*Conall Ó hÁiniféin distributes a handpass. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Éire Óg’s hopes of a historic first Munster Senior Club Final ultimately proved a step too far when outflanked by clinical hosts St Finbarr’s on Sunday afternoon.
St Finbarr’s 2-14
Éire Óg 0-12
Venue: Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork
A brace of first half goals through Down native Conor McCrickard provided a cushion for the Cork champions that Éire Óg found difficult to counteract despite a rousing third quarter backlash.
However, having not conceded a single goal in their previous seven championship outings, the impact of those early sucker-punches and more significantly their disappointing manner were hammerblows for the Clare winners who were outscored by 2-5 to 0-1 for the last 20 minutes of the opening half and found themselves trailing by ten points on the restart.
With nothing to lose, the Townies did slash the deficit to just four entering the final ten minutes but could make no further inroads as they left themselves with too much to do against such a potent opponent who only kicked one wide over the entire hour.
Indeed, the Barr’s were both clinical in their execution of scores predominantly through chief marksman Steven Sherlock (0-9) and the elusive runs of Conor McCrickard (2-1) while equally cynical at the other in conceding double the amount of frees to keep any potential revolt at bay.
Four black cards and a late dismissal for Darren O’Brien pockmarked a spirited contest, with both sides actually playing better when numerically disadvantaged.
Despite facing into the conditions, Éire Óg started brightly with the first two points through Mark McInerney and Gavin Cooney which frustratingly sandwiched a black card for David Reidy. The Ennis side looked to have weathered the storm but switched off momentarily in the 12th minute for Steven Sherlock to take a quick free to pick off the unmarked run of McCrickard to fire past goalkeeper Nathan Murray at 1-2 to 0-3 by the first water break.
An equally bizarre black card for Cork captain Ian Maguire greeted the second quarter but Éire Óg, despite grabbing an immediate McInerney point, would actually find themselves on the Blackfoot for the remainder as a motivated St Finbarr’s hit back with 1-3 without reply including a second close range goal for recent import McCrickard after a defensive lapse at 2-7 to 0-4 by the break.
Éire Óg would actually find themselves trailing by ten points before finally reaching the heights of previous performances with a remarkable recovery. With defensive leaders Conall Ó hAiniféin, Ciaran Russell, Einne O’Connor and Manus Doherty making incessant bursts, Paul Madden’s side would kick eight of the next ten points, two from Ó hAiniféin to lower the arrears to just four at 2-10 to 0-12.
It could have been more only for Ikem Uqwueru to be impeded on his way to goal, a misdemeanour overlooked by referee Brendan Griffin before subsequently black-carding the Éire Óg substitute and St Finbarr’s defender Jamie Burns in separate incidents in the last ten minutes.
Amidst the dramatics, St Finbarr’s bounced back off the ropes to seal victory, with scorer-in-chief Steven Sherlock, Cork championship top-scorer for four of the last five seasons, raiding for the last four points.
Éire Óg’s fortunes didn’t change in injury-time either as the dismissal of midfielder O’Brien with a second yellow and a last gasp save to deny Dara Walsh left the Ennis champions with many lessons from their first away trip in Munster in 15 years.
St Finbarr’s bridged an even bigger gap as this victory put the former All-ireland dual kingpins into a first Munster Senior Football decider in 35 years when they take on Kerry champions Austin Stacks in Mid-January.
Scorers for St Finbarr’s: Steven Sherlock 0-9 (6f, 1m); Conor McCrickard 2-1; Cillian Myers-Murray 0-3; Denis O’Brien 0-1
Scorers for Éire Óg: Gavin Cooney 0-4 (2f); Mark McInerney 0-3; Conall Ó hAiniféin 0-2; Philip Talty, Darren O’Neill, Eimhin Courtney 0-1 each
St Finbarr’s
1: John Kerins
6: Billy Hennessy
4: Sam Ryan
7: Alan O’Connor
5: Colin Lyons
3: Jamie Burns
2; Colm Scully
8: Ian Maguire
9: Eoin Comyns
10: Denis O’Brien
21: Michael Shields
15: Enda Dennehy
23: Cillian Myers-Murray
11: Conor McCrickard
14: Steven Sherlock.
Subs:
13: Eoin McGreevey for Shields (40)
17: Bill O’Connell for Dennehy (47)
18: Adam Lyne for O’Brien (47)
22: Luke Hannigan for Lyons (53)
12: Cian Walsh for Myers-Murray (60)
Éire Óg:
1: Nathan Murray
2: Manus Doherty
3: Aaron Fitzgerald
4: Ronan Lanigan
7: Ciaran Russell
6: Conall Ó hAiniféin
5: Einne O’Connor
8: Darren O’Neill
9: David McNamara
12: Niall McMahon
20: David Reidy
10: Aidan McGrath
15: Mark McInerney
14: Gavin Cooney
13: Philip Talty
Subs:
11: Ikem Ugwueru for McGrath (25),
19: Dara Walsh for Reidy (39)
17: Eimhin Courtney for McMahon (43)
18: Tadhg Connellan for McInerney (60)
27: Darren O’Brien for Talty (60)
Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry)
