsfields claimed their last title.
B O’Flynn 1-11 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), S McNamara 1-0, C Condon, F O’Connor, C McMahon 0-2 each, J Tierney, E Considine, T Huggins 0-1 each.
B Geary 0-6 (0-5 f), Barry Walsh 1-2 (1-1 f), Ben Walsh 1-1, S Meade 1-0, A Fogarty 0-1.
J Austin; R Barry, T O’Flynn, J Tierney, E Considine, R Higgins, J Huggins; S Bracke, O McCarthy; H Cogan, S McNamara, C Condon; F O’Connor, B O’Flynn, A Dunlea.
T Huggins for McCarthy (42), C McMahon for O’Connor (50), R McCarthy for Cogan (55), J Leddy for B O’Flynn (60).
F Murphy; R O’Connor, J Coleman, C Brennan; C O’Riordan, Ben Walsh, A Fogarty; A Brenner, C Deane; J Ogbebor, Barry Walsh, F Brennan; B Geary, C Leahy, S Meade.
John Farquhar for F Brennan (44), H Connon for O’Connor (53).
A O’Regan (Youghal)
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