Report by Rory Noonan of the Echo

Castlemartyr 0-15 Inniscarra 1-12

 

CASTLEMARTYR and Inniscarra will have to do it all again next Saturday after they drew in the Co-Op Superstores Premier Intermediate Hurling championship final at Páirc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday, in conditions the were better suited to going swimming in.

There was little between the sides all through and a draw was probably a fair result in the end and both sides deserved another day out, hopefully in far better weather conditions. Castlemartyr did have a chance to win it at the death but Mike Kelly’s effort from a free went narrowly wide to give them both another day out.

Both sides missed chances to open the scoring before Eoghan Martin set up Joe Stack to raise the first white flag for Castlemartyr, three minutes in.

A minute later and Inniscarra had a chance to open their account with Colm Casey bearing down on goal but Darragh Joyce was quickly off his line to deny him. Seven minutes in, as the rain eased somewhat, the East Cork side got their second point, with Mike Kelly scoring from a free.

It took Inniscarra nine minutes to get off the mark when Liam Ryan and Cork star Seán O’Donoghue combined to play David O’Keeffe in to score.

Kelly replied at the other end before Fergal O’Leary got Inniscarra’s second white flag to make it 0-3 to 0-2 after 12 minutes play.

Inniscarra had another goal chance when Owen McCarthy played a defence-splitting pass to Jack Harrington, but the slippery conditions saw him drop the ball when he was clean through on goal.

Two minutes later and they were back on level terms when McCarthy pointed from a free and Harrington made up for his earlier miss to put them in front for the first time in the 16th minute. Andrew McCarthy got their fifth as Inniscarra led 0-5 to 0-3 after 20 minutes.

O’Leary added another as Inniscarra were now enjoying the better of the exchanges with Liam Ryan dominating from centre-back at this stage.

Further white flags from O’Leary and Colm Casey increased their lead as Castlemartyr missed a number of chances to raise white flags.

In the last minute of the half, they had two goal chances with Harrington clearing off the line first from a Stack effort and then Sean Sheehan blocked magnificently to deny Barry Lawton.

With the last shot of the half, Ciaran Joyce got a much-needed point for Castlemartyr as they trailed by 0-4 to 0-7 at the break.

They followed it up with the opening white of the second half when Eoghan Martin kicked the sliothar over the bar.

Barry Lawton got their sixth and now there was only one between the sides as the East Cork outfit started much the brighter of the two teams.

O’Leary made it a two-point game again before Kelly pointed from another placed ball to make it 0-7 to 0-8 after 37 minutes.

A mistake in the Castlemartyr defence saw O’Donoghue raise another white flag for Inniscarra as the heavens opened again.

Kelly replied from another free but Casey raised a white flag at the other end to keep two between the sides.

Barry Lawton was on target again and when Stack raised another white flag it was a one-point game, 0-10 to 0-11. It could have easily been a goal as John O’Keeffe got a touch to his shot that just as easily ended up in the back of the net.

With 53 minutes gone the sides were level with Kelly pointing and all to play for with seven minutes to go.

O’Donoghue put Inniscarra back in front but again Castlemartyr responded with Stack on target.

Lawton had another effort on goal saved before Kelly pointed from a free to put them in front as the game ended injury-time. Another free from Kelly put two between the sides.

But the drama wasn’t over yet as subs Padraig Holland and Kieran Rice combined to see the latter raise the only green flag of the afternoon.

Again full credit to Castlemartyr as they didn’t panic and Stack split the posts to make it 0-15 to 1-12 going in the last minute of injury time.

With injury time up Joyce burst forward out of the defence and when he was fouled Kelly had a chance to win it but it went just wide to see a thrilling encounter end all square and go to a replay.

 

Scorers for Castlemartyr: M Kelly (0-7, 0-5 f), J Stack (0-4), Barry Lawton (0-2), C Joyce, and E Martin (0-1 each).

Inniscarra: K Rice (1-0), F O’Leary (0-3), C Casey, O McCarthy (0-1 free) and S O’Donoghue (0-2 each), J Harrington, D O’Keeffe and A McCarthy (0-1 each).

CASTLEMARTYR: D Joyce; C Martin, D Moran, B O’Tuama; J Lawton, C Joyce, J Stack; Brian Lawton, C Sice; J McGann, M Kelly, Barry Lawton; A Kelly, J Stack, E Martin.

Subs: P Fleming for C Martin (ht), B McGann for E Martin, (54), D Leahy for A Kelly, M Cosgrave for C Sice (both 58),

INNISCARRA: J O’Keeffe; D Keane, B O’Mahony, J O’Sullivan; J Harrington, L Ryan, S Sheehan; J Enright, A McCarthy; C Casey, S O’Donoghue, F O’Leary; D O’Keeffe, D O’Connell, O McCarthy.

Subs: K Rice for D O’Connell (45), P Holland for D O’Keeffe (58),

Referee: Shane Scanlon, Newcestown.

The Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship Final takes place this Sunday 16th October at 4:00pm, in what will be the first Cork Senior Hurling Final between Blackrock and St Finbarr’s since 1982.

Blackrock finished the group stage with two wins from three, with their only loss coming against St Finbarr’s by a margin of one point. They had big wins over Sarsfields and Charleville to see them through to the Quarter Finals. They faced off against 2017, 2018 and 2019 winners Imokilly, in what was a ferocious encounter they finished level after Extra Time on a scoreline of Blackrock 3-23 to Imokilly’s 1-26. Blackrock eventually came out on top on penalties, with winning scores from Alan Connolly, Michael O’Halloran & Tadhg Deasy. Erin’s Own were awaiting the winners in the Semi Finals, but it was again a story of goals win games on this occasion. Tadhg Deasy, Michael O’Halloran & Robbie Cotter hitting the back of the net to help the Rockies to their second final in three years, having won the 2020 Premier Senior Hurling Championship.

The Barr’s topped the group ahead of Blackrock, with two wins and one draw from their three group stage games. This sealed a safe passage through to the Quarter Finals in a clash against Douglas. The sides were level on eleven occasions throughout the Quarter Final, but St Finbarr’s eventually stretched their advantage to a deserved four point win. Newtownshandrum came through the other Quarter Final to setup a massive Semi Final meeting with St Finbarr’s. A fast start from the Barr’s saw them lead 1-11 to 0-1 after 18 minutes and a red card for Conor Twomey from Newtownshandrum proved a massive blow in the end. Hugely impressive performances from Ben Cunningham and Brian Hayes in particular, sent St Finbarr’s through their first Senior Hurling County Final in 29 years.

The Referee for the game will be Simon Stokes (Tullylease).

 

 

Tickets for the Co-Op Superstores PSHC Final Blackrock v St Finbarr’s are available now here https://www.universe.com/events/633c12f1e09e3400229603e6