Castlehaven seal final berth after drama of Cork's first senior shootout

Mark Collins of Castlehaven, left, celebrates with team-mates after winning the penalty shootout following the Cork County Premier Senior Football Championship Semi-Final match between Castlehaven and St. Finbarr's at Páirc Ui Rinn in Cork. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Cork PSFC semi-final: Castlehaven 1-13 St Finbarr’s 1-13

(Castlehaven won 4-3 on penalties)

Castlehaven will meet Nemo Rangers in the Bons Secours Cork Premier SFC final for the third time in eight years after Mark Collins struck the winning penalty in tonight’s semi-final against St Finbarr’s at Páirc Uí Rinn.

A game of huge intensity saw Brian Hurley put the Haven 1-11 to 1-10 in front in the sixth minute of injury time at the end of normal time with an outside-of-the-boot sideline kick, only for Steven Sherlock’s free to level in the ninth minute.

Then, with the Barrs enjoying a man advantage for much of extra-time and with the Haven losing Brian and Michael Hurley to injury, Sherlock’s ninth point of the night, a free in the 77th minute, suggested that it might have been the winner.

However, when the Haven’s Darragh Cahalane returned to the field after his black card, the Barrs lost captain Ian Maguire to one almost immediately, turning the 15-v-14 table and the West Cork men won a free, which Collins converted.

It meant a first penalty shootout at senior level, with the sides level at 3-3 after five spot-kicks each, goalkeepers Anthony Seymour and Patrick O’Neill each saving twice. When Cillian Myers Murray, who had scored his first penalty, saw his sudden-death effort come back off the crossbar, Collins stepped up to stroke home his one, sending the Haven through.

While manager James McCarthy was naturally delighted with the outcome, the method isn’t one he favours.

“We’re happy with the result,” he said, “but I wouldn’t fancy putting lads through that again.

“Both sides gave their all and they were cramping at the end. On a bad night, both teams went to the wire.

“Each could have won at certain stages. We nearly had it at the end of 60 minutes and they came back and scored again. It could have gone either way.” 

Having had the best group-stage record, the Haven bypassed the quarter-finals to go straight to the semis but the pay-off was a longer wait. In contrast, the Barrs came in off the back of Wednesday night’s quarter-final win over Newcestown and McCarthy felt that was a factor in his side going 1-3 to 0-2 down early on.

“Their intensity was way higher than ours and the water break couldn’t come quick enough for us,” he said.

“The lads got a bit of a rollicking — ‘You’re in a semi-final now, wakey wakey.’ In the group stages, you won’t get that intensity.

“There were stages where we could have been overrun but we came back and the Barrs were the same. Nobody gave a yard on each other.” 

Steven Sherlock had the Barrs goal on seven minutes, after Eoghan McGreevey had intercepted a loose Castlehaven defensive free kick, but, after the restart, the Haven improved and took advantage of a black card for St Finbarr’s wing-back Colin Hayes to reel off four points in a row.

They were level as Michael Hurley pointed in the 23rd minute but the Barrs, back to the full complement, moved back in front as Maguire’s strong run set up Brian Hayes for his second point.

By half-time, Jamie Walsh and Brian Hurley had the Haven in front, with Michael Hurley doubling that lead on the resumption, but a pair of Sherlock frees tied matters again before Denis O’Brien had the Barrs in front with a fine individual effort.

It was 1-8 to 0-9 after Sherlock’s fourth but the game continued to ebb and flow and Conor Cahalane’s goal, set up by Mark Collins and Cathal Maguire, put Castlehaven back in front. That lead didn’t last long as Sherlock sent over two more, an off-the-ball hit in the wake of the latter sparking a brawl which resulted in a red card for Roland Whelton of the Haven and the Barrs’ Eoghan McGreevey.

With time running out, Myers Murray almost got a goal to put the Barrs clear but Seymour saved and Cathal Maguire fisted over at the other end to make it 1-10 each. Brian Hurley then looked to have won it with his supreme effort but Sherlock forced extra time.

When that failed to produce a winner, it was down to penalties and McCarthy reserved high praise for Collins, who had the decisive final contribution.

“Who else would you want taking a winner-takes-all kick?” he asked.

“He was outstanding tonight, himself and Maguire went toe-to-toe with each other and that’s what you want to see for Cork football, your best players going on each other and having a good humdinger.” 

Scorers for Castlehaven: S Sherlock (1-9, 7 frees); B Hayes (0-2); D O’Brien, C Myers Murray (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: M Collins (frees), B Hurley (0-2 frees, 0-1 sideline) (0-4 each), C Cahalane (1-0), M Hurley (0-2), Damien Cahalane, J Walsh, C Maguire (0-1 each).

CASTLEHAVEN: A Seymour; J O’Regan, Damien Cahalane, R Walsh; C O’Sullivan, R Maguire, D McCarthy; J Walsh, M Collins; R Whelton, B Hurley, C Maguire; C Cahalane, M Hurley, C O’Driscoll.

Subs: D Whelton for McCarthy (15), J Cahalane for O’Driscoll (36), Darragh Cahalane for O’Sullivan (57), C Nolan (15th man for extra time), S Nolan for M Hurley (66), T O’Leary for R Walsh (70- , blood), J Davis for C Maguire, K O’Donovan for B Hurley (both half-time in extra time).

ST FINBARR’S: P O’Neill; O Murphy, S Ryan, A O’Connor; C Lyons, J Burns, C Scully; I Maguire, M Shields; D O’Brien, E MCGreevey, C Walsh; C Myers Murray, S Sherlock, B Hayes.

Subs: C Dennehy for Scully, E Finn for Walsh (both half-time), A Lyne for Lyons (44), E Keane for Shields, G O’Connor for O’Brien (both 56), E Twomey (15th man for extra time).

Referee: J Ryan (Macroom).