Cork SAHC: Conor Lenihan stars as Erin's Own overcome Killeagh
Conor Lenihan scored 1-8 for Erin's Own in their victory over Killeagh. Pic: Howard Crowdy
A stronger finish from Erin’s Own secured East Cork bragging rights over Killeagh and a berth in the Senior A knockout stage.
The Glounthaune side stalled in the run-up to half-time, but Finn O’Brien’s 46th-minute goal proved the killer blow and they wouldn’t be stopped from there.
Conor Lenihan ended with 1-8 (1-4 from play), while Oran O’Regan turned the tide with some superb fielding. Manager Brendan O’Riordan hailed his centre-back, who had his hands full marking Barry Walsh, as being “in a league of his own”.
Just like the 2023 final round, it will come down to a Killeagh-Na Piarsaigh shoot-out to determine second place. Unlike that occasion, where a last-gasp levelling goal sent Killeagh through, they will need a victory in Midleton on Saturday, September 5.
They lined up without Dylan McCarthy in what was a stop-start game littered with rucks and sideline cuts. Seven of Killeagh’s 10 wides were not shots, but deliveries that dribbled out over the endline as their execution let them down too often.
But for a handful of butchered goal chances at the other end, Erin’s Own might have punished them sooner.
“We made hard work of it,” said O’Riordan. “We had some good goal chances and didn't convert them. We had a lot of wides (they ended with 13) when we could have really put the game to bed and secured the win for ourselves.
“It'll be a hard watch looking back on the recording of it, but I suppose if you can win without playing to your best, it's a positive as well.”
They are now in the running for a semi-final bye heading into the final round against Fermoy.
“We've just got to get ourselves right for that,” said O’Riordan. “Everything else is crystal ball-gazing stuff. It doesn't achieve anything by thinking that far ahead.”
In front of a big crowd at Castlemartyr, the sides traded points evenly for a start. Four times, Lenihan nudged Erin’s Own ahead, split between frees and play. Each time, Killeagh equalised.
Ben Walsh, who arrowed over their first, did a fine job marshalling Robbie O’Flynn. Barry Walsh, Shane Smiddy, and a monster effort from full-back Jamie Fogarty accounted for the others.
If Fogarty and Ben Walsh formed a strong spine for Killeagh, they were well matched by Shane Broderick and O’Regan at the other end.
O’Flynn was always dangerous, though, and escaped under a long puck-out to feed Lenihan, whose clinical finish sent the keeper the wrong way.
O’Flynn drew another save from Fionn Murphy, but Erin’s Own wouldn’t score from that 22nd-minute goal until the change of ends.
Killeagh reeled off four points on the spin through a Barry Walsh free, Andy Walsh, Ryan McCarthy, and Evan Lane to take their first lead heading into half-time; 0-8 to 1-4.
Killeagh could’ve really stretched ahead soon after the restart when Eoghan Keniry whizzed over the bar.
Instead, Lenihan finally began to get some support on the Erin’s Own scoresheet. Matt O’Riordan’s 33rd-minute point made him their second man off the mark. They were soon joined by Peter O’Shea, O’Flynn, and O’Regan, after a huge catch, to edge ahead.
Ryan McCarthy levelled, but Erin’s Own buried them with the next 1-3.
It was a day where Finn O’Brien could’ve had a hat-trick. At different stages, he found himself in on goal without a hurley, caught by a last-ditch tackle, missed by a final pass, and denied by Murphy.
In the 45th minute, he tapped home from Maurice O’Carroll only to be called back, after some discussion, for a square ball.
The Cork U20 wouldn’t be denied a minute later. O’Regan and Cormac Dooley were involved before O’Brien skated away to finish.
Another O’Regan catch teed up Lenihan to score. He soon added his fourth point from play, while Matt O’Riordan had his second.
Killeagh needed a goal. David Buckley struck the post and Barry Walsh flashed over. Two points from Andrew O’Sullivan, including a stylish first-time stroke, maintained Erin’s Own’s lead.
Into stoppage time, Barry Walsh had a shot deflected into the side-netting and a free taken off the line. There was just no way through.
C Lenihan (1-8, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65); F O’Brien (1-0); M O’Riordan, A O’Sullivan (0-2 each); P O’Shea, R O’Flynn, O O’Regan (0-1 each).
Barry Walsh (0-7, 5 frees); R McCarthy (0-2); Ben Walsh, S Smiddy, J Fogarty, A Walsh, E Lane, E Keniry (0-1 each).
T Dillon; R O’Regan, S Broderick, C O’Connor; C Dunphy, O O’Regan, C Dooley; C McDonnell, T Connell; P O’Shea, R O’Flynn, M O’Riordan; F O’Brien, S Irwin, C Lenihan.
L Casey for O’Connor (36-36, blood), M O’Carroll for Irwin (38), J O’Carroll for Connell (53), A O’Sullivan for O’Brien (54, inj).
F Murphy; C Fitzgibbon, J Fogarty, S Long; B Delaney, Ben Walsh, A Walsh; R Sinclair, E Lane; G Walsh Wallace, Barry Walsh, D Walsh; E Keniry, R McCarthy, S Smiddy.
D Buckley for Walsh Wallace (44), D Hogan for Delaney (51), F Brennan for Smiddy (55), P O’Brien for Keniry (57).
J Smiddy (Midleton).
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