Hilliard hat-trick seals East Cork Junior football title for Cobh

Pic: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

East Cork JAFC Final 

Cobh 4-11 Castlemartyr 2-9 

A Sean Hilliard hat-trick led Cobh to their first East Cork Junior Football title since 1988 after an eight point win over Castlemartyr on Sunday afternoon.

Cobh raced out of the blocks into a 2-2 to no score lead after 13 minutes. A classy Sean Hilliard finish in the 10th minute sent Cobh on their way. Three minutes later, a 40 metre cross field pass from Nathan O’Connell landed into the chest of Cian Spriggs who finished off brilliantly.

Castlemartyr had to wait 15 minutes for their first score from a placed ball from their goalkeeper Conor Whyte, but that didn’t stop the Cobh train in Caherlag as they scored a third goal, albeit on the lucky side. 

A great run from Diarmuid Kearney, rounding his marker, saw his shot come back off the crossbar and land fortuitously into the hands of Hilliard for his second goal.

Whyte kept Castlemartyr in the hunt for the rest of the half with three further points from placed balls but Cobh led 3-5 to 0-5 at the short whistle.

Hilliard rounded out his hat-trick in the 34th minute after a Darragh Heelan shot hit the woodwork and landed into the hands of the Man of the Match, who finished it home brilliantly.

Despite Castlemartyr not scoring points from play, two consolation goals from substitute Ciarán Joyce in the last ten minutes did put a gloss on the scoreline as Cobh took home the Jim Ryan cup for the tenth time and book their ticket to next year’s Premier Junior County Football Championship.

Scorers for Cobh: S Hilliard 3-1, C Spriggs 1-2, N O’Connell & D Kearney (0-1f) 0-3 each, F Duggan 0-2.

Scorers for Castlemartyr: C Joyce 2-0, C Whyte 0-4 (0-3f, 0-1 45’), M Kelly 0-3 J McGann 0-2. 

Cobh: E Walsh; D Roche, J Gardiner, P Carey; M O’Rourke, C McLoughlin, G Keating; S Cummins, F Duggan; D Heelan, N O’Connell, A McCarthy; D Kearney, C Spriggs, S Hilliard.

Subs: A Hastings for D Heelan (37), E Kidney for M O’Rourke (45), A Lynch for S Hilliard (51), E Hastings for C Spriggs (55), A Stanton for D Roche (58).

Castlemartyr: C Whyte; N O’Donovan, E Ronayne, D Kelly; C Martin, B O’Tuama, J Lawton; M Cosgrave, D Joyce; E Cashman, M Kelly, D Moran; E Martin, Jamie Stack, A Kelly.

Subs: J McGann for M Cosgrave & C Joyce for E Cashman (both 22), Joe Stack for E Martin (41), C Ronayne for Jamie Stack (45), B McGann for A Kelly (58). 

Referee: Niall O’Neill (Midleton).