Cork Premier SHC: Conor Lehane free puts Midleton in final after extra-time drama against Blackrock
Daniel Meaney, Blackrock attempts to block down Seadnaigh Smith, Midleton during their Co-Op Superstores Premier SHC semi-final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture Dan Linehan
Conor Lehane wrote another chapter in a fabled Midleton career in SuperValu Pairc Uí Chaoimh this afternoon. Alan Connolly had moments earlier levelled the game for the sixth time, and it seemed that penalties were inevitable.
With time gone over the signaled injury time at the end of extra time, Ciarán O’Regan awarded the Magpies a free for a thrown ball. Lehane was just outside his own ’65, cramping and facing into a stiff breeze.
Cometh the hour, cometh Lehane. He slung it over, and after well over eighty minutes of action, Midleton were back in the Co-op Superstores Cork PSHC final for the first time since 2023. Ecstasy, agony and everything in between.
Midleton played with the wind in the opening half of extra time and soon Lehane had them 0-24 to 1-20 ahead. Connolly levelled soon after but Lehane, the irrepressible Pa White and Dave Cremin left them three up at the interval. The Rockies looked in trouble, but they found something deep within themselves to keep going. Connolly and his Cork colleague Robbie Cotter had them within one before Cremin stretched it out to two again. Bodies were aching, the outstanding Eoin Moloney left the field with a serious injury, but everyone kept on hurling.
Gavin Connolly had made three excellent saves for Blackrock and when he floated a ’65 over with a minute to go, he earned his side one more shot. Not for the first time, brother Alan earned a free that he converted himself and that seemed that until Lehane had the final say.
Connolly had produced a similar moment of magic at the end of normal time when he fired over a ’65 into the breeze to level the game for the fourth time. Before that, it was Pa White who looked like he was going to be the matchwinner. The corner forward hit six second half points, five of which came in the final quarter including the lead score in the 63rd minute.
The Rockies played into their own end in the opening period with the remnants of Storm Amy in their sails. It was the type of breeze that would have you questioning what type of lead would be considered enough at the change of ends. When it all played out, the margin was five, 1-10 to 0-8. It wasn’t enough to win it, but it was enough to keep them alive.
After five minutes, it threatened to be more as Blackrock started with real intent. Connolly, who was tagged by Tadhg O’Leary Hayes, clipped over a frees, Michael O’Halloran and Fionn Coleman hit the target from play, and they seemed the far sharper team.
Lehane, who else, settled Midleton with a free before Cormac Walsh injected some pace into the game with an excellent individual score. From that puckout, Alan Connolly then did what he does best. His brother, Gavin, delivered it long, it broke around the D and the Cork star was on it in a flash and in a flash, he had buried it beyond his Cork teammate, Brion Saunderson.
It wasn’t a catalyst for Blackrock however, as couple of Lehane frees sandwiched a Connolly placed ball to leave it 1-5 to 0-4 at the end of the opening quarter.
Classy scores from O’Halloran and Robbie Cotter followed but the Magpies never let their city rivals get further than that ahead. Lehane trimmed the lead with a trademark score from the wing, Connolly replied with a free after seeing Saunderson stop his effort on goal before Walsh and Cotter exchanged fine scores from play.
That left the gap at six, but Lehane and Cormac Beausang had it down to four. Connolly then had the last score of the half, as he profited from his own hard work, overturning possession before slicing it over the bar.
He would have the last say at the end of normal time too, but at the end of the affair, it was Lehane’s twelfth of the day that saw Midleton home.
C Lehane (0-12, 0-6 frees, 0-2 ‘65), P White (0-7), C Walsh, L O’Farrell and D Cremin (0-2 each), T O’Leary Hayes, M Finn and K McDermott (0-1 each)
A Connolly (1-13, 0-10 frees, 0-1 ‘65), M O’Halloran and R Cotter (0-3 each), D O’Farrell, K O’Keeffe (free), P Linehan, F Coleman, G Connolly (’65) and Ciarán Cormack (0-1 each)
B Saunderson; C Smyth, E Moloney, T O’Leary Hayes; L Dineen (JC), T O’Connell, R O’Regan; S O’Meara, M Finn; D Cremin, C Lehane (JC), K McDermott; P White, C Beausang, C Walsh.
E McGrath for O’Meara (h/t), L O’Farrell for Cremin (h/t), S Smyth for Dineen (47), A Quirke for O’Farrell (inj, 47), D Cremin for McDermott (4 ET), S O’Sullivan for S Smyth (15, ET), L Dineen for Moloney (17, inj ET).
G Connolly; Jamie Ryan, J Cashman (C), Cathal Cormack; S Murphy, A O’Callaghan, D Meaney; N Cashman, D O’Farrell; A Connolly, K O’Keeffe, R Sweeney; R Cotter, M O’Halloran, F Coleman.
O McAdoo for Murphy (47), P Linehan for O’Keeffe (50), Ciaran Cormack for Coleman (54), James Ryan for O’Callaghan (54), I O’Keeffe for Sweeney (64), S Healy for Jamie Ryan (10 ET), F Coleman for O’Halloran (HT ET), D Cormack for O’Farrell (20 ET)
Ciarán O’Regan (Ballyhea).
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