Fr O'Neill's secure Cork SAHC with super second half performance
ON THE MOVE: Fr O'Neill's Declan Dalton wins the sliotar from Courcey Rovers' Fergus Lordan and Brian Collins during the Co-Op Superstores Cork senior A hurling championship final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Pic: Eddie O'Hare
There was to be no denying Fr O’Neill’s in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon as a marvellous second half performance crowned them champions of the Co-op Supestores Cork SAHC at the third time of asking.
They trailed by 1-11 to 0-9 at the interval after a half in which Courceys had scored from every shot at the target. After the break, however, O’Neill’s took over as their imperious half-back line of Mark O’Keeffe, Daniel Harrington and Tomas Millerick stood like a wall while up front their big players delivered.
Declan Dalton hit six second half points, man-of-the match Billy Dunne had three while two more from Millericks Tomas and Joe saw them go from five down to six up.
Incredibly, a Courcey team that couldn’t miss in the first half couldn’t find their range until second half injury time. They hit six wides before ‘keeper, Stephen Nyhan, rattled home a 21-yard free in the second of four added minutes to give them a sniff of salvation. Richard Sweetnam did get a sight at goal, but his effort sailed over, much to the relief of O’Neill’s.
If O’Neill’s felt any pressure as a result of their previous two final losses, they didn’t show it here as they hit the ground running, hitting the first three scores of the game through John Millerick (2) and Billy Dunne.
Courceys, however, had no interest in what many have been scripted for the afternoon as they tore into their opponents, reeling off the next five. Richard Sweetnam slotted over two frees, Stephen Nyhan landed a long range one while Olan Crowley and Colin Roche had the others. A Declan Dalton ‘65 and a point from Kevin O’Sullivan got O’Neill’s motoring again but Ronan Nyhan then gave Courceys a 0-6 to 0-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Tomás Millerick then levelled the game for the second time before Joe Millerick traded scores with Sweetnam to even things up again. Courceys then enjoyed their best spell of the game. A stunning point from Sweetnam pushed them ahead, Crowley doubled the lead before two points from DJ Twomey sandwiched a Dalton free to leave the Ballinspittle/Ballinadee side three clear.
Ger Millerick had picked up Courceys’ danger man, Sean Twomey, from the start, and while Twomey hadn’t scored, he had been enjoying the better of the tussle. When Crowley lofted in a long delivery, it was Twomey who broke it for Ronan Nyhan to whip it home as his side led by 1-11 to 0-8 before a Joe Millerick point left five between them at the break.
The O’Neill’s juggernaut had been questioned, but they proved that they had the answers thereafter as they will now join the elite of Cork hurling in 2023.
D Dalton (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ’65), B Dunne (0-4), Joe Millerick and John Millerick (0-3 each), T Millerick (0-2), K O’Sullivan (0-1).
S Nyhan (frees) and R Nyhan (1-1 each), R Sweetnam (0-5, 0-3 frees), DJ Twomey and O Crowley (0-2 each), C Roche (0-1).
P O’Sullivan; G Millerick, S O’Connor, M Millerick; M O’Keeffe, D Harrington, R Kenneally; T Millerick, K O’Sullivan (JC); J Hankard, D Dalton, Joe Millerick; John Millerick, C Broderick, B Dunne.
E Motherway for Kenneally (h/t), P McMahon for John Millerick (47), J Barry for M Millerick (60), P Hassett for Joe Millerick (62).
S Nyhan; C Daly, M Collins, B Mulcahy; S McCarthy, F Lordan, C Roche; DJ Twomey, L Collins; B Ryan, T O’Sullivan (c), O Crowley; R Nyhan, R Sweetnam, S Twomey.
B Collins for McCarthy (inj, 27), J O’Neill for Ryan (inj, 44), J McCarthy for B Collins (47), D O’Donovan for R Nyhan (58).
Ciarán O’Regan (Ballyhea).
