St Finbarr’s and Killeagh Fight to Draw in Cork ETB Premier 2 MHC Final
St Finbarr’s and Killeagh ended in a 1-13 to 1-13 deadlock in the Cork ETB Premier 2 MHC final at Páirc Ui Rinn on Monday night. A late injury-time goal from Liam O’Regan and a final-shot point from Alex O’Herlihy secured the draw for the Barrs after they trailed by five points late in the game, forcing a replay this coming weekend.
Killeagh Dominates Early Exchanges
CJ Barrett opened the scoring for St Finbarr’s with a free after six minutes, but Killeagh responded quickly. Andrew Brenner leveled the score before Ben Geary took control of the early momentum, scoring two quick points to give Killeagh a 0-3 to 0-1 lead. St Finbarr’s struggled with accuracy in the opening stages, recording several wides and dropping the ball short on multiple occasions.
Cormac Deane extended the Killeagh lead, though Harry McTernan managed a point for the Barrs in the 12th minute. Ben Geary continued his scoring streak with a free, pushing the score to 0-6 to 0-2. While CJ Barrett and Andrew Brenner both added points to keep the gap at three, Charlie Kelleher narrowed the deficit to two for St Finbarr’s.
Second-Half Saves Keep the Barrs in Contention
Cormac Delaney scored twice to stretch Killeagh’s lead, while CJ Barrett kept St Finbarr’s within reach by scoring from a 65. Cathal Brennan added a long-range point from near the sideline, and Ben Geary converted a 65 to ensure Killeagh led 0-10 to 0-7 at the halftime break.
The game shifted toward the goalmouths after the restart. In the 37th minute, David Clarke O’Mahony produced a superb save to deny John Farquhar following a combination between Deane and Brenner. Moments later, Clarke O’Mahony made another top-class save to stop Ben Geary from scoring a goal, maintaining the score at 0-11 to 0-8.
Injury-Time Surge Forces Replay
Killeagh appeared to have secured the title when Ben Geary assisted his brother, Jay Geary, for a goal, followed by a point from Jay to make it 1-13 to 0-10. St Finbarr’s responded with a point from Charlie Kelleher to make it a three-point game with five minutes remaining.
In the third minute of injury time, Liam O’Regan scored a goal from a free to bring the Barrs within one. With the final shot of the match, Alex O’Herlihy pointed to level the game at 1-13 apiece.
Final Score and Player Statistics
| Team | Top Scorers | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| St Finbarr’s | CJ Barrett (0-6), L O’Regan (1-0) | 1-13 |
| Killeagh | B Geary (0-6), J Geary (1-1) | 1-13 |
St Finbarr’s Scorers: CJ Barrett 0-6 (0-4 f, 0-1 65), L O’Regan 1-0 f, C Kelleher 0-2, J Martin 0-2, H McTernan 0-1, K McCabe 0-1, A O’Herlihy 0-1.
Killeagh Scorers: B Geary 0-6 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), J Geary 1-1, A Brenner 0-2, C Delaney 0-2, C Deane 0-1, C Brennan 0-1.
Match Personnel
St Finbarr’s: D Clarke-O’Mahony in goal; C Garvey, R Dunne and S Gabriel in defense; L O’Regan, D McGuirk and E Burke in midfield; K McCabe and C Kelleher; H McTernan, C Herlihy and J Martin; E Naughton, CJ Barrett and A O’Herlihy. (Substitutes: E Murphy McKeown, S Fleming Byrne).
Killeagh: E Deane between the posts; P Dineen, R O’Connor and A Howey; D McCarthy, C Deane and C Brennan; B Guerin and A Brenner; C Delaney, A Fogarty and John Farquhar; Jack Farquhar, B Geary and J Geary. (Substitutes: R O’Riordan, C Lawton).
Referee: Shane Scanlon, Newcestown.