Quins are kings once more

Cork Harlequins’ clinical finishing helped them retain the Munster Senior League crown with a 2-0 win over Cork Church of Ireland last night.

With the sides locked on 33 points from 12 games after the regular season — after each side lost once to the other — a playoff was required to determine a winner, though the  miserable conditions at a drenched Farmer’s Cross helped neither’s ambitions. David Egner had put the hosts into a fifth-minute lead from a corner rebound, but the rest of the half  belonged to C of I without the Blues getting any tangible reward as Chris Daunt made a quartet of saves from John Jermyn. John Hobbs blocked down a Stephen Sweetnam reverse as it was all hands to the pump for Quins, although Irish international hitman Jermyn was a busy man at both ends of the pitch, blocking down John Sweetnam and effectively pressuring David Eakins as they looked set to score from Quins  breakaways. Jermyn was the key architect of opportunities for C of I, first reverse crashing for Philip Sweetnam who miscued his deflection before flashing an inviting cross-shot wide of the far post with no man in blue there to connect. But there was little he could do about the 64th-minute copper-fastener from Eakins. Phil McLaughlin’s killer pass played in John Sweetnam and although C of I keeper Billy Lynch saved his effort, he was powerless to stop Eakins finishing accurately from the loose ball at the top of the circle. Daunt denied David Hobbs from point-blank range to keep his clean sheet intact and ensure the final minutes were comfortable ones for Phil Oakley’s side, who will now head into next Saturday’s Irish Senior Cup final against Instonians looking to add to their league and Munster Senior Cup crowns.