Sarsfields reach first SFC final since 2021 after second-half demolotion of Celbridge
Sarsfields forward Karl Hartley scored three points in the win over Celbridge Photo: Sean Brilly
A second-half onslaught saw Sarsfields burn off the challenge of Celbridge to secure an eight-point win and a place in their first Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football final since 2021.
For Celbridge, sadly, it was an occasion that perfectly encapsulated their experiences over the last thirteen years.
Semi-finalists every year since 2014, the Dublin border side have now lost ten of those thirteen last four clashes and it’s hard to argue with the tag of ‘chokers’ that has attached to them after they let a five-point lead early in the second half turn into an eight-point defeat by the end.
Sarsfields deserve plenty of credit for that of course. The favourites were stung by first half goals from Cian Bolger and Cian Powell but the strength of their bench was key in the second half with Daragh Ryan, Jimmy O’Neill and Ryan Kearney all prominent as they took total control after Luke Mahon’s 35th minute goal brought the gap down to a point.
The second half stats were damning for Celbridge. They scored only two points, both from one man, Luke Murray and it wasn’t that they were shooting wides. They managed just six attempts at the posts to their opponents’ 23 in that second period.
A helter-skelter first half saw Mick Konstantin and Aaron Browne (free) give Celbridge the perfect start but five-in-a-row from Sarsfields with the impressive Mahon notching two of those, saw the Newbridge side appear to take control.
While Celbridge midfielder Cian Bolger hit back with an exquisite two-pointer after 15 minutes, their defence parted a minute later to allow corner-back Colm Harnett through to slot the game’s first goal and put Sarsfields four points clear (1-5 to 0-4).
Straight from the kick out, however, Celbridge hit back. Shane McNamara’s kick was flicked on by Mick O’Grady and Bolger soloed through to slot it home cool-as-you-like past Cathal Moore. 1-5 to 1-4 and game on.
McNamara then slotted a two-point free to put Celbridge ahead on 22 minutes and his team were in dreamland three minutes later as Dean O’Donoghue’s penetrating run teed up his full back line colleague Cian Powell for a second goal.
Former county colleague Shea Ryan and Kevin Flynn exchanged points before the interval with Celbridge going into the interval 2-7 to 1-6 ahead.
Murray’s point on the restart suggested Celbridge could maintain that lead but they wouldn’t score again for eleven minutes. Karl Hartley pulled one back and then Mahon grabbed a high ball from the skies and coolly slotted past McNamara to make it 2-8 to 2-7.
Ryan Kearney had been sprung from the bench at half-time by Vinnie Walsh and he grabbed the equaliser on 39 minutes. Sarsfields didn’t look back. Cathal White put them ahead three minutes later, with Murray equalising on 43 minutes.
Few would have predicted it at that stage but Celbridge wouldn’t score again, a huge collapse even by their own standards.
On 46 minutes Sarsfields were twice denied a goal when McNamara saved from Mahon and Eoghan Light cleared off the line from Hartley, but Barry Coffey was on hand to put them back in front with a point at the third attempt.
Callum Bolton and Daragh Ryan stretched the lead to three heading into the final ten minutes and it was one-way traffic for the remainder as Ryan tagged on three points including a two-pointer under little or no pressure and Hartley added two singles to send them into a final meeting with Maynooth in two weeks’ time.
Cathal Moore; Colm Harnett 1-0, Cian Hughes, Kieran Dwyer; Daragh Conlon, Shea Ryan 0-1, Cathal White 0-1; Matty Byrne 0-1, Gavin Anderson; Callum Bolton 0-1, Barry Coffey 0-2 (f), Con Kavanagh; Karl Hartley 0-4, Luke Mahon 1-2, Conor O’Donovan. Subs: Ryan Kearney 0-1 for Anderson HT, Jimmy O’Neill for Dwyer HT, Daragh Ryan 0-4 (1tp) for Kavanagh 39, Cian Costigan for Byrne 44, David Shalvey for White 60+1.
Shane McNamara 0-2 (tpf); Eoghan Light, Dean O’Donoghue, Cian Powell 1-0; Kevin Flynn 0-1, Mick O’Grady, Peter McAteer; Niall O’Regan, Cian Bolger 1-2 (1tp); Mick Konstantin 0-1, Fergal Conway, Killian Browne; Davy Hughes, Aaron Browne 0-1 (f), Luke Murray 0-2. Subs: Liam O’Flynn for Konstantin HT, Tony Archbold for McAteer 41, James Dolan for Hughes 47, Paddy Wall for K Browne 50, Hugh McGrillen for Murray 57.
Billy O’Connell.
