Sars dominate Midleton to claim Cork hurling crown

Sarsfields have won their second Cork Premier SHC title in three years, and their eighth in all. Though it was against a Midleton side who were a shadow of themselves.

James Sweeney scored both of Sarsfields' goals in their Cork Premier SHC final victory over Midleton. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Cork Premier SHC final: Sarsfields 2-18 Midleton 1-14

With minimum stress, Sars reclaimed the local summit.

An underwhelming display in an underwhelming decider and still the silverware was collected with seven to spare.

Not to take from their second county title in three years and the latest confirmation that they continue to stand as the outstanding Cork club team of this decade, but the caveat needs stating, and stating early. Midleton were a shadow of themselves, both in personnel and, by consequence, performance.

As Micheál Keohane’s charges warmed up beforehand, Eoin Moloney, supported by a pair of crutches, watched from the South Stand sideline. Stood beside him, and wearing a medical boot, was Conor Lehane.

Séadhnaidh Smyth came into the full-back line for his first start and only second involvement of this championship. Alex Quirke came back into the half-forward line having lost his starting spot for the semi-final.

Lehane’s loss was a canyon. Midleton managed only one score inside the opening 18 minutes. They managed only four scores in the entire opening half. Cormac Beausang was their sole starting forward to manage more than one score from play over the entire hour-plus.

To Sars. A final of the past and the future. County final debutant Barry O’Flynn was fouled for three opening half frees, as well as delivering their opener from play.

At the far end of the field was another outstanding county final debutant in Donal English. His out-in-front approach was at the root of two opening half points and a third late in proceedings.

The third and final county debutant, goalkeeper Ben Graham, produced a superb save to deny Beausang a green flag seven minutes into the second period.

At the far end of the age and experience spectrum was captain Conor O’Sullivan. In the play following Graham’s save, he cleared off the line an Alex Quirke groundstroke.

At five behind, the back-to-back scuppered opportunities starved Midleton of necessary oxygen.

Victory delivered O’Sullivan a sixth county medal. Craig Leahy and Daniel Kearney are the other survivors from Sars’ famine-ending county winning side of 2008.

In second half injury-time, it was Leahy supplying the delivery to James Sweeney for his second and the game-sealing goal.

Their lead was never less than four throughout the second half. They never looked in danger of being caught. This was comfortable, if not clinical. 14 wides and the necessity to change their free-taker midway through the second period attest to the latter.

The opening half was bitty, incoherent. The atmosphere was muted, the infrequent passages of play that managed to develop strikingly open, and not in the complementary sense.

With the world tuning in on RTÉ, this was the sort of neat and nice Cork hurling fixture that confirmed the perception of many outside the county. Nothing raw, nothing rough. Too much pedestrian and pretty.

Sars went back down the tunnel six in front. A 1-9 to 1-3 lead that could - and probably should - have been in double digits. Eight first-half wides, two of them scorable frees missed by Colm McCarthy. A half goal chance to Cian Darcy, a full goal chance to Jack O’Connor. Neither taken.

The favourites from Riverstown trailed only once in the entire half and throughout. That was 10 minutes in when Pa White produced the turnover and Mikey Finn fired the sliotar into an empty net.

Sars answered the green flag with an unanswered 1-3 for a 1-5 to 1-0 lead. Jack O’Connor and Barry O’Flynn were fouled for a pair of converted frees. O’Connor was at the end of a white flag move started by Donal English’s out-in-front winning of a Midleton restart.

The goal involved one of Cian Darcy’s many bounding involvements. He handpassed back to James Sweeney for a sweet, low finish. Darcy himself was fouled for three converted frees throughout. He also assisted another.

On the opposite wing to him was Jack O’Connor and his five-point haul. Again showing up in blue.

Two weeks after the next generation of Sars hurlers achieved county minor glory at Midleton’s expense, the seniors bettered the Magpies' depleted flagship side for a third consecutive autumn.

Given it was Imokilly who ended their title defence 12 months ago, Johnny Crowley’s charges have now gone three consecutive local campaigns without losing to a fellow club entity.

Their title haul increases to eight, level with Midleton. They’ve reached the point where only the big city three of Glen Rovers, Blackrock, and the Barrs sit above them. They’re thriving and untouchable.

Scorers for Sars: C McCarthy (0-8, 0-7 frees); J Sweeney (2-0); J O’Connor (0-5); D Hogan, K Murphy, S O’Regan, C Darcy, B O’Flynn (0-1 each).

Scorers for Midleton: M Finn (0-7, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65); E McGrath (1-0); K McDermott (0-1 ‘65), C Beausang (0-2 each); B Saunderson (0-1 free), C Walsh, P White (0-1 each).

SARSFIELDS: B Graham; C O’Sullivan, C Roche, D English; C Leahy, B Murphy, L Elliott; K Murphy, D Kearney; J O’Connor, D Hogan, C Darcy; C McCarthy, B O’Flynn, J Sweeney.

Subs: S O’Regan for C McCarthy (52); B Nodwell for O’Flynn (57); E Murphy for Elliott (61).

MIDLETON: B Saunderson; S Smyth, L Dineen; C Smyth; R O’Regan, T O’Connell, T O’Leary Hayes; E McGrath, M Finn; C Walsh, A Quirke, K McDermott; P White, C Beausang, D Cremin.

Subs: L O’Farrell for Cremin (41); P Connaughton for O’Regan (45); S O’Meara for Walsh (48); K Burke for O’Meara (57, inj); P Haughney for White (60).

Referee: C Lyons.

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