Glen Rovers v St Finbarr’s: The Path to the Final
Glen Rovers v St Finbarr’s: The Path to the Final
Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship Final Sunday 18 October · SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh · Throw-in 4pm · Tickets: www.gaacork.ie/tickets
Both finalists lost on the opening weekend. Glen Rovers were caught by 14-man Blackrock at Páirc Uí Rinn, and St Finbarr’s were beaten by eight points by Midleton the night before. Ten weeks later they meet for the Seán Óg Murphy Cup. Here is how each of them got there, game by game.
Glen Rovers: backed into a corner, then four in a row
Group 1, Round 1: Blackrock 1-22 Glen Rovers 1-20
Saturday 1 August · Páirc Uí Rinn
The Glen led 0-11 to 0-6 when Blackrock’s Fionn Coleman was sent off in the 26th minute, but the Rockies outscored them 1-16 to 1-9 the rest of the way. Alan Connolly pounced on a loose clearance for the goal and finished with 1-10. Dean Brosnan’s point had the Glen 1-20 to 1-19 up in injury time, but Niall Cashman levelled and Connolly won it at the death. Patrick Horgan scored 0-6 and Michéal Mullins 1-2.
Group 1, Round 2: Glen Rovers 3-20 Kanturk 1-24
Sunday 23 August
A must-win game, and a three-goal first half. Simon Kennefick and Eoin O’Leary struck early goals and the Glen led 3-9 to 0-14 at the break. Kanturk came back through Brian O’Sullivan, who scored 1-15 including two penalties, and led 1-21 to 3-13. The Glen finished stronger: Robert Downey forced a turnover, Kennefick edged them ahead, and after a Dave Noonan block O’Leary hit the winner. O’Leary finished with 2-3, Horgan 0-7 and Kennefick 1-4.
Group 1, Round 3: Glen Rovers 1-24 Fr O’Neill’s 3-12
Sunday 6 September · Carrig
The Glen were 1-14 to 1-4 up at half-time, after a run of seven straight scores. Fr O’Neill’s hit 2-3 in the closing stages, two of the goals from Jason Hankard, to cut a 12-point lead to six. Horgan scored 0-10 and O’Leary 1-2. The Glen finished second in the group behind Kanturk, and Blackrock went out.
Quarter-final: Glen Rovers 2-22 Charleville 1-20
Sunday 20 September · Mallow
Charleville led 0-8 to 0-4 after 13 minutes. Kennefick’s shot came down off the crossbar and over the line for the first goal, then Horgan finished a Luke Horgan delivery for the second. Eight unanswered points either side of half-time put the Glen in control. Conor Buckley’s late goal for Charleville made it close, but the Glen reached a Premier senior semi-final for the first time in five years. Horgan finished with 1-12.
Semi-final: Glen Rovers 2-20 Midleton 1-18
The Glen led 0-10 to 0-9 at half-time. Michéal Mullins scored both goals, one early in the second half and the second in the 54th minute. Paul Connaughton replied for last year’s finalists, and Horgan missed a late penalty, but the Glen held on. Horgan scored 0-11.
“We kind of backed ourselves into a corner… this has now become a team.” — Glen Rovers manager Tomás Mulcahy, who called the defence “magnificent” and Mullins “a revelation”.
St Finbarr’s: slow start, strong finish
Group 3, Round 1: Midleton 0-25 St Finbarr’s 0-17
Friday 31 July · Páirc Uí Rinn
Midleton, last year’s beaten finalists, led almost all the way. Wind-assisted, they were 0-13 to 0-9 up at half-time, and two quick Conor Lehane points pushed them seven clear early in the second half. Ben Cunningham’s long-range goal attempt from a free was saved, and Midleton pulled away to win by eight. Cunningham scored 0-8 (0-7 frees).
Group 3, Round 2: St Finbarr’s 3-21 Bride Rovers 1-18
The Barrs got off the mark despite losing Jack Cahalane (hamstring, 18 minutes) and Brian Hayes (ankle, half-time) to injury. Seven up at the break, they scored three goals: two from Ben Cunningham and one from John Wigginton Barrett. Cunningham finished with 2-4 and William Buckley hit 0-7 from play.
Group 3, Round 3: St Finbarr’s 1-18 Newcestown 0-21
Enniskeane
The teams were level nine times. Newcestown led 0-11 to 1-5 at half-time, with Ricky Barrett’s goal, set up by Cunningham, keeping the Barrs in touch. Goalkeeper Shane Hurley came up to score the late equaliser. Combined with Midleton’s win over Bride Rovers, the draw sent the Barrs into the quarter-finals.
Quarter-final: St Finbarr’s 1-24 Imokilly 1-13
Sunday 20 September · Midleton
William Buckley hit three points in the first 69 seconds. Conor Cahill’s goal had Imokilly 1-4 to 0-5 up after 22 minutes, but Damien Cahalane answered with a long one-handed strike from out on the wing. The Barrs led 1-9 to 1-6 at half-time and won the third quarter 0-10 to 0-3 to pull clear, despite 17 wides. Buckley scored 0-7 and Cunningham 0-4.
Semi-final: St Finbarr’s 1-27 Kanturk 1-22
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
The Barrs trailed in-form Kanturk by four points with 14 minutes left, then outscored them 1-9 to 0-3. Ethan Twomey’s goal sparked the comeback, and he finished with 1-3 from midfield plus two assists. Shane Hurley made three saves, and Kanturk did not score after the 56th minute.
“We always know there is serious potential in the squad… thankfully, we ground it out.” — Ethan Twomey
Side by side
| Stage | Glen Rovers | St Finbarr’s |
| Round 1 | L 1-20 v 1-22 Blackrock | L 0-17 v 0-25 Midleton |
| Round 2 | W 3-20 v 1-24 Kanturk | W 3-21 v 1-18 Bride Rovers |
| Round 3 | W 1-24 v 3-12 Fr O’Neill’s | D 1-18 v 0-21 Newcestown |
| Quarter-final | W 2-22 v 1-20 Charleville | W 1-24 v 1-13 Imokilly |
| Semi-final | W 2-20 v 1-18 Midleton | W 1-27 v 1-22 Kanturk |
| Scored | 9-106 | 6-107 |
| Conceded | 7-96 | 3-99 |
| Top scorer | Patrick Horgan 1-45 | Ben Cunningham 2-33 |
