Éamonn Fitzmaurice: St Finbarr's take inspiration from Ian Maguire's display
St Finbarr's captain Ian Maguire addresses the players and supporters after the win over Clonakilty in the Bon Secours Cork Premier SFC final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
, the St Finbarr’s players chanted as they celebrated the return of the Andy Scannell Cup to Togher after a great Cork Premier SFC final battle with Clonakilty.
They left it late, but did just about enough to deserve one-point win, with their stronger bench and superior experience being pivotal in the end.
Their big players delivered when the need was greatest, and Ian Maguire was deservedly awarded man of the match. He had a huge impact on the game at different times, particularly when the Barrs needed it the most.
Early on, when they struggled to get going, his drive through the middle and left-footed point in the 11th minute settled them, for what was their first score.
Prior to this they looked like a team that had believed the hype that surrounded their tag as favourites. They lacked energy and looked like they were stuck to the ground. They missed frees, kicked two balls into the goalkeeper’s hands, and looked open and vulnerable at the back. However, Maguire’s point got them going.
Furthermore, on a couple of occasions in the second half, when Clonakilty appeared to have all the momentum, he came up with big plays, including a combination involving their three most important players. Maguire drove forward to set up a Stephen Sherlock point in the 38th minute after a great Brian Hayes catch. Later he fisted his own score.
The impact from their bench was significant also. In particular, Michael Shields showed his experience when he came on and made the right decisions in possession as well as a few clever tactical fouls without the ball.
Cillian Myers Murray was also lively when introduced. He has the features and gait of his old fella and kicked a great score that brought his father to mind. He was busy and impacted as any management would expect from a sub.
Clonakilty were game throughout. They were well set up defensively and were hard to break down. When they turned the Barrs over, they broke at pace and kicked from the middle of the field. While it was effective, it is extremely difficult to sustain this game plan for 70-odd minutes, even for a team such as Clonakilty that were clearly very well conditioned. It was no coincidence that they were strongest in the first quarter of both halves.
When playing with this kind of set up, it is imperative to be as clinical as possible. They had two big goal chances in the first half, with their midfield pair of Joe Grimes and Ben Ridgeway both coming on the end of excellent moves. Both times John Kerins saved well and, on both occasions, St Finbarr’s went up the field and kicked a point at the other end. Two four-point swings like that in such a tight game was decisive. For Clonakilty to win they probably needed to convert at least one if not both of those chances.
While they will naturally be very disappointed to have lost a county final by a point, they are in a good place to build for next year. The age profile of the group is good and the return of the injured Liam O’Donovan will boost them. The experience garnered from yesterday’s defeat will also be huge for their development.
They may look to balance their shape slightly to ensure they have the energy to finish out games on the biggest days against the best teams.
Observing with my Kerry hat on, I was curious to see if there was anyone out there for Keith Ricken that we hadn’t seen before, someone that could give Cork something new, something different in 2022.
Mark White has played in goals before, but I wonder if Ricken might look at him again, particularly with his ability to come out the field and play ball. He can pick kickouts and has a big boot to kick over possible presses, so he could be an option.
I was very impressed with David Lowney’s performance for Clonakilty. He resembled those middle eight transition players that Tyrone used so effectively this year. He was available for countless White kickouts and attacked and linked the play well.
A left-field choice for Ricken may be to look at Dara Ó Sé. He had a great game, nailing his frees and he kicked a good score for Clonakilty near the end. He may bring something different to Cork.
Brian Hayes, if he isn’t involved with the hurlers, is another player I wouldn’t be surprised to see in the red of Cork next year.
I am sure also that Stephen Sherlock will be recalled, having performed so well throughout the county championship. It didn’t work out for him last time, but he has matured and may be ready to have a real go at it this time round. He won’t be 25 until next March, so it’s definitely not too late for him.
That is all in the future though. Today the Barrs will enjoy their trip to Moks, the famous hostelry on Bandon Road, as promised by Maguire from the podium. On Tuesday they can start thinking about the Munster club championship.
