'He’s had a busy week' - Damien Cahalane stars for the Barrs a day after becoming a father
Damien Cahalane completes a clearance for St Finbarrs in the Co-Op Superstores Senior Hurling Championship Round game. St Finbarrs vs Kanturk at Mourne Abbey. Picture Larry Cummins
The Barrs are back in the big time.
Group elimination 12 months ago was replaced by progression relief on this occasion. They earned their progression. Minus the injured Brian Hayes, their progression wasn’t banked until second-half injury-time.
The Barrs arrived in Mourneabbey knowing a draw would suffice. Kanturk required a win. Such were the stakes, both sides proceeded to produce massively entertaining, attritional, and equally tight fare.
Kanturk, playing into a notable breeze, trailed by the minimum as the clock ticked towards the hour mark. They emerged out of defence with possession. A potentially leveling attack loomed.
The attack never happened. Kanturk ‘keeper Grantas Bucinskas slipped around 40 metres from his own goal. Possession spilled loose. Conor Cahalane pounced. The Cork senior footballer carried the sliotar inside the opposition 20-metre line, his goal shot blocked by a scrambling Kanturk defender.
Ben Cunningham converted the 65’ for a two-point, 0-22 to 1-17, Barrs lead. A crucial swing so late in proceedings. Ger Cunningham’s charges would add three more in the five-and-a-half minutes of injury-time played.
Their middle-third was majestic here. Kanturk couldn’t get hands on ball to break a line and bring green flag chaos. They lost puckout after puckout.
William Buckley and a Ben Cunningham pair, which brought the latter’s personal tally into double digits, secured the five-point win and stamped their quarter-final ticket. There they will meet reigning champions Imokilly.
Where it was their middle third, orchestrated by Ethan Twomey, who finished so strong, it was the defence who were so central throughout a second half where Kanturk, against the elements, led on three separate occasions, the last of which was on 50 minutes.
An intriguing feature of that defensive effort was the fascinating and ferociously physical duel between Damien Cahalane and Alan Walsh. The latter had bested Damien and a second blue shirt for Kanturk’s first-half injury-time goal and a 1-9 to 0-11 interval lead.
But in the first two deliveries between the pair at the beginning of the second half, it was Cahalane who was fouled and stopped the danger. For one of those frees, Ben Cunningham traveled back inside his own 45-metre line and pointed.
A busy and all-round successful weekend for the eldest Cahalane sibling who became a dad on Saturday.
“We had leaders all over the place, especially in the full-back line. Damien had a super game. He’s had a busy week. His partner, Lesley Ann, had a baby boy yesterday. Fair play to him for coming out and giving that performance today,” said Barrs boss Ger Cunningham.
In front of Cahalane, Billy Hennessy was equally solid. His interception of a Kanturk pass and subsequent pointing completed a three-in-row Barrs start to the second half. From 1-10 to 0-11 in arrears to 0-14 to 1-10 in front.
On 50 minutes, it was the turn of goalkeeper Shane Hurley to lead the second-half act of resistance. After the excellent Brian O’Sullivan and Lorcan O’Neill clipped back-to-back points for a 1-15 to 0-17 Kanturk lead, Paul Walsh cut in from the dressing-room side. His low shot for a four-point lead was repelled by the Blues No.1.
Buckley, Twomey, and sub Conor McCarthy registered the game’s next three scores. Another seismic swing in this game of little separation. Kanturk would never again stand level with their opponents. Despite Brian O’Sullivan’s six-point midfield brilliance, they bow out.
The 11-point Blackrock hammering put behind them, the Barrs march on. They are back where they feel they belong.
“The disappointment of not getting out of the group last year is in the back of your mind all the time,” continued Cunningham.
“We didn’t perform against Blackrock the last day. We were really off the pace. We wanted to prove to ourselves we are better than that.
“When it comes down to the last match, these are tough games, pressure games. We reacted well in the last quarter. That is what we have been looking for that in tense moments and we under pressure, leaders stand up, and they did. We are thrilled to get out of the group.”
B Cunningham (0-10, 0-7 frees, 0-2 65s); E Twomey, W Buckley, S Cunningham (0-3 each); C Cahalane, J Cahalane (0-2 each); B Hennessy, C McCarthy (0-1 each).
B O’Sullivan (0-6, 0-5 frees); A Walsh (1-1); R Sheahan (0-3 frees), L O’Neill (0-3 each); C Walsh, D O’Connell (0-2 each).
S Hurley; C Walsh, J Burns, D Cahalane; B O'Connell, C Doolan, B Hennessy; E Twomey, W Buckley; C Cahalane, B Cunningham, J Cahalane; J Wiggington Barrett, J O'Kelly, S Cunningham.
C O’Connor for Wiggington Barrett (39); C McCarthy for O’Kelly (50); C Crowley for O’Connell (51).
G Bucinskas; J McLoughlin, M Healy, C Mullane; T Walsh, D Browne, P Walsh; B O’Sullivan, L McLoughlin; A Walsh, I Walsh, L O’Neill; C Walsh, D O’Connell; R Sheahan.
L O’Keeffe for O’Connell (40, inj); J Fitzpatrick for I Walsh (40).
D Kirwan (Éire Óg).
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