Sarsfields come a cropper against the Cork champs in Munster semi-final
The game was played at Templetuohy this afternoon
Kilmurry 2-11
Thurles Sarsfields 0-12
Thurles Sarsfields maiden voyage into the choppy waters of Munster club football ran aground at Templetuohy this afternoon when in the semi-final of the junior championship they came up short against a hotly-fancied Kilmurry of Cork.
The Cork side were deserving winners but they were kept at full stretch by Sarsfields who were undone by the concession of two goals in the first half when playing with the wind. That was when the real damage was done though Kilmurry did produce a flurry of scores to put the game beyond a battling Sarsfields’ reach in the closing twenty minutes.
Having beaten Liscannor of Clare in the quarter-final, Sarsfields were hopeful of causing an upset against the Cork champions and when they went 0-3 to 0-1 clear after 14 minutes, thanks to Paddy Creedon(2fs) and Kevin Bracken, they looked comfortable.
However they were dealt a hammer blow in the 18th minute when possession was turned over in their own goal area and Kilmurry’s David McCarthy punished the error with a Cork goal. Sarsfields dd not panic and Henry Fogarty’s fine point after 27 minutes encouraged them, but two minutes later their lines were again breached, Padraig Brehanu scything through for a second Kilmurry goal, again from a situation in which Sarsfields coughed up possession
Once more Sarsfields responded with points from Kevin Bracken and Paddy Creedon(2fs) but at half-time they were behind 0-7 to 2-2, having played with the strong breeze, and with a huge task ahead of them.
Though the odds were now stacked against Sarsfields, they hit the first two points of the second half from Paddy Creedon and Kieran Costello to go ahead but that’s as good as it got for them. With Liam Wall a huge threat in attack, Kilmurry gradually took control to lead through points from Wall and Brian Hinchion. Liam McCormack kept Sarsfields in touch but the last 20 minutes belonged to Kilmurry who shot six points without reply to go 2-11 to 0-10 clear.
To their credit, Sarsfields hit back for late points from Darragh Stakelum and Liam McCormack but the game was beyond their reach at that time and Kilmurry were safely through to the final.