St Catherine’s 5-19

Barryroe 1-18

TOM LYONS REPORTS

BARRYROE’S adventure in the Co-Op Superstores Premier Junior Hurling Championship came to an abrupt end when they were hit for five by a superb St Catherine’s outfit.

In truth, the final gap was unjust to the West Cork men as they were well in this semi-final in Ballymah on Saturday during the first half and competitive in the second, but this was a clear case of goals taken and not taken, especially in a bedlam opening to the second half.

Trailing by only two points at half time, when they could, and should, have been leading by half a dozen, the Blues suffered a succession of hammer blows within 92 seconds of the restart.

Within 20 seconds, Olan O’Donovan had a great chance of a goal, only to see his shot rebound off the crossbar. The sliotar was cleared down the pitch and Brian Mulcahy was on hand to billow the Barryroe net for the first goal of the game.

An Adam McSweeney point followed but straight from the puckout, St Catherine’s were back in again – Mulcahy once more the executioner for a second decisive goal. All within two minutes.

When they could have been celebrating taking the lead for the first time in the game, Barryroe found themselves seven in arrears with a mountain to climb against the breeze. It was a task they found beyond their capabilities for the remainder of the half.

The roof caved in during the closing stages when the winners struck for three more goals as Barryroe pushed forward in an attempt to salvage the game.

‘The goals were vital – two quick goals after half time really set us up,’ said a very satisfied St Catherine’s manager Gary Hartnett, a native of Limerick living in Conna for the past 20 years.

‘And Eoin Davis’s saves were vital – he’s a savage goalkeeper, hard to beat. On the day we were just that little bit better. They put it up to us in the first half but we upped it in the second.’

Barryroe's Ryan O'Donovan moves away from Oisin Fitzgerald. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

Barryroe will have regrets as they look back on a first half that saw them create numerous scoring opportunities, only to hit nine wides.

In the very first attack, Olan O’Donovan was clear through, but saw his shot brilliantly deflected by outstanding goalkeeper Eoin Davis. St Catherine’s were much more clinical in attack, leading by 0-6 to 0-4 at the end of the first quarter.

John Temple (two), Daniel Mangan (a 65 and a free), Brian Mulcahy and goalkeeper Eoin Davis (free) found the target for the Conna men, while the impressive Tomás Ó Buachalla replied with three for Barryroe, James Moloney getting the fourth. But the Barryroe wides were mounting.

It was score for score in a lively second quarter, the sides sharing ten points evenly, with Oisín Fitzgerald outstanding at wing back for St Catherine’s, well supported by Eoghan O’Riordan and James Neville.

At the other end, Conn Dineen, Daniel Moloney and Jerome O’Brien were covering well for the Blues. Brian Mulcahy hit a pair for St Catherine’s, with Mangan adding two from frees, while Barryroe had five different scorers – the two O’Donovans, Ryan and Olan, Conn Dineen, Luke Murphy (free) and lively midfielder Adam McSweeney (free), Barryroe’s best player on the day. It was still two between the teams at the break, 0-11 to 0-9.

Barryroe's Conn Dineen keeps his eyes on the sliotar as St Catherine's Conor Hayes tries to challenge. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

Cue the hectic start to the second half, two minutes of hurling bedlam, two Mulcahy goals, the crossbar and a Barryroe point from Olan O’Donovan.

The rest of the third quarter saw each side hitting four points, with Seán Holland landing two for Barryroe and wing back Oisín Fitzgerald answering with two in a minute. It was 2-15 to 0-14 at the end of the third quarter.

In a hectic last quarter, with Ryan and Olan O’Donovan, Adam McSweeney and Luke Murphy trying might and main for Barryroe, and Seán O’Donoghue, Diarmuid O’Connell, Conor Hegarty and sub Gearóid O’Brien responding for St Catherine’s, the scores came thick and fast.

O’Brien first-timed to the Barryroe net, but gallant Barryroe answered with an Olan O’Donovan goal, still seven points between them until St Catherine’s put it to bed with a goal from Matthew Mulcahy and a second from O’Brien.

St Catherine’s, beaten All-Ireland finalists two years ago, head into their third county final in four years, looking to make it third time lucky, having lost the last two, while Barryroe will reflect on a season that took them from near relegation last season to county semi-finalists this year.

‘Those goals after half time killed us. We could have got a goal, they got two and we just couldn’t get back from that,’ said a disappointed but realistic Barryroe manager Kevin McCarthy.

‘We had our chances in the first half, missed a lot when we could have been leading. But look, it’s been a great season for us. If you told me at the start of the season, after nearly being relegated, that we would get this far, I’d have bitten off your hand for it.

‘St Catherine’s have an outstanding side, very experienced, All-Ireland finalists, so it’s no shame to be beaten by them. We’ll turn our attention to the football semi-final now.’

OUR STAR: Special mention for Brian Mulcahy with 2-3, but the outstanding hurler on the pitch was St Catherine’s wing back, Oisín Fitzgerald, who gave an outstanding display of defensive hurling, scoring two superb points in a minute.

Scorers

St Catherine’s: Brian Mulcahy 2-3; Gearóid O’Brien 2-0; Daniel Mangan 0-6 (4f, 2 65s); Matthew Mulcahy 1-1; Eoin Davis 0-3 (3f); Oisín Fitzgerald, John Temple 0-2 each; Diarmuid O’Connell, Darragh Morrison 0-1 each.

Barryroe: Olan O’Donovan 1-2; Tomás Ó Buachalla, Adam McSweeney (1f), Luke Murphy (3f) 0-3 each; Seán Holland 0-2; Ryan O’Donovan, Donal Ó Buachalla, James Moloney, Conn Dineen, Mícheál Whelton 0-1 each.

St Catherine’s: Eoin Davis; Conor Hayes, James Neville, Philip Keane; Ciarán Leamy, Eoghan O’Riordan, Oisín Fitzgerald; Diarmuid O’Connell, Conor Hegarty; John Temple, Seán O’Donoghue, Matthew Mulcahy; Kian O’Donoghue, Daniel Mangan, Brian Mulcahy.

Subs: Eoin Condon for K O’Donoghue (40), William Leamy for C Hayes (42), Gearóid O’Brien for J Temple (50), Darragh Morrison for B Mulcahy (51), Ciarán Pietropaolo (58).

Barryroe: Mícheál Whelton; Daniel Moloney, Jerome O’Brien, David O’Sullivan; Killian Sheehy, Conn Dineen, James Moloney; Adam McSweeney, Seán O’Riordan; Ryan O’Donovan, Tomás Ó Buachalla, Jack Murphy; Luke Murphy, Seán Holland, Olan O’Donovan.

Subs: Donal Ó Buachalla for J Murphy (36), Conor O’Regan for S Holland (51).

Referee: Brendan Barrett (Ballygarvan).