Cork Premier SHC: Sarsfields edge Glen Rovers but wides cost Munster champions semi spot
ONTO THE QUARTERS: Barry O'Flynn, Sarsfields, celebrates his first goal against Glen Rovers. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
First place in Group 1 of the the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC went to Sarsfields as they eased away Glen Rovers in the closing stages at Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday.
However, with just one semi-final spot up for grabs in the top flight, ten second-half wides were costly for the Munster champions as they lost out to Blackrock for the top seeding on scoring difference.
Instead, they will face Charleville in the quarter-finals, while the Glen will do battle with Midleton.
Going into this on four points each after wins over Erin’s Own and Fr O’Neill’s, this game lacked a do-or-die element but that didn’t detract from it, Sars manager Johnny Crowley felt.
“No matter when you play them, the Glen and Sars will always have intensity,” he said.
“It doesn't matter whether it’s a league game up in the Glen field or down in Sars or championship in here, you’ll always have a healthy intensity. That’s a given.
“I think it was a good game and any neutrals here would have enjoyed it – it was a good hour of hurling.
“We had, I think, 17 wides over the course of it, which isn't good enough, so that's something we can work on and there's a few other things we were looking at.” Ultimately, Sars’ good finish score seven of the last nine points after a Patrick Horgan free from his own half – bringing his tally to 2-9 – had the Glen 2-17 to 2-16 in front with ten minutes left.
The excellent Daniel Hogan led the Sars campaign down the stretch, with captain Conor O’Sullivan getting forward to land a point too along with Bryan Murphy as they won by four.
Sars had started well. A fine Hogan point put them 0-5 to 0-1 in front and, when the resultant puckout was intercepted by senior championship debutant Barry O’Flynn, he drove towards goal and fired home a great shot.
Cian Darcy’s run and point had them eight points ahead – nobody would have imagined that their next score would only come after the Glen had scored an unanswered 1-7. Eoin Downey’s long-range free set the run in motion, followed by three points in a minute – two from Patrick Horgan and one by Micheál Mullins – served to give them some momentum.
Robert Downey and Dean Brosnan at centre-back and centre-forward respectively began to make their presence felt and it was Brosnan’s point that had them back to within a point, 1-6 to 0-8, by the 17th minute.
Then they hit the front – Brosnan’s nephew Jake started a move that saw the ball worked through Simon Kennefick and Eoin O’Leary before Horgan crashed a shot to the net – and while Colm McCarthy ended Sars’ scoreless run, Mullins’ second of the day made it 1-9 to 1-7 for the Glen.
They were not given a chance to establish more daylight, though, and Colm McCarthy’s low delivery for O’Flynn allowed him to find space again and land his second goal of the day. Four more points followed, with Daniel Kearney to the fore in his first senior appearance of the year.
His third point, coming after Colm McCarthy claimed a Glen puckout, had them 2-11 to 1-9 in front but Horgan (two) and Robert Downey, after a marauding run, scored before the break to send the Glen in trailing by just two.
After an exchange of frees by the two number 11s, McCarthy and Horgan, on the resumption, the latter might have put the Glen ahead with a goal but Ben Graham saved brilliantly and was able to get to Kennefick’s follow-up effort too.
The 65 that resulted was deposited by Horgan – 2-12 to 1-14 – before the ever-prominent Hogan and James Sweeney replied with Sars points, but that goal margin was wiped out in the 43rd minute.
Lee Quilligan, just on as a sub, used his extra energy to drive at the Sars defence and was fouled; Horgan went for the risk from 20 metres was justly rewarded as the net danced – 2-14 apiece.
From there, it was blow for blow for a period – Brosnan and Horgan, from his own half, put the Glen ahead with ten left but it proved to be the last time and Sars had the stronger finish.
The Riverstown side progress to the semi-finals but the Glen have a lot of hurling to play yet.
Colm McCarthy (0-7, 6f, 1 65), B O’Flynn (2-0), D Hogan (0-5), J Sweeney, D Kearney (0-3 each), C O’Sullivan, B Murphy, K Murphy, C Darcy, S O’Regan (0-1 each).
P Horgan (2-10, 1-4f, 1 65), D Brosnan (0-4), M Mullins (0-2), E Downey (1f), R Downey, E O’Leary (0-1 each).
B Graham; C O’Sullivan, C Roche, Cathal McCarthy; B Murphy, C Leahy, L Elliott; D Kearney, K Murphy; Colm McCarthy, D Hogan, C Darcy; B Nodwell, J Sweeney, B O’Flynn.
S O’Regan for Nodwell (39), J O’Connor for Kearney (50), D English for Cathal McCarthy (53, injured).
C Hickey; L Coughlan, D Dooling, E Varian; C McCarthy, R Downey, E Downey; A O’Donovan, M Mullins; J Brosnan, D Brosnan, R Dunne; S Kennefick, P Horgan, E O’Leary.
B Moylan for Dooling (23, injured), L Quilligan for J Brosnan, L Horgan for Dunne (both 42).
C O’Regan (Ballyhea).
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