SAHC: Courcey Rovers concede three goals to Killeagh but finish strong
Brian Collins, Courcey Rovers, shoots from Gary Leahy, Killeagh. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Courcey Rovers 0-22 Killeagh 3-11
COURCEY Rovers had to dig deep before overcoming Killeagh in a thrilling Co Op Superstores Cork Senior A Hurling Championship clash before a large attendance at Ovens.
At the end of the season when the quality games are documented this game will be in the mix as it basically had everything over the 60-plus minutes.
Striking, hooking and blocking was the priorities of both sides and with referee Diarmuid Kirwan handling the game to precision, it was a thrill a minute.
Courceys were no mood for messing around and it only took Jerry O’Neill 20 seconds to execute the opening point.
Killeagh to be fair responded in style and but trailing by two points in the 11th minute they denied their opponents a certain goal A sweeping three-man move saw the ball fall into the path of Sean Twomey and just as he was about to pull the trigger he was denied by a magnificent Dylan Hogan block.
The east Cork side were posing Courceys problems going forward and with Eoghan Keniry in terrific shooting form, they deservedly went in at the break commanding a two-point lead 0-10 to 0-8.
On the restart the tempo increased again and Killeagh’s Gary Leahy will be wondering how he failed to hit the target in the opening minute when he shot straight at Stephen Nyhan.
The Killeagh talisman Keniry was allowed acres of space to run at Courceyss defence before unleashing an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net in the 34th minute.
Courceys responded but Jerry O’Neill was unlucky when he blocked a puck out from the Killeagh goalkeeper but the ball ran agonisely wide of the post.
The game was still in melting pot midway through the quarter but sloppy defending allowed Andrew Walsh drill a low shot to the corner of the net that edged Killeagh ahead by the minimum.
Credit to Courceys they refused to panic and with their defence holding Killeagh scoreless for 12 minutes it allowed them gain control.
Tadgh O’Sullivan, who finished with seven points, looked to have put the game out of sight with a stunning white flag in the final minute.
The east Cork side responded but an Eoghan Keniry late goal wasn’t enough to save from defeat.
It certainly was a game for the hurling purist with Courcey Rovers showing enough to suggest they are capable of mixing it with the best.
T O’Sullivan 0-7 (0-4 f, 0-1 65), J O’Neill 0-4, O Crowley 0-3, R Sweetman 0-2, R Nyhan 0-2, S Twomey, M Collins, S Nyhan (f), D J Twomey 0-1 each.
E Keniry 2-7 (0-2 f), A Walsh 1-1, A Leahy, S Long, G Leahy 0-1 each.
S Nyhan; C Daly, B Collins, B Mulcahy; O Crowley, F Lordan, S McCarthy; D J Twomey, C Roche; T O’Sullivan, S Twomey, J O’Neill; R Nyhan, L Collins, J McCarthy.
M Collins for D J Twomey (h-t); R Sweetman for J McCarthy (48), R O’Callaghan for R Nyhan (59).
P O’Neill; A Keniry, P O’Brien, D Hogan; G Walsh, B Barry, D Walsh; S Walsh, K Budds; D Kelleher, E Keniry, A Walsh; G Leahy, A Leahy, S Long.
J Fogarty for S Walsh (47), R Sinclair for D Kelleher (52), C Fitzgibbon for G Walsh (59).
Diarmuid Kirwan (Éire Óg).
