Cork semi-finals: Lehane the late hero for Midleton against Blackrock, Sarsfields survive St Finbarr's test
LAST UPDATE | 47 mins ago
Results – Cork premier senior hurling semi-finals
- Midleton 0-29 Blackrock 1-25
- Sarsfields 1-22 St Finbarr’s 2-18
********
EAST CORK RIVALS Sarsfields and Midleton will face off in pursuit of Cork senior hurling honours in a fortnight, both emerging after ferocious semi-final battles this afternoon with one-point victories.
Sarsfields came from six points down at the break to defeat St Finbarr’s, a reward for their greater second-half strength. Midleton needed their talisman Conor Lehane to nail a free in the 82nd minute to grab a coveted spot in the Cork hurling showpiece, as they prevailed narrowly against Blackrock.
It sets up a repeat of the 2023 final and 2024 semi-final, both encounters swinging towards Sarsfields by a single point.
Extra-time was required in the opening semi-final with the last of Lehane’s twelve points. the most critical of all, as he split the posts from a placed ball awarded after a contentious decision with a Blackrock handpass judged to have been a throw.
It was a rough finish for a Blackrock team that had dragged themselves level courtesy of points from Gavin and Alan Connolly, but with the game on the cusp of going to penalties, Midleton availed of the opportunity to settle the issue.
Cork stars Lehane and Connolly had naturally pointed the way for their respective sides, Lehane shooting 0-12 for Midleton and Connolly finishing with 1-13 for Blackrock.
It was a well-taken goal by Connolly that set the tone for Blackrock’s early dominance when he rifled home after seven minutes to put his side ahead 1-4 to 0-2 and they were in front 1-10 to 0-8 at the break.
Midleton were five adrift, 1-15 to 0-13, by the 49th minute but then charged into contention as they reeled off a series of scores. Patrick White was terrific in the second half, hitting over five points in the final quarter alone. He drew them level in the 56th minute before Lehane edged the East Cork side in front moments later.
The action ebbed and flowed in the finale, Blackrock drawing level on three occasions with Connolly coping with the pressure of a 66th minute shot from a ’65, converting to force extra-time.
Midleton created a three-point buffer at the midway mark of extra-time, and when David Cremin scored on 74, they were in front by two. Blackrock hauled their opponents back to parity but Lehane came up with the vital strike to conclude the contest.
Defending Munster champions Sarsfields trailed St Finbarr’s 2-12 to 1-9 at the halfway mark of the second semi-final.
William Buckley and Brian Hayes smashed home brilliant goals in the opening period for a St Finbarr’s team who conceded a 23rd minute strike to Barry O’Flynn, when he blasted to the net. But Ger Cunningham’s team won the remainder of the half by 1-5 to 0-1, to create that position of supremacy at the break.
Sarsfields, inspired by 0-11 overall from Colm McCarthy, got to grips in the second half with the exchanges. They drew level at the three-quarter mark courtesy of Jack O’Connor and the county forwards then nudged them in front, before McCarthy’s free sent them two clear.
St Finbarr’s cut the deficit to one on four occasions during the finale, but were largely reliant on Ben Cunningham’s frees for inspiration as Sarsfields held firm in defence to secure their place in the final.
*****
Scorers for Midleton: Conor Lehane 0-12 (0-7f, 0-2 ’65), Patrick White 0-7, David Cremin 0-2, Cormac Walsh 0-2, Luke O’Farrell 0-3, Tadhg O’Leary-Hayes 0-1, Mikey Finn, 0-1, Killian McDermott 0-1, Cormac Beausang 0-1.
Scorers for Blackrock: Alan Connolly 1-13 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65), Robbie Cotter 0-3, Michael O’Halloran 0-3, Gavin Connolly 0-1 (0-1 ’65), David O’Farrell 0-1, Peter Linehan 0-1, Kevin O’Keeffe 0-1 (0-1f), Ciaran Cormack 0-1, Fionn Coleman 0-1.
*****
Scorers for St Finbarr’s: Ben Cunningham 0-9 (0-7f), William Buckley 1-2, Brian Hayes 1-1, Jack Cahalane 0-3, Ethan Twomey, John Wigginton Barrett, Sam Cunningham 0-1 each.
Scorers for Sarsfields: Colm McCarthy 0-11 (0-7 f, 0-2 65), Jack O’Connor 0-4, Cian Darcy 0-3, Barry O’Flynn 1-0, James Sweeney 0-2, Bemn Graham (penalty), Daniel Kearney 0-1 each.
The 42
