Unmarkable Steven Sherlock helps 14-man St Finbarr's rescue Cork title hopes
St Finbarr's Paddy Hayes (selector) along with Paul O'Keeffe manager and Jim O'Donoghue celebrate after defeating Éire Óg in the Bon Secours Cork PSFC quarter-final at Pairc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Fourteen-man St Finbarr’s survived a serious test of their credentials when they defeated Éire Óg in the quarter-final of Bon Secours Cork PSFC at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
They led by 0-11 to 0-10 when Brian Hayes saw red in the 43rd minute and when Daniel Goulding pointed the resultant free to level the sides for the fourth time going into the water break, the 2018 champions’ race seemed in serious danger of being run.
What followed was an exhibition of football from the Togher side. They were phenomenal in defence, Ian Maguire took over at midfield, and they outscored their Mid-Cork rivals by 1-5 to 0-1 down the stretch.
In a fabulous team display, nobody shone brighter than Steven Sherlock, however. Sherlock has been the ace in the Barrs pack for a long time but in the second half here he pushed into a new realm. He was unmarkable in kicking seven points after the break, three after Hayes’ dismissal, and he then gave the pass to Enda Dennehy for the game-securing goal in the 59th minute.
Colin Lyons and Maguire also kicked scores and while Goulding had one more for Éire Óg, the Barrs were simply not going to be beaten, with Alan O’Connor outstanding at the heart of their mean defence.
The underdogs were always going to need a good start to trouble the favourites, and Éire Óg’s opening will be filed under ‘ideal’ for future reference. The veteran ciotóg, Goulding, opened their account with his right foot inside three minutes and while his former Cork colleague Maguire levelled matters moments later, Éire Óg were dominant.
Midfielder Jack Murphy, who had the better of Hayes from the off, put them ahead before an excellent block from John Mullins on Sherlock added fuel to their fire. Goulding pushed them further clear before a lung-bursting run from Ronan O’Toole set up Dylan Foley for Éire Óg’s fourth point.
They followed this with a couple of wides which looked like it might take the wind out of their sails but with O’Toole, Murphy, and John Cooper controlling the middle third, last year’s SAFC champions were emboldened. Joe Cooper and Kevin Hallissey slotted over from play before a 45 from Goulding gave them a 0-7 to 0-1 lead after 13 minutes, and the Barrs were wondering what fire they had to put out first.
Crucially, St Finbarr's managed a brief rally before the water break with two scores from Conor McCrickard, one from play and one from a mark, and all of a sudden, a four-point deficit didn’t seem as intimidating.
The Blues carried on with their recovery on the resumption. They were tenacious in the tackle and imposed themselves more around the middle and got their reward through two Sherlock scores from placed balls.
It was then Éire Óg’s turn to push on again with Goulding tapping over another free before Murphy sold two dummies in advance of kicking his second score.
The Barrs defence, however, was much more to the fore at this stage with O’Connor doing well on Colm O’Callaghan and they profited from forcing Goulding into his first miss of the evening with two scores from Sherlock and Colm Barrett to leave them two behind at the break, 0-9 to 0-7.
Sherlock’s tour-de-force gathered momentum after the interval, and he had two points in two minutes to bring the sides level for the third time before he gave the Barrs the lead for the first time with a nerveless 45.
He then traded scores with Éire Óg’s Rian O’Flynn and the game seemed set to go to the wire, particularly after Hayes’ dismissal.
The gallant old Blues had other ideas, however, and they will face into the final four unbeaten, unbowed, and unbroken.
S Sherlock (0-10, 0-3 frees, 0-2 ‘45’s), E Dennehy (1-0), C McCrickard (0-1 mark) and I Maguire (0-2 each), C Lyons and C Barrett (0-1 each).
D Goulding (0-6, 0-1 ’45, 0-4 frees), J Murphy (0-2), Joe Cooper, K Hallissey, D Foley and R O’Flynn (0-1 each).
J Kerins; S Ryan, J Burns, C Scully; C Lyons, A O’Connor, E Dennehy; I Maguire, B Hayes; D O’Brien, C McCrickard, E Comyns, A Lyne; C McCrickard, S Sherlock, C Barrett.
E McGreevey for Comyns (30), B Hennessey for Scully and C Walsh for O’Brien (both 40), L Hannigan for McCrickard (46), I O’Callaghan for Barrett (61).
C Kelly; D O’Herlihy, J Mullins, C McGoldrick, M Corkery, John Cooper, D Dineen; R O’Toole, J Murphy; Joe Cooper, C O’Callaghan, K Hallissey; D Foley, D Goulding, R O’Flynn.
B Hurley for Foley (52), D Kelly for Joe Cooper (57).
C Lane (Banteer).
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