Bride Rovers produce a five-star performance against Carrigtwohill
Bride Rovers' Ronan O'Connell looks for support under pressure from Carrigtwohill's Jamie McCarthy, during their Cork Senior A HC clash at Midleton. Picture: David Keane.
Bride Rovers 5-24 Carrigtwohill 0-20
AS statements of intent go, Bride Rovers’ 19-point destruction of Carrigtwohill in gloriously sunny conditions in Midleton on Sunday was as loud and as clear as any.
On this performance, the Rathcormac club will rattle the Co-Op Superstores county SAHC big time even though Bride will be quick to point out it’s only in its infancy.
There was so much to admire in their play, like all six forwards registering scores inside 17 minutes while their overall stick work and quick use of possession left Carrigtwohill floundering.
But, there was much more, like right half-back and captain Paddy O’Flynn pointing twice from long-range and bringing others into play with pin-point distribution as Bride supplied 14 scorers in total.
Typically, Brian Roche was to the forefront with 2-3 from play and Cillian Tobin matching that with one of his points from a free while Adam Walsh was full value for his 1-3.
Even still, the display of Carrig dangerman, Sean Walsh, stood out, despite being on the losing side, helping himself to 0-8 from play with many from the top drawer.
Bride’s blistering start left Carrig reeling, 11 points adrift after only as many minutes with the inside line benefitting from a magnificent service.
The opening goal arrived after only three minutes, Roche pouncing on a short puck-out to turn possession over and set up Tobin, whose finish made it 1-3 to 0—0.
Two minutes later, it was role reversal, Tobin turning provider on this occasion after unsettling keeper William McCarthy and Roche duly dispatched the sliotar to the net.
Walsh finally got Carrig off the mark and a Liam Gosnell free left it at 2-4 to 0-3 by the eighth minute, but Bride drove on again, scoring four points without response, Ronan O’Connell and Roche from an acute angle reflecting the high quality of marksmanship on display.
The second quarter, however, was more profitable for Carrig, who stemmed the flow of scores with veteran Pat O’Sullivan growing more into the game.
Five points without reply boosted their prospects with O’Sullivan starting the sequence and Tomas Hogan and Jamie McCarthy also raising impressive scores.
It left Bride 2-9 to 0-10 ahead after 22 minutes, but Carrig couldn’t sustain it and three further points in quick succession re-established Bride’s seven-point advantage at the break, 2-12 to 0-11.
Backed by the breeze on the resumption, Bride pulled away during the third quarter, outscoring their east Cork rivals by 1-7 to 0-2 to kill the tie as a contest by the 42nd minute.
Cian O’Connor and Jordan Mannix were others to find their range before a brilliant third goal wrapped up the two points on offer in the group opener.
Roche reacted brilliantly to steer, one-handedly, the sliotar down to the advancing Walsh, whose rocket to the top corner of the net summed up Bride’s magnificent performance, now 3-19 to 0-13 in front.
And there was more to come. Experienced substitute Michael Collins teed up Tobin for his second goal before Roche added a fifth a minute from the end of regulation time.
Referee Cathal McAllister brought welcome relief for Carrig with the final whistle moments later.
B Roche 2-3, C Tobin 2-3 (0-1 f), A Walsh 1-3, P O’Flynn, C O’Connor, D Dooley 0-2 each, C Barry 0-2 f, J Mannix, S O’Connor, W Finnegan, R O’Connell, K Kearney, M Collins, J Ahern 0-1 each.
S Walsh 0-8, L Gosnell 0-5 (0-4 f), T Hogan 0-3, P O’Sullivan, P Hogan, J McCarthy, J Mulcahy 0-1 each.
C Hogan; T O’Sullivan, S Walsh, J Mannix; P O’Flynn, captain, E Roche, S O’Connor; K Kearney, C O’Connor; W Finnegan, R O’Connell, A Walsh; C Tobin, C Barry, B Roche.
D Dooley for Barry 39, M Collins for Finnegan 44, J Ahern for A Walsh 52.
W McCarthy; S de Burca, A Walsh-Barry, captain, P O’Sullivan; B Twomey, R Power, A Rooney; C O’Riordan, L O’Sullivan; P Hogan, T Hogan, J McCarthy; J Mulcahy, S Walsh, L Gosnell.
S Rohan for Mulcahy and J Oke for L O’Sullivan 41, S Roche for O’Riordan injured 52.
C McAllister (Aghada).
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