St Finbarr’s 3-14

Carbery Rangers 0-14

Denis Hurley reports from Páirc Uí Rinn

ST FINBARR’S DETHRONED Cork champions Carbery Rangers in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday to reach a first senior football final in seven years.

A blistering start set the Togher side – without a county title since 1985 – on their way, with an early 0-6 to 0-1 lead augmented by a Robert O’Mahony while a second strike from the same player did much to quell Carbery Rangers’ attempted second-half fightback.

Stephen Sherlock was in excellent form for the Barrs, scoring four of those opening six points while Carbery Rangers wouldn’t have a score from play until first-half injury time.

They were reliant on John Hayes’ frees, but will wonder about a Séamus Hayes effort which seemed over but was belatedly waved wide.

Nevertheless, the superiority of the Barrs wasn’t in question and O’Mahony’s goal, after Anthony Roche had saved from Roy Leahy, put them firmly in control.

The Rosscarbery side did reduce the gap thereafter though, and John O’Rourke’s point just before the whistle left it 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time.

James Fitzpatrick reduced the gap further within 19 seconds of the restart, but four points was the smallest that the lead was.

Sherlock, Enda Dennehy and Leahy had helped to put the Barrs 1-12 to 0-10 in front by the three-quarter mark, when the game was made safe as Michael Shields and Ian Maguire exchanged passes before Shields fed O’Mahony, who blasted the ball to the top corner.

Late on, sub Colm Keane also netted, palming home with his first touch after Dylan Quinn and Maguire had combined.

From there, there was to be no denying them a repeat of the 2010 final against Nemo Rangers.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: Stephen Sherlock 0-9 (0-6 frees), Robert O’Mahony 2-0, Colm Keane 1-0, Enda Dennehy 0-2, Roy Lehay, Denis O’Brien 1-0 each.

Scorers for Carbery Rangers: John Hayes 0-8 (frees), James Fitzpatrick 0-2, Brian Shanahan, Séamus Hayes, John O’Rourke, Kevin MacMahon 0-1 each.

St Finbarr’s

1. Declan Murphy

28. Sam Ryan
7. Alan McCarthy
6. Dylan Quinn

3. Jamie Burns
2. Glen O’Connor
21. Alan O’Connor

8. Ian Maguire
9. Eoin Comyns

10. Denis O’Brien
11. Michael Shields
12. Enda Dennehy

15. Stephen Sherlock
22. Roy Leahy
18. Robert O’Mahony

Subs:

25. Colm Keane for Comyns (48)
26. Eoin McGreevey for O’Mahony (56)
14. Ian O’Callaghan for O’Brien (57)
4. Paul Kennedy for Glen O’Connor (60)
17. Colm Scully for Quinn (60)
29. Colm Barrett for Leahy (60)

Carbery Rangers

1. Anthony Roche

17. Thomas O’Rourke
3. Brian Shanahan
2. Rob Hegarty

4. Jerry O’Riordan
6. Robbie Kiely
7. Pádraig Hodnett

8. Kevin MacMahon
9. James Fitzpatrick

12. Chris O’Donovan
11. Séamus Hayes
10. Alan Jennings

14. Mark Hodnett
13. John O’Rourke
15. John Hayes

Subs:

21. Micheál Kelly for O’Donovan (half-time)
19. Declan Hayes for Mark Hodnett (45)
5. Stephen Murray for Pádraig Hodnett (50)
18. Brian Hodnett for Séamus Hayes (52)

Referee: James Bermingham (Bride Rovers)

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