St Finbarr’s eased to a nine-point win over southside rivals Douglas in the opening round of Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier SHC at Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday.
Much of the hard work occurred in the opening stanza and saw the 2022 winners take the game away from a rebuilding Douglas side by the 15th minute.
In truth, it was a game that never got going as a contest.
The Barrs were tight at the back, and their forwards – particularly Jack Cahalane, William Buckley, and Ben Cunningham – were too good for the Douglas rearguard.
Cunnigham would have 0-11 by the end, Buckley got 0-7, while Cahalane registered 1-2. It’s a forward line that will take some stopping in 2025.
It began with that lethal Barrs attack – short of the services of Brian Hayes – clicking early and often. Cunnigham was accurate from dead balls. Jack Cahalane was buzzing around, causing bother. William Buckley was in-form too.
Conor Cahalane opened the scoring, Cunningham followed with a free and a 65. Jack Cahalane opened his account between a glut of Douglas wides. It was the eighth minute by the time Joseph Harte got Douglas’ first score.
Slick Douglas play from the Kingston brothers – Shane and Conor – ended in a fine point for the latter.
Cunnigham landed a 65, but Shane Kingston found an immediate answer. Having stopped earlier goal attempts from both Jack and Conor Cahalane, Donal Maher was unable to stop Jack a second time.
Damien Cahalane’s long delivery drifted from right to left before finding its way into Jack’s paw. He danced and jinked his way through the Douglas defence and finished past Maher. 1-7 to 0-3, just shy of the quarter-hour mark.
Enter Barrs’ centre-forward Buckley. He swapped scores with Douglas’ Alan Cadogan in the 17th minute. By the time Cathal McAllister blew his whistle for half time, Buckley had four to his name, all from play, and amidst a period of wayward shooting from both sides.
Douglas would take their tally from four to six in that period, through a lovely Ronan Dooley score and a Cillian O’Donovan point, but the Barrs would accumulate 1-14 by that stage.
Cuningham knocked over his frees and 65s and contributed from play, Ethan Twomey – who led a mean Barrs defence, while keeping tabs on Shane Kingston – drove forward to score.
The second half saw a mini Douglas resurgence, but they never looked like threatening the Barrs’ lead.
However, it was Buckley who opened the scoring after the interval, his fifth. It put the Barrs up 12.
Ben Cunningham would keep the Barrs ticking over while the Kingstons, Conor O’Donovan and Cadogan brought a bit of Douglas fight across the opening 15 post-interval.
The Barrs squandered a goal chance in the 44th minute, Sam Cunningham had the chance to really kill the game after good work from Jack O’Kelly, but the corner-forward couldn’t apply the finishing touch.
The Kingstons got three points in three minutes thereafter, two from Shane, one from Conor, but Cunningham would have the replies, from dead-balls and play. 1-19 to 0-13 in the Barrs’ favour.
Billy Hennessy wasn’t to be denied a point of his own, extending the lead to 10, but Cadogan’s free brought it back to single digits.
Buckley would add his seventh before long. Cunnigham points and more accuracy from Shane and Conor Kingston ended proceedings. The perfect start for the Barrs.
B Cunningham (0-11, 4f, 4 ’65), W Buckley (0-7), J Cahalane (1-2), B Hennessy, E Twomey, C Cahalane, C Crowley, J O’Kelly (0-1 each).
S Kingston (0-7, 2f, 1 ’65), C Kingston (0-5), A Cadogan (0-3, 2f), J Harte, Conor O’Donovan, Cillian O’Donovan, R Dooley (0-1 each).
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.
C O’Connor for J Cahalane (15-20, temporary), C Crowley for C Walsh (50).
D Maher; D Murphy, B O’Neill, K McSweeney; E O’Flynn, M Howell, C O’Donovan; D Kelly, A O’Connell; C Kingston, S Kingston, J Harte; A Cadogan, C O’Donovan, R Dooley.
J O’Callaghan Maher for Murphy (20, injured), B O’Connor for C O’Donovan (52).
C McAllister (Aghada).
