Castlelyons secure safe passage into third final in four years
CRUCIAL SCORE: Castlelyons' Anthony Spillane celebrate. Pic: Howard Crowdy
It’s a third final in four years for Castlelyons in the Co-Op Superstores Cork PIHC after they gained a modicum of revenge over Castlemartyr in Clonmult Memorial Park, Midleton on Saturday afternoon.
Four points separated these sides when they met at the semi-final stage last year, but this time Noel Furlong’s men managed to overcome the significant challenge of the team who beat them last year after an epic hour of hurling to book their spot against Kilworth in the final.
Goals in the first half from Anthony Spillane and David Morrisson had given them a 5-point half time lead but a powerful third quarter from Castlemartyr had reduced the deficit to two points. Castlelyons were wobbling, but at this crucial juncture Castlemartyr’s accuracy deserted them and they weren’t to score again.
Colm Spillane, Niall O’Leary and Colm Barry were heroic in defence for the winners though, and three frees from Alan Fenton and a Morrisson point from play saw them home. Castlemartyr kept chasing but couldn’t find a way back as Morrisson picked up his second yellow card and Brian Lawton received a straight red deep into stoppage time.
A tight opening ten minutes saw the sides break even and attempt to play to their strengths. Cork stars Ciarán Joyce and Niall O’Leary played as spare men for their respective sides while Mike Kelly went wandering from his corner-forward berth for Castlemartyr.
Fenton and Anthony Spillane gave Castlelyons the early initiative, but a couple of Kelly frees soon had Castlemartyr level.
It kept going like that as Barry Lawton traded scores with Leon Doocey, Eoghan Martin did the same with James Kearney before a Fenton point gave Castlelyons a 0-5 to 0-4 lead.
The heavy conditions made the going tough and favoured a more direct approach, and Castlemartyr were soon undone by two long balls into the square in two minutes.
Oscar Hallihan delivered the first one in and as the ball hung in the gloomy sky, a Castlemartyr defender slipped allowing Anthony Spillane to pounce and tap it home to blow the game open. Moments later Fenton went long, and this time Morrisson was on hand to gather and crash the ball home to put his side in total control.
Castlemartyr were stunned, and Kelly missed two frees before eventually finding his range again to leave his side trailing by 2-5 to 0-5 at the break.
They needed to respond, and respond they did in the third quarter as they outscored Castlelyons by 0-5 to 0-1. Barry Lawton started the comeback, Kelly landed two frees, Conor Whyte fired over from distance and Andrew Kelly pinged one over from a tight angle.
Fenton did manage one point in response, but his side were under pressure and their lead was down to two, 2-6 to 0-10.
Crucially, however, Castlemartyr’s next four efforts drifted wide as they essentially let Castlelyons off the hook. Each miss sucked the life out of their challenge, and when Castlelyons found their range again, Castlemartyr had no answer.
A Spillane (1-2), A Fenton (0-5, 0-3 frees), D Morrisson (1-1), J Kearney and L Doocey (0-1 each).
M Kelly (0-5, frees), Barry Lawton (0-2), E Martin, C Whyte and A Kelly (0-1 each).
J Barry; J O’Leary, C Barry, N O’Leary; D Spillane, C Spillane (c), S Moroney; J Kearney, A Fenton; P Roche, L Doocey, C McCarthy, D Morrisson, A Spillane, O Hallihan.
L Sexton for Moroney (blood, 30-h/t), L Sexton for McCarthy (41), B Murphy for Roche (44), R Fenton for Hallihan (55), S Cotter for Murphy (64).
D Coughlan; C Martin, J Lawton, B Ó Tuama; D Joyce, C Joyce, M Cosgrave; Brian Lawton, C Whyte; C Sice, E Martin, Barry Lawton (JC); A Kelly, J Stack (JC), M Kelly.
J McGann for Sice (h/t), D Leahy for E Martin (54)
Mark Maher (St Finbarr’s).
