Keane’s strike paves way for Barr’s
Despite losing the last two Cork SFC finals, there was no sign of any hangover and enough urgency in the Barr’s play to suggest they’re in no mood to be mugged by any side as they powered past Na Piarsaigh to set up an intriguing quarter-final clash with Castlehaven.
No question Eoin Keane’s 28th minute goal and Na Piarsaigh midfielder Mark Prendergast’s sending off a minute later went a long way to easing the Barr’s through. But, with 10 different players hitting the target, the Togher outfit were an attacking threat all over the park and, consequently, finished well ahead of Na Piarsaigh in the scoring department.
The Barr’s football was flowing at times with Neal Horgan, who declined to play in Cork City’s fine Airtricity League win over Shelbourne on Friday night, super at wing back. And, with Robert O’Mahony always on the prowl up front, the Barr’s always looked like winning this fourth round contest.
Team boss Bill O’Connell was well pleased: “Delighted. The club were a bit down after losing out in the hurling to Ballymartle, so we needed a win. We’re usually slow starters, but we got a great start today and I felt we were in control afterwards.
“Eoin’s goal I think was the turning point and I felt we were comfortable afterwards especially with an extra man.”
That super start ignited the Barr’s, an opening goal after only a minute and Horgan created it. He picked out O’Mahony, racing clear in space, and set up Colin O’Sullivan who smacked home a fine goal. Roy Leahy and Ronan Curran quickly added points and only the timely intervention of Na Piarsaigh corner-back Alan Brady prevented O’Mahony getting a second Barr’s goal.
They were slick all over the park, wing backs Horgan and Colin Lyons always in attacking mode, O’Mahony the target man up front. In the slippery underfoot conditions, the Piarsaigh defence was busy but when they did settle they began to play some good football, points from a John Gardiner free and Prendergast from play settling them.
Indeed it took a super save by Barr’s keeper Darren Haynes to deny Na Piarsaigh’s best forward Shane Duggan a goal as a point from Cathal McCarthy, later forced off through injury, gave the Barrs a 1-4 to 0-2 lead after the opening quarter.
The Barr’s were wasteful in the second quarter though as Na Piarsaigh began to play with more fire as excellent points from Gardiner and Pádraig Gould edged them to within a goal by the 20th minute. But, in the final five minutes of the half, the game was won and lost.
After Leahy struck his second pointed free in the 25th minute, the Barr’s were in for goal number two – this time Leahy and O’Mahony combining to set up Keane for a goal that knocked the stuffing out of Na Piarsaigh.
Worse was to follow when Prendergast, after being booked for mouthing following the goal, received a second yellow and was sent off. Leading 2-6 to 0-5 at the break, the Barr’s were cool and calculated in the second half and never looked in danger of slipping up, using the extra man to good effect. With the two hAilpín’s, Sean Óg and Teu making no impact for Na Piarsaigh, the Blues quickly fired over some super points from O’Mahony, Leahy and Jim O’Donoghue.
In fairness to Na Piarsaigh, three nice points from the nifty Duggan and a free from Gardiner made sure the Barr’s didn’t run away with the contest. And Na Piarsaigh might well have had a penalty in the 44th minute when Glasgow looked to be upended. However, referee John Bermingham was having none of it.
Leading 2-10 to 0-9 entering the final quarter the Barr’s pushed on. Michael Shields, just doing the simple things around midfield, got on the scoreboard in the 54th minute. But, as in the first-half, it was in the final five minutes that the Barr’s really ignited.
Shields was in for their third goal in the 56th minute, Leahy and O’Mahony again involved, and substitute Joe Fitzpatrick became the 10th Barr’s player to get on the scoreboard.
Na Piarsaigh, always fighting a losing battle after Prendergast’s dismissal, did show late defiance though, Gardiner smashing home a delightful goal and Duggan pointing again. But it mattered little.
Scorers for St Finbarr’s: R Leahy 0-5 (3fs), M Shields 1-1, C O’Sullivan, E Keane 1-0 each, R O’Mahony 0-3, R Curran, C McCarthy, J O’Donoghue, N Horgan, J Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.
Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: J Gardiner 1-3 (2fs), S Duggan 0-5, M Prendergast, P Gould, D Mannix, S Glasgow (f) 0-1 each.
ST FINBARR’S: D Haines; A O’Connor, R O’Dwyer, P Kennedy; C Lyons, G O’Connor, N Horgan; M Shields, E Keane; C O’Sullivan, C McCarthy, P Wiley; R Leahy, R Curran, R O’Mahony.
Subs: J O’Donoghue for McCarthy (21), J. Fitzpatrick for Keane (53), D O’Leary for O’Sullivan (56), I Leahy for Curran (56).
NA PIARSAIGH: W Daly; E Moynihan, D McNamara, A. Brady; C O’Mahony, S Óg Ó hAilpín, P O’Rourke; T Ó hAilpín, M Prendergast; P Gould, S Glasgow, J Gardiner; A, Keating, G Sheehan, S Duggan.
Subs: K Buckley for O’Mahony (37), D Mannix for Sheehan (39).
Referee: J Bermingham (Bride Rovers).
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