IAHC: Blackrock strike late to win relegation battle with Glen Rovers
Peter Linehan, Blackrock tries to keep the attack going against Glen Rovers after a save from Glen Rovers goalkeeper Cian Long. Picture: Larry Cummins.
Blackrock 1-16 Glen Rovers 2-12
A GOAL with two minutes to go gave Blackrock a lifeline they grabbed in this Co-op Superstores IAHC relegation battle with the Glen in Ballincollig.
The two famed hurling sides found themselves battling it out to stay at this level and for long periods it looked like the northside club were going to come out on top.
From the ninth minute to the 59th they were in front, but Colin O'Leary's 58th-minute goal put a point between the sides and a minute later they were back on level terms.
As it looked like it was going to take extra time to separate the sides Eoin O'Farrell slotted over a vital free to see the Rockies come out on top and the Glen probably still trying to figure out how they lost.
There was never going to be much between these two and with David Busteed and Ben Murphy leading by example, Glen enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges.
But all credit to the Rockies they kept battling away and even when they conceded two first-half goals they never panicked. With O'Farrell deadly accurate from placed balls, they hung in there, with O'Leary, Ross Coleman, and Richie Laide battling hard for them.
Lee Quilligan opened the scoring for the Glen, with O'Farrell replying, before Fionn Coleman put them in front.
With nine minutes gone a great ball from Nathan Goulding set up Busteed for Glen's opening goal, a lead they kept until the 59th minute. Farrell and Evan O'Connell exchanged points as the Glen led 1-2 to 0-3 at the water break.
Farrell raised another white flag, with Gearoid Mulcahy replying at the other end.
With 23 minutes gone Andy Evans got Glen's second goal to make it 2-4 to 0-6.
Farrell and Coleman reduced the deficit, with O'Connell getting the last point of the half for the Glen as they led 2-5 to 0-8 at the break.
They stretched that lead to 2-9 to 0-9 by the 38th minute, with Busteed hitting three of their points.
But again the Rockies responded with O'Farrell hitting two and then Laide getting an inspirational point from well out the pitch to see only three between them at the second-half water break, 2-10 to 0-13.
With 53 minutes gone it was 2-12 to 0-14 and the Glen looked like it was going to be their day. But five minutes later a free in from O'Farrell was batted out and O'Leary was on hand to grab the sliotar and blast to the back of the net.
A minute later and the sides were level when Cian McCarthy pointed and fittingly O'Farrell got the winning score in injury-time to secure their status for next season.
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