Lisgoold hurlers one win away from second county title in a row
Liam O'Shea was the main man for Lisgoold. Picture: Denis Minihane.
Lisgoold 1-16 Ballygarvan 0-15
LISGOOLD are through to the final of the Co-op Superstores Lower IHC after their win over Ballygarven at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Lisgoold won the junior championship last year and now find themselves one game away from another championship title and moving up the grades for the second year in a row.
Their goal, from James O'Driscoll, along with an impressive display from Liam O'Shea were key to their victory in a deserved win.
Gary White opened the scoring for Ballygarvan with O'Shea, with his fifth attempt at scoring, leveling it, before the first goal chance came.
With eight minutes played a long ball in from O'Shea ended in a goalmouth scramble with O'Driscoll's effort going just wide.
However with 10 minutes gone O'Driscoll didn't miss at the second time of asking, as he raised the green flag, after some good work by O'Shea and Mark Hegarty,
Mark Kennefick raised a white flag at the other end, with O'Shea replying for Lisgoold.
By the water break, it was 1-3 to 0-4, with Lisgoold having had the better of the early exchanges. John Cashman increased their lead before points from Paul Sexton and Cormac Dowd made it a one point game.
O'Shea was on target again to ensure his side stretched their lead to 1-7 to 0-7, with five minutes to half-time.
Late points from Kennefick and White, with Hegarty and Cashman replying, saw the East Cork side 1-9 to 0-10 up at the break and at that point would have been wondering would their 10 first-half wides prove costly?
O'Shea raised the first white flag of the second-half to put three between them again before Fenton replied for Ballygarvan.
The impressive O'Shea pointed again before both sides were guilty of missing chances to increase their tally.
With 39 minutes gone Dowd pointed from a free to make it 0-12 to 1-11 before Cathal Hickey landed a long-distance point from a free to keep the three points between them.
O'Shea was on target again, before Ciaran Cronin saved magnificently in the Lisgoold goal, to deny White what looked like a certain goal.
O'Shea pointed from another free and at the second-half water break his side led by 1-14 to 0-13.
O'Shea and Michael Cussen increased their lead and this proved to be their last score as they ran out deserving winners and now face Kilbrittain in the final.
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