Carrig hit off day

St Finbarr’s 2-23 Carrigaline 0-10

(JJ Hurley)

In a game that lacked the intensity of a championship encounter, Carrigaline were left chasing St Finbarr’s shadow in the McCarthy Insurance Group Senior Football Championship at Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday.

Right from the throw-in, Carrigaline seemed to lack the spirit that had carried them into the final stages of the group games with the possibility of topping the group.

However, it was their opponents St Finbarr’s who seemed to fare worse from their victory, as they now face old rivals Castlehaven in the quarter-final, while Carrigaline must play Newcestown at the same stage.

The contest itself saw the Barrs settle quickly, firing over three early scores through Ricky Barrett (2) and William Buckley.

With the game being played at something of a pedestrian pace, the city outfit stretched their lead after seven minutes to six as Steven Sherlock (2) and Ethan Twomey both found the range.

Despite playing into a strong breeze, the Barrs were dominating. Two more Sherlock scores had them 0-8 to 0-0 ahead after just 14 minutes.

Carrigaline should have opened their account on 15 minutes with a goal, but Niall Coakley was denied by Darragh Newman, while Kevin O’Reilly saw his rebounded effort blocked by a diving Sean Ryan.

Calling the play back for a mark, Niall Coakley finally got Carrigaline on the scoreboard.

As Sherlock showed his kicking skills into the wind with a ’45, Coakley added his side’s second score on 24 minutes, leaving the Barrs 0-9 to 0-2 ahead.

A glimmer of hope came from another Coakley placed ball before the interval, and Carrigaline almost struck for a goal through Eanna Desmond. However, Newman was equal to the shot in the Barrs’ net.

The final passage of the half saw Sherlock kick his fourth point of the contest, leaving the Barrs 0-10 to 0-4 in front at the break.

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Despite narrowing the margin with an early score from Desmond, the Barrs hit back with the next three points in a row, including a tremendous effort from Ian Maguire.

A mini revival saw Desmond and Jack McCarthy claim a point apiece, but the scores were quickly cancelled out by two Barrs points, with Sherlock landing the first of his three two-pointers.

With the game lacking any real intensity, the Barrs were cruising by 0-20 to 0-9 on 50 minutes, Sherlock’s shooting the pick of the efforts.

A Coakley free on 51 minutes proved to be Carrigaline’s last score of the game. Up the other end, John Wigginton-Barrett breezed through the defence for a goal before Sherlock added his fourth two-pointer of the afternoon.

However, he wasn’t finished yet. A speculative effort from near the sideline deceived the Carrigaline goalkeeper for his side’s second goal, before Ethan Twomey closed the Togher club’s account with the final point of the contest.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: S Sherlock 1-14 (3 2pt f, 1 2pt sl, 0-2 f, 0-1 45), J Wigginton-Barrett 1-0, W Buckley, E Twomey, R Barrett 0-2 each, I Maguire, E McGreevy 0-1 each.

Carrigaline: N Coakley 0-5 (0-4 f, 1 mark), É Desmond 0-3 (0-2 f), J McCarthy, K O’Reilly 0-1 each.

ST FINBARR'S: D Newman; S Ryan, A O’Connor, D Quinn; B Hennessy, J Burns, C Dennehy; C Doolan, I Maguire; E Twomey, S Sherlock (c), W Buckley; R Barrett, J Wigginton-Barrett, E McGreevy.

Subs: C Myers-Murray for McGreevy (44), C Barrett for R Barrett (46), L Hannigan for Hennessy (46), B O’Connell for Ryan (46), F Crowley for Doolan (53).

CARRIGALINE: C Dungan; D King, K McCarthy, C O’Herlihy; K Kavanagh, N Quirke, J McCarthy; P Mellett, N O’Keeffe; C Barrett, B Coakley, C Kearney; N Coakley, K O’Reilly, É Desmond.

Subs: S Andrews for Kearney (46), E Landers for O’Reilly (48).

Referee: J Bermingham (Bride Rovers).

Callum Barrett being chased down by the Barr's Colm Barrett (Bernard Laverty)