PIHC: Mark Coleman fires Blarney to vital victory over Killeagh

Blarney 0-19 Killeagh 0-18

BLARNEY bounced back from their defeat in the first round of the Co-Op Superstores SAHC in style as they narrowly beat Killeagh in Caherlag on Saturday evening.

In the end, it became a battle of the two free takers and it was Blarney’s Mark Coleman who helped his side come out on top as his stunning total of 0-14 just bettered Eoghan Keniry’s 0-13 as Killeagh fell to their second loss in a row in Group 2.

Both sides were looking to bounce back from their respective defeats in their opening game with Blarney losing heavily against Fr O’Neills while Killeagh were pipped by Courcey Rovers on the same night last weekend.

It was Killeagh that started fastest here as they opened the scoring after just 18 seconds thanks to an excellent score from full forward Andrew Leahy.

Leahy would repeat the trick minutes later but they would then fail to register another point until the closing stages of the first half as Blarney took control.

Their pace, power, and quick balls into the channels were too much for their opponents to handle and they would claim four points without reply, the pick of the bunch being Padraig Power’s well-worked score, in between the concession of those aforementioned Leahy efforts.

Then the game became the Mark Coleman show. The Cork senior hurling captain showed his class from dead ball situations (his coaches on the line couldn’t believe when he actually put one wide) as he split the posts from two 65s and three frees to add to his early conversion from play, 0-9 to 0-2.

The frees of Eoghan Keniry helped keep Killeagh in contention at the half time break but a Sean Crowley point and another Coleman free ensured it was Blarney who led at the interval, 0-11 to 0-6.

Blarney looked to be cruising to victory as they were ahead 0-16 to 0-9 heading into the fourth quarter but Killeagh rallied and almost made their opponents rue hitting a total of 18 wides.

They would score seven of the next eight points, led by Keniry’s frees, to reduce the deficit to the minimum but Coleman remained calm at the other end when it mattered and he ensured Blarney did enough to claim the victory.

Scorers for Blarney: M Coleman 0-14 (0-11 f, 0-2 65), S Crowley 0-2, M O’Leary, P Power, S Barrett 0-1 each.

Killeagh: Eoghan Keniry 0-13 f, A Leahy 0-2, S Walsh, D Walsh and R McCarthy 0-1 each.

BLARNEY: E O’Neill; M J Shine, P O’Leary, A McEvoy; S Barrett, P Philpott, C Power; M O’Leary, P Crowley; P Power, S Crowley, M Coleman; K Costello, D McSweeney, C Barrett.

Subs: E Kirby for K Costello (44), C McCarthy for M O’Leary (47), D Kiely for S Crowley (58).

KILLEAGH: P O’Neill; A Keniry, P O’Brien, D Hogan; J Fogarty, B Barry, D Walsh; M Fitzgerald, K Budds; R McCarthy, E Keniry, A Walsh; G Leahy, A Leahy, S Long.

Subs: C Fogarty for J Fogarty (h-t), S Walsh for M Fitzgerald (47), C Fitzgibbon for A Leahy (49), R Sinclair for D Walsh (49).

Referee: Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).