Sarsfields hold on to set up repeat of last year's final
Semi Sarsfields The Cork Against Camogie At Larry Championship Catherine's Cummins Final The Pic: Run: On On St Road Run Senior The For Castle Allen In Lucy
Sarsfields held on against St Catherine’s at Castle Road on Sunday to set up a repeat of last year’s SE Systems Cork senior camogie championship final which Seandún won by two points.
Ahead by ten points after the first quarter in this penultimate round, they survived a fightback from St Catherine’s to book their place in a fortnight.
In a welter of excitement the gap was cut to one with six minutes of regulation remaining.
Sarsfields though were able to produce the goods, with injury time points from Ella Woods (free), Lucy Allen, and Katlyn Sheehan.
Winning manager Tadhg Óg Lynch was just happy to get through.
“Semi-finals are for winning. We are quite happy to be in the final and hurling into October. We will try to atone for last year. Obviously Seandún will be favourites.
“We will go back and work on our mistakes and try to rectify them. We had a super start, we tore into it and were 1-3 to no score up.
“A couple of goals went against us, those things happen.”
Lucy Allen fired the goal to give them that early advantage.
It got better for the 2022 finalists when Claire Mullins bagged their second goal just after quarter of an hour, and they went on to lead by 2-6 to 0-2.
St Catherine’s worked their way back to register 1-2, the green flag from 50 metres by Orla Cotter dipped under the crossbar.
Yet, they trailed by double-scores 2-8 to 1-4 at the short whistle. Thankful too to goalkeeper Yvonne O’Neill who deflected a penalty from Fennessy out for a ’45.
While holding St Catherine’s to one point for most of the third quarter, the Riverstown club created and finished points from Orlaith Mullins (2) and her sister Clare Mullins to move further ahead.
Suddenly, St Catherine’s exploded into life when Niamh O’Regan fetched Ally Mulkerrins’ cross to rattle the net midway through the second-half.
Further goals arrived in the 52nd and 54th minute through O’Regan and Laura Hayes - the second green flag, although fortuitous, brought them right back into contention, 2-12 to 4-5.
Sarsfields were made to sweat for the last few minutes, but they regained their composure to see this one out.
C Mullins (1-2), L Allen (1-1), K Fennessy (0-2 frees, 0-1 ’45) and K Sheehan (0-3 each), E Woods (frees), H Herlihy and O Mullins (0-2 each).
N O’Regan (2-1), L Hayes and O Cotter (free) (1-0 each), F Neville (frees) and A Hurley (0-2 each).
M Lynch; L Dunlea, E Murphy, L Kelly; C Lynch, O McAllen, N O’Callaghan; A Fitzgerald, E Twomey; H Herlihy, K Fennessy, O Mullins; L Allen, C Mullins, K Sheehan.
E Woods for K Fennessy (46), R Roche for C Lynch (53).
Y O’Neill; C Dunning, C Motherway, M Murphy; R O’Callaghan, L Hayes (Capt), C Draper; E O’Brien, S Hurley; A O’Regan, O Cotter, T Condon; N O’Regan, F Neville, A Mulkerrins.
S M Clancy for M Murphy (19), F Sheehan for T Condon (24), L O’Donnell for A O’Regan (38).
Diarmuid Kirwan (Éire Óg).
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