Cork Premier SHC: Champions Blackrock stunned by Midleton blitz
Midleton's Sean O'Meara shoots from Blackrock's Stephen Murphy during the Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier SHC semi-final. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Three goals inside the opening 12 minutes of the second-half propelled Midleton to a first Cork hurling final since 2018 and, in the process, ended Blackrock’s back-to-back bid.
Ahead by 1-14 to 1-11 at the break, Luke O’Farrell, Pa White, and Ross O’Regan found the net for Midleton on 32, 39, and 42 minutes respectively as they took a nine-point lead into the final quarter.
O’Farrell’s goal was the result of a collision between two Blackrock defenders that allowed the former Cork forward steal in. Niall Cashman did respond with a superb individual goal to cut the margin to three, 2-16 to 2-13, on 38 minutes.
The gap, though, quickly moved back out to six as Midleton swept down the field for a Pa White goal. Their third-quarter burst was complete when Ross O’Regan, collecting a Cormac Beausang pass, drilled home Midleton’s fourth goal of this semi-final.
Their three third-quarter green flags captured the extent to which Midleton ran ragged a Blackrock defence that constantly found themselves a step or two behind their opponents.
The winners time and again located pockets of space in the opposition half of the field into which they sprayed possession and from there took on and more often than not beat the green and gold shirt in close proximity.
Blackrock required goals in the final quarter to keep alive their title defence and while John O’Sullivan did kick to the net on 59 minutes, it fell well short of what they required to reel in their opponents. Indeed, they had goalkeeper Gavin Connolly to thank for ensuring Midleton’s goal count did not reach five or more.
Fitting it was that Conor Lehane finished the Midleton scoring, what was his fourth from play and 10th overall. His catalogue of semi-final scores included an array of sumptuous points from either sideline.
A Midleton spurt late in the first-half - during which the Magpies outscored the 2020 champions by 0-6 to 0-2 between the 21st minute and the call for half-time - contributed to the East Cork men enjoying a 1-14 to 1-11 interval lead.
It was a most open and evenly balanced first half an hour, the sides level on six occasions and the lead also changing hands six times.
In the same manner in which they closed out the half, Midleton also began this county semi-final in sprightly fashion, racing 1-3 to 0-1 clear inside six minutes. Conor Lehane, Ross O’Regan, and Sam Quirke supplied the points, with Cormac Beausang providing the green flag after cutting in from the South Stand sideline.
The Rockies response was that of champions, Fergal Ryan’s charges outscoring their opponents 1-5 to 0-1 in the ensuing six minutes to move from five in arrears to one in front.
The Blackrock goal arrived no more than 60 seconds after the Midleton major, Mark O’Keeffe, set up by Alan Connolly, blasting past Brion Saunderson.
Connolly clipped over a pair of frees during this Rockies spell of dominance, with Niall Cashman, Stephen Murphy, and Robbie Cotter also splitting the posts.
It was tit for tat thereafter until three-in-a-row from Beausang, Luke O’Farrell, and Paul Haugheny nudged Midleton two in front. Michael O’Halloran countered for Blackrock, but with three of the half’s final four scores coming from Ger Fitzgerald’s side, including a superb Lehane point from the North Stand sideline, they led by three turning around for the second period.
It was a lead that grew and grew into the second-half.
C Lehane (0-10, 0-6 frees); C Beausang (1-4); R O’Regan (1-2); L O’Farrell (1-1); P White (1-0); P Haughney (0-2); S O’Leary Hayes, T O’Connell, S Quirke (0-1 each).
A Connolly (0-8, 0-7 frees); J O’Sullivan (1-3); N Cashman (1-2, 0-1 ‘65); M O’Keeffe (1-0); D Meaney, R Cotter (0-2 each); M O’Halloran, S Murphy (0-1 each).
B Saunderson; E Moloney, L Dineen, C Smyth; S O’Leary Hayes, T O’Connell, C Walsh; P Haugheny, S Quirke; S O’Meara, C Lehane, R O’Regan; L O’Farrell, C Beausang, P White.
S O’Farrell for Quirke (22-24 mins, temporary); S O’Farrell for Haughney (45); S Smyth for T O’Connell (46-49 temporary); A Quirke for White (50); A Mulcahy for O’Meara (53); G Manley for O’Regan (61).
G Connolly; J Ryan, G Norberg, C O’Brien; J Cashman, C Cormack, N Cashman; S Murphy, D Meaney; M O’Keeffe, S O’Keeffe, M O’Halloran; J O’Sullivan, A Connolly, R Cotter.
R Laide for O’Brien (27-28 mins temporary); A O’Callaghan for Norberg (38); D O’Farrell for J Cahman (43, inj); T Deasy for M O’Keeffe (45); C Cormack for S O’Keeffe (45).
C Lyons.
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