Castlehaven clinch semi-final place despite Damien Cahalane dismissal
ON THE MARK: Michael Hurley, Castlehaven hits low and hard to score a goal against Mallow.
Castlehaven survived Damien Cahalane’s red card to hold off a Mallow side who had enough chances to produce a shock under the lights at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Cahalane was sent off in the 35th minute after an off-the-ball incident left Sean Hayes in a heap on the ground. Both Castlehaven and St Finbarr’s will await referee James Regan’s report with trepidation – the Barrs not just the Haven’s semi-final opponents but Cahalane’s hurling teammates.
The most likely scenario, if Cahalane receives a proposed suspension for striking, would see the dual star eligible to line out for St Finbarr’s against Newtownshandrum next Sunday in their hurling semi-final but ineligible to line out for Castlehaven against the Barrs the following week.
What is certain is that Castlehaven’s progression sets up a rerun of their penalty shoot-out semi-final epics against St Finbarr’s in 2020 and 2021. Best of three now, fellas. Take as long as you need to decide it.
Mallow, in their first quarter-final since 2004, entered with the meanest defense in senior football: conceding an average of 10 points per game. They’d only leaked 2-9 from play in their three group games. But Castlehaven have the forwards to turn any cracks into a cascade and in the first half, all six were in scoring form.
It took a dozen minutes for them to get warmed up, though. Both sides had five misses in that period, including an early goal-line save from Matty Taylor after Brian Hurley had rounded Mallow keeper Kevin Doyle.
By the 18th minute, Mallow were ahead, 0-4 to 0-3, Kieran O’Sullivan’s point adding to three efforts by Ryan Harkin, whose timing was immaculate when arriving from his withdrawn role quarterbacking the inside line led by target-man Hayes.
A 2-2 burst put paid to growing Mallow hopes. Both goals, on 20 and 27 minutes, came from Castlehaven kick-outs, caught for marks by Andrew Whelton and Robbie Minihane.
The opening goal, netted by Minihane, came from a close-range point effort dropping under the stranded Doyle’s crossbar.
Then, after Cathal Maguire and Jack Cahalane points, a superb Maguire pass connected with Michael Hurley’s defence-splitting run and the full-forward blasted to the net. By now, every Castlehaven attacker had contributed a score from play.
Doyle saved from Jack Cahalane in stoppage time and although Brian Hurley slotted the 45, it was a crucial act of damage limitation to keep the gap to eight. 2-7 to 0-5 at half-time.
Mallow were not easily deterred. They scored four of the first five points of the second half but the defining moment of that period was not one of that sequence of scores but Cahalane’s red card.
Hayes dusted himself off to take and kick a mark and he set up the next two points for Harkin (a free) and Pa Herlihy.
But every time Mallow brought it back to four, Hurley kicked a free in response. Another Hurley free extended the lead to six, 2-12 to 0-12, and Hurley had the answer again after John Browne kicked Mallow’s final point.
Conor Cahalane applied the final flourish with a point as attentions turn towards his brother’s proposed suspension.
B Hurley (0-7, 4 frees, 1 45); M Hurley (1-1); R Minihane (1-0); A Whelton, C Maguire (0-2 each); J Cahalane, C Cahalane (0-1 each).
R Harkin (0-6, 4 frees); S Hayes (0-2, 1 mark); S Merritt, K O’Sullivan, P Herlihy, S McDonnell (free), J Browne (0-1 each).
A Seymour; J O’Regan, R Maguire, R Walsh; C Nolan, Damien Cahalane, T O’Mahony; M Collins (capt), C Cahalane; R Minihane, B Hurley, A Whelton; J Cahalane, M Hurley, C Maguire.
Subs: C O’Driscoll for J Cahalane (h-t), Darragh Cahalane for Collins (31-40, blood), R Whelton for O’Mahony (47), S Walsh for R Walsh (51), K O’Donovan for M Hurley (60+3).
K Doyle; P Lyons, S O’Callaghan, E Crone; B Myers, S Merritt, M Taylor; D Moynihan, E Stanton; K O’Sullivan, J Dillon, P Herlihy; S Hayes, R Harkin (capt), S McDonnell.
Subs: E Barry for O’Callaghan (h-t), J Loughrey for Dillon (h-t), J Browne for O’Sullivan (41), K Sheehan for Herlihy (57), P Hennessy for Myers (59).
J Regan (Lough Rovers).
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