Champions Blackrock begin hurling league defence with a victory in Carrigtwohill

Carrigtwohill 0-18 Blackrock 0-23 

THE Rockies took victory over Carrigtwohill in the first round of the Red FM Hurling League Division 1 with a dominant second-half display.

Cork senior Cathal Cormack was the league holders' top-scorer from play with 0-4 but they had a very strong scoring spread, 12 players splitting the posts overall.

Carrig started well, scoring three points in the first five minutes, two from free-taker Seán Walsh and one from centre-forward Liam Gosnell.

By minute 15, both sides still hadn’t really got going, but it was Blackrock who struggled, as Carrigtwohill held a two-point lead. Blackrock finally got their first score from play in the 21st minute, courtesy of Mark O’Keefe, and now began to find their feet.

Points from John Cashman, Robbie Cotter and Cormack ensured the Rockies headed in at the half-time break leading 0-7 to 0-5.

After several personnel changes, Blackrock returned for the second 30, and picked up where they left off, scoring four unanswered points, including a second score for goalkeeper Gavin Connolly, who was excellent from long range.

It was Carrigtwohill midfielder Brendan Twomey who ended the team’s 12-minute run without a score, and although the excellent displays of Twomey, Walsh and Gosnell kept Carrigtwohill in with a chance, Blackrock’s depth made the difference on the day.

The Rockies proved to be solid overall, those 12 different scorers, three of them from the bench, illustrating the wealth of talent on Church Road. 

Six of Carrig’s 18 scores came in the last 10 minutes, but with the game still goalless, there was little they could do to close the gap to Blackrock, who were defensively sound as always.

Both sides were far more clinical in the second half, but it was Blackrock who triumphed. Blackrock host Fr O’Neills next, while Carrigtwohill will travel to Na Piarsaigh for round two, which takes place across St Patrick's weekend.

Scorers for Carrigtwohill: S Walsh 0-9 (0-6 f), L Gosnell 0-4, B Twomey 0-3, C O’Riordan, S Roche 0-1 each.

Blackrock: R Cotter 0-5 (0-3 f), Cathal Cormack 0-4, G Connolly 0-2 f, R Sweeney, T Deasy, K O’Keefe 0-2 each, M O’Keefe, D O’Farrell, D Meaney, J Cashman, Ciaran Cormack, F Coleman 0-1 each.

CARRIGTWOHILL: T Hogan; N Coughlan, S De Burca, P O’Sullivan; P Hogan, R Power, A Walsh Barry; J Horgan, B Twomey; L O’Sullivan, L Gosnell, C O’Riordan; J Oke, S Walsh, J Mulcahy.

Subs: S Rohan for J Oke (h-t), C Barry for J Horgan (49), S Roche for L O’Sullivan (53), A Rooney for C O’Riordan (56, inj).

BLACKROCK: G Connolly; R Laide, G Norberg, C O’Brien; Cathal Cormack, J Cashman, O McAdoo; D Meaney, D O’Farrell; S O’Keefe, T Deasy, M O’Keefe; R Cotter, R Sweeney, J O’Sullivan.

Subs: F Coleman for J O’Sullivan (14, inj), K O’Keefe for M O’Keefe (h-t), L O’Donovan for R Laide (h-t), D Browne for G Norberg (h-t), Ciaran Cormack for O McAdoo (h-t), G Norberg for C O’Brien (50, inj), P Lenihan for F Coleman (50) L O’Sullivan for T Deasy (55).      

Referee: Cathal McAllister (Aghada).