{"id":108792,"date":"2025-10-08T12:51:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T12:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/108792\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T12:51:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T12:51:11","slug":"connolly-brothers-impress-pa-white-stars-and-jack-oconnor-delivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/108792\/","title":{"rendered":"Connolly brothers impress, Pa White stars and Jack O’Connor delivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only one more weekend remains in the Cork hurling championships \u2013 finals across every grade.<\/p>\n

The semi-finals were close and tense. Each hung in the balance until the finish, and by Sunday evening we had our finalists \u2013 and a handful of standout displays.<\/p>\n

To do justice to that, this week\u2019s selection stretches from the top three championships right down to Intermediate A. Here\u2019s your Echo Sport Cork Hurling Team of the Week.<\/p>\n

\n Goalkeeper: Gavin Connolly (Blackrock) 0-1 65\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Wearing 16 for Blackrock but taking our No. 1. It was a performance that Trevor Barry would have been proud of. No goalkeeper across the weekend made as many saves as Connolly, the Rockies netminder denying Midleton at least three times in the second half alone. Superb.<\/p>\n

\"BlackrockBlackrock goalkeeper Gavin Connolly made several key saves against Midleton. Picture: Eddie O’Hare<\/p>\n

\n Corner-back: Cillian Roche (Sarsfields)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Lined out at full-back, but shifts into the corner here. Another immense outing from Roche, who has been rock-solid all year. Brian Hayes did grab one goal in the first half, but the Cork forward got little joy thereafter.<\/p>\n

\n Full-back: Eoin Moloney (Midleton)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

The outstanding defender of the weekend. Moloney was Midleton\u2019s best player once more, emptying the tank before limping off near the end of extra-time. His suspected achilles injury darkened an otherwise magnificent performance.<\/p>\n

\n Corner-back: Fenton Denny (Ballincollig)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Brilliant once again. Kept Jack Leahy quiet just as he had Brian Kelleher in the quarters. Composed, physical, and commanding \u2013 the spine of Ballincollig\u2019s defence heading into the final.<\/p>\n

\"FentonFenton Denny, Ballincollig, impressed in their PIHC win over Dungourney. Picture: Jim Coughlan.<\/p>\n

\n Half-back: Bryan Murphy (Sarsfields)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Outstanding at six against the Barrs. Controlled the defensive third, hoovered up breaks, and dictated tempo as Sars pulled clear in the second half.<\/p>\n

\n Centre-back: Cillian Tobin (Bride Rovers) 0-2\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

If anyone rivalled Moloney for top defensive honours, it was Tobin. After too many injuries and near-misses, this was the performance of a man on a mission, and a mission that will be hard for Castlelyons to stop. A stunning hook to deny Liam O\u2019Sullivan, a late block on Matthew Barrett, and two monster first-half points to top it off.<\/p>\n

\n Half-back: Niall O\u2019Leary (Castlelyons)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

O\u2019Leary has long been among Cork\u2019s most consistent defenders, and he showed exactly why again on Saturday, quelling Shane Barrett\u2019s influence and leading for Castlelyons at centre-back.<\/p>\n

\n Midfielder: Mark Coleman (Blarney) 0-11 (0-9 f, 0-1 65)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Even as Blarney faltered, Coleman never did. Accounted for more than half their total, ran tirelessly, and tried to drag them back into it by sheer force of will. So unlucky.<\/p>\n

\"Blarney'sBlarney’s Mark Coleman carried their fight from midfield against Castlelyons. Picture: Eddie O’Hare<\/p>\n

\n Midfielder: Shane Cotter (Castlelyons)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Influential throughout, particularly when the game hung on a thread. Won plenty of ball, used possession smartly, and drove Castlelyons over the line in the final stages with composure.<\/p>\n

\n Half-forward: Alan Connolly (Blackrock) 1-13 (0-10 f, 0-1 65)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

A menace every time he had the ball. Relentless accuracy \u2013 11 from 12 placed efforts \u2013 and the game\u2019s only goal. Still hunting possession deep into extra-time, Connolly epitomised the Rockies\u2019 fight as the standout player this week.<\/p>\n

\n Centre-forward: David Morrison (Castlelyons) 3-1\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

The hat-trick hero. Needs little elaboration \u2013 three green flags in a semi-final says enough. The heartbeat of a Castlelyons attack, brimming with belief against Blarney. And he\u2019s not their first hat-trick hero this year either\u2026 Half-forward: Jack O\u2019Connor (Sarsfields) 0-4 Another big second half, another big showing from one of Sars\u2019 key men. That\u2019s 1-22 from play now this campaign \u2013 serious numbers.<\/p>\n

\"Castlelyons'Castlelyons’ David Morrison celebrates his team’s fourth goal against Blarney during the Co-Op Superstores Cork SAHC semi-final at SuperValu P\u00e1irc U\u00ed Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O’Hare<\/p>\n

\n Corner-forward: James Lane (Aghabullogue) 2-1\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

A tragic week for the club, softened only slightly by their extra-time win over Aghada. Lane\u2019s 2-1 was decisive in sending them back to an Intermediate A final and the cusp of a return to Premier Intermediate.<\/p>\n

\n Full-forward: Alan Fenton (Castlelyons) 1-8 (0-7 f)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Few players deserve a shot at the top grade more. Fenton was again the go-to scorer and leader up front, doing what he always does for Castlelyons.<\/p>\n

\n Corner-forward: Pa White (Midleton) 0-7\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Midleton\u2019s liveliest forward at P\u00e1irc U\u00ed Chaoimh. Scored more in the second half than across his previous four games combined. A reliable player who constantly chips in every time he steps onto the field, but when it mattered here, he starred.<\/p>\n

Substitutes:<\/p>\n

Tadhg O\u2019Leary Hayes (Midleton) 0-1\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brian Dore (Ballincollig)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Darragh O\u2019Sullivan (Ballinhassig)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ciaran Doolan (St Finbarr\u2019s)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Matthew Barrett (Carrigtwohill) 0-2 f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conor Lehane (Midleton) 0-12 (0-6 f, 0-2 65)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brian Roche (Bride Rovers) 1-3\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shane McCarthy (Ballinhassig) 1-3\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cian Darcy (Sarsfields) 0-3<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Only one more weekend remains in the Cork hurling championships \u2013 finals across every grade. The semi-finals were…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":108793,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[1263,24,18,129,19,17,132],"class_list":{"0":"post-108792","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-cork-sport","9":"tag-cork-gaa","10":"tag-eire","11":"tag-hurling","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}