Douglas headed for quarter-final battle with Blackrock

Luke O'Farrell, Midleton, Cillian O'Donovan, Douglas battling it out at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Douglas 0-22 Midleton 1-18 

Douglas will play Blackrock in the quarter-finals of the Cork hurling championship, this result bringing an end to Midleton’s involvement in the competition.

Both sides came into this fixture fully aware that it was a winner-takes-all tie, but Midleton held a slight advantage in that if proceedings finished level, it was they who would advance from Group A on account of their superior score difference to Douglas.

And a draw was a distinct possibility when Conor Lehane stood over a free inside his own half deep in second-half stoppages with Midleton trailing by the minimum. 

Lehane’s free, however, didn’t have the necessary legs, with the sliotar dropping into the danger area before eventually being cleared.

Midleton twice led by six during the opening half but seven in-a-row from Douglas either side of the interval break handed them the lead - 0-14 to 1-10 - for the first time in proceedings on 33 minutes.

It was a hugely entertaining second-half, one that was level on seven occasions.

Douglas appeared to have made the crucial break when Kingston (0-2) and the excellent Brian Turnbull hit three on the trot to push 0-18 to 1-12 in front.

Midleton’s response was to clip over three of their own through Pa White (0-2) and Lehane.

We had stalemate on three further occasions before Brian Turnbull landed what would prove the winning point on 57 minutes.

It was somewhat fitting that it should be the young corner-forward who delivered the winning score given the fine second-half display he turned in.

Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Midleton searched and searched for an equaliser thereafter but met an unrelenting Douglas rearguard led by Eoin Cadogan.

Douglas, as earlier mentioned, finished the first-half the stronger, hitting four-in-a-row to cut a six-point deficit down to two. 1-10 to 0-11 read the interval scoreline.

It was a much different story early on, Midleton finding the opposition net 70 seconds after throw-in.

Cormac Walsh was the creator, with Luke O’Farrell sending the sliotar whistling past Douglas ‘keeper Donal Maher.

Conor Lehane, Cormac Walsh, and James Nagle were the early Midleton point-scorers as Ben O’Connor’s side moved four clear by the end of the first quarter.

Down the other end, Alan Cadogan was the main threat for Douglas, the Cork senior striking four points from play in the opening half an hour.

Half-back Cillian O’Donovan was another to feature somewhat prominently on the scoresheet, sniping a pair from play.

Three unanswered white flags from Tommy O’Connell, Lehane, and Luke O’Farrell sent Midleton 1-9 to 0-6 clear on 24 minutes, the six-point difference reflective of Midleton’s superiority in many areas.

And six was the gap before four consecutive Kingston frees brought Douglas within reach turning around for the second period.

They found another gear in the second-half to book a place in the knockout stages at Middleton's expense.

Scorers for Douglas: S Kingston (0-10, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65); A Cadogan (0-5); B Turnbull (0-4); C O’Donovan (0-2); E Cadogan (0-1).

Scorers for Midleton: C Lehane (0-9, 0-4 frees, 0-1 ‘65); L O’Farrell (1-2); P White, C Walsh (0-2 each); S O’Leary Hayes, J Nagle, T O’Connell (0-1 each).

Douglas: D Maher; D Murphy, C Kingston, B O’Neill; E Cadogan, M Harrington, C O’Donovan; C Baldwin, S Moylan; E Dolan, S Kingston, M O’Connor; B Turnbull S Donegan, A Cadogan.

Subs: A O’Connell for O’Connor (55).

Midleton: J Loftus; K Burke, E Moloney, S Smyth; P O’Farrell, S O’Leary Hayes, J Nagle; S Quirke, C Walsh; P White, C Lehane, C Beausang; L O’Farrell, T O’Connell, G Manley.

Subs: S O’Meara for Manly (47mins); J Hegarty for Walsh (53).

Referee: S Stokes.