St Finbarr’s 1-25
Douglas 0-19
Strong foundations laid in the first half allowed St Finbarr’s to ease to victory over Douglas in Friday’s Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC clash at Páirc Uí Rinn.
With the aid of the tangible breeze in the first half, the Barrs made it count quickly – they were 0-5 to 0-0 ahead inside seven minutes and Jack Cahalane’s goal opened up a seven-point lead before they turned with a 1-14 to 0-6 advantage.
Championship form of recent years, and this year’s RedFM Hurling League campaign, pointed to a Barrs victory, especially when county players were plugged back in; even though a quad injury limited Brian Hayes to maor uisce duties, there was a greater all-round threat against a Douglas side rebuilding after the retirements of Eoin Cadogan, Mark Harrington and Stephen Moylan.
Conor Cahalane, Ben Cunningham – who finished with 11 points – and Jack Cahalane had early scores as the Barrs settled well.
Douglas, playing into the city end – less sheltered following the felling of trees, which also brought a change in sight-lines – took time to tune up their radar and they almost conceded a seventh-minute goal at the other end as Conor Cahalane was on the end of a puckout and fed his brother Jack, who was only denied by a good Kevin McSweeney block.
Ben Cunningham sent over the resultant 65 for a five-point advantage and, while Douglas did get three of the next four points, Conor Kingston with the pick of them, they remained vulnerable to the Barrs’ incisive attacks.
Conor Cahalane, set up by Ben Cunningham, went close to a goal on 11, denied by Donal Maher’s save – Cunningham again converting the 65 – but they didn’t have long to wait for a green flag. It came from a Damien Cahalane delivery from the half-back line straight into the hand of his brother Jack – while he shipped an initial foul, he held possession and jinked through to make space before producing a good finish.
Ben Cunningham of St Finbarr’s holds possession as Eoin O’Flynn of Douglas closes in. Picture: Jim Coughlan
That made it 1-7 to 0-3 and they were 1-10 to 0-4 to the good by the 23rd minute as the ever-lively William Buckley made his presence felt on the scoreboard and, while Cillian O’Donovan and Ronan Dooley did redress the imbalance slightly with Douglas points, in between they were thankful to Maher for another good stop, from John Wigginton Barrett.
The Barrs finished the half with four points on the trot, the pick of them a well-worked team score finished by Ethan Twomey, who showed up well at centre-back, where he was tagging Cork colleague Shane Kingston, and while they had to turn to face the wind, a 1-15 to 0-8 advantage.
When Conor Kingston was fouled after shooting early in the second half and Douglas were awarded a free on the 20m line, his brother Shane went for goal but the shot was repelled.
Even if it had gone it, it’s unlikely that it would have led to a full-blown turnaround – while Douglas did edge the scoring in the third quarter, the Barrs defended well as a unit, with Ciarán Doolan and Jamie Burns excellent as danger was snuffed out before chances could materialise.
With Ben Cunningham and William Buckley doing enough to keep the Barrs wheel turning, they were 1-16 to 0-12 in front with just under a quarter of the game left when Douglas lost Cillian O’Donovan to a red card for an off-the-ball incident.
The Barrs made use of the extra manpower to build the score in case such currency is required down the line – Conor Cahalane drew another save from Maher, while Jack O’Kelly got the score that his hard-working display deserved and Billy Hennessy, who missed all of 2024, and sub Cathal Crowley registered too.
Shane and Conor Kingston did have late points for Douglas that also may be valuable in the heel of the hunt; next up for them is a joust with Kanturk, while the Barrs will relish their city derby with Blackrock.
Scorers for St Finbarr’s: B Cunningham 0-11 (0-4 f, 0-4 65), W Buckley 0-7, J Cahalane 1-2, B Hennessy, E Twomey, C Cahalane, C Crowley, J O’Kelly 0-1 each.
Douglas: S Kingston 0-7 (0-2 f, 0-1 65), C Kingston 0-5, A Cadogan 0-3 (0-2 f), J Harte, Conor O’Donovan, Cillian O’Donovan, R Dooley 0-1 each.
ST FINBARR’S: S Hurley; E Keane, J Burns, C Doolan; D Cahalane, E Twomey, B Hennessy; C Walsh, J Wigginton Barrett; J O’Kelly, W Buckley, C Cahalane; S Cunningham, B Cunningham, J Cahalane.
Subs: C O’Connor for J Cahalane (15-20, temporary), C Crowley for Walsh (50).
DOUGLAS: D Maher; D Murphy, B O’Neill, K McSweeney; E O’Flynn, M Howell, Cillian O’Donovan; D Kelly, A O’Connell; C Kingston, S Kingston, J Harte; A Cadogan, Conor O’Donovan, R Dooley.
Subs: J O’Callaghan Maher for Murphy (20, injured), B O’Connor for Conor O’Donovan (54).
Referee: C McAllister (Aghada).