'Fantastic talent' Daniel Hogan seals it for four-goal Sarsfields against Douglas
There is something particularly exciting about this Sarsfields attack. They don’t yet have that finished, polished feel about them, but their raw ability, which we saw in flashes here, is the string to the Sars bow which marks Brian Roche’s side out as among the front-runners for county championship honours.
That so many of those occupying the jerseys numbered 10-15 are no more than 22 years of age lends a degree of fearlessness to their arsenal. The multitude of wides they tallied at Páirc Uí Chaoimh - Sars finished with 15 in total - in no way dented their confidence, nor did it ever take from their capacity to conjure up a green flag out of nothing.
Their evening’s spread of goals began with Jack O’Connor collecting possession 30 metres out from the Blackrock End. The Cork senior subsequently took on and beat two Douglas defenders before squeezing the sliotar past Donal Maher at his near post.
Liam Healy’s 34th-minute goal helped them to a 2-11 to 0-12 interval advantage and while Douglas, through the excellent Shane Kingston (0-2), Alan Cadogan, and Andy O’Connell, hit the first four points of the second-half to leave the minimum in it, they were rocked back on their heels when O’Connor, played inside by Cian Darcy, struck his second and Sars’ third goal on 42 minutes.
But arguably their most important green flag of this Group A contest was that which arrived last. Substitute Daniel Hogan, who is still eligible for minor at club level, plucked a Craig Leahy delivery out of the sky and finished to the net three minutes into second-half injury-time.
In the 10 minutes before this game-deciding score, Douglas had thrice come within a point of their opponents. Crucially, though, they were unable to restore parity. And when Hogan pounced, their race was run.
Of Sars’ starting front six, and to give an indication of just how young this forward unit is, Hogan, O’Connor, Healy, and Darcy were all part of the Sars U21 side which won the 2019 county title last December. Of the remaining two, Aaron Myers was a Cork U21 in 2018, while James Sweeney proved a real handful for Douglas, ending as he did with 0-4 beside his name.
“We know the forwards we have,” said Sars selector Ray Ryan. “The average age is 21/22. They have bundles of pace, bundles of talent. I know from my own playing days that you don't want anyone running at you. When players start running at you, and use that pace and use that directness, it is very hard to defend. That’s what we’re getting them to do, just be positive, and go for the jugular when it is there. I cannot remember the last time Sars got four goals in a championship game and we are delighted to get them today.
“We got goals at good occasions in the game. Douglas, though, still fought back, still clipped over points, and made it a very good game. We were just lucky that young Daniel Hogan came on and did what he does typically well. He just picked his man's pocket and finished brilliantly.
“For an 18-year-old to come in in his second senior game and get a goal like that at such a pivotal time in the match is fantastic for him. He is a fantastic talent. I am just glad he is a Sars man.”
Sars’ second win guarantees them a place in the knockout stages and if they finish their Group A campaign with a win against already-eliminated Ballyhea, they could sneak the semi-final spot available for the top team across the three groups.
“I know we can't finish outside of the top two now, but we'll still want to win the group. Out of the three teams in our group, we had the two hardest games in the first two games, no offence to Ballyhea. I think they won’t give out to me about that. To play them two games within a week of each other was tough going, but we are delighted to be two from two.”
For Douglas, they have a winner-takes-all clash against Midleton to look forward to later this month. They’ll hope to have Brian Turnbull, who missed this game because of injury, back in the mix by then.
We cannot go without mentioning the exhibition of point-scoring by Shane Kingston, the Douglas centre-forward taking up where Patrick Horgan left off the weekend previous on the Páirc Uí Chaoimh sod. But not even his 12-point contribution could prevent Douglas from coming up short to Sars in the championship for the second successive year.
L Healy (1-6, 0-4 frees); J O’Connor (2-1); J Sweeney (0-4); D Hogan (1-1); A Myers, D English, D Kearney (0-1 each).
: S Kingston (0-12, 0-6 frees); A Cadogan (1-4); C Baldwin (0-2); C Kingston, E Dolan, M O’Connor, A O’Connell (0-1 each).
: A Kennedy; W Kearney, C Leahy, C O'Sullivan; K Roche, D Kearney, E Murphy; D English, P Leopold; A Myers; L Healy, D Walsh; C Darcy, J Sweeney, J O’Connor.
D Hogan for D Walsh (HT); T Óg Murphy for Leopold (35 mins); B Graham for Darcy (45).
D Maher; B O'Neill, C Kingston, D Ward; E Cadogan, M Harrington, K O'Donovan; C Baldwin, S Moylan; E Dolan, S Kingston, M O'Connor; A Cadogan, S Donegan, A O'Connell.
: C Russell for A O’Connell, C Lucey for D Ward (both 46); A Ward for Dolan (55).
: S Stokes (Tullylease).
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