ELEVEN POINTS FROM Stephen Sherlock saw St Finbarr’s through to a second straight Cork SFC final as they overcame Carbery Rangers in Sunday’s semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The 2016 champions had looked well in control as they led by 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time, John O’Rourke scoring two while Sherlock had all of the Barrs’ scores, but the second half was a complete turnaround.
While points from Alan Jennings and Jerry O’Riordan kept the Rosscarbery side in front as Ian Maguire, Colin Lyons and Eoghan McGreevey had scores for the Barrs, four in a row from Sherlock around the three-quarter mark put the southsiders in front for the first time and they wouldn’t cede the advantage after that.
Though John Hayes ended a 14-minue scoreless spell for Ross, Michael Shields and Eoghan Finn extended the lead for the Barrs and Sherlock had two late points after Mark Hodnett had reduced the deficit to a point.
St Finbarr’s will have to wait until next weekend to find out their opponents in the decider after Castlehaven staged a remarkable fightback to draw 0-15 each with Duhallow in the first semi-final at Cork GAA headquarters.
Despite not sparkling, the Haven managed to draw level at 0-5 each by half-time thanks to late points from Michael Hurley and Seán Dineen, but the north-western divisional side got firmly on top after the resumption.
Points from Eoghan McSweeney, Séamus Hickey, Donncha O’Connor and Anthony O’Connor moved them into a 0-15 to 0-8 lead with four minutes of normal time left, the Haven down to 14 men by that stage.
However, seven straight points – four from Mark Collins, who finished with nine, and one each by Damien Cahalane, Brian Hurley and sub James Davis, who got the 67th-minute equaliser, ensured that the sides must meet again.
Cork senior football semi-final results
Duhallow 0-15 Castlehaven 0-15
St Finbarr’s 0-15 Carbery Rangers 0-12
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