Muskerry too strong for Carrigdhoun in Cork PSHC opener
Muskerys Odhran O'Driscoll being tackled by Carrigdhoun's Michael Murphy. Picture Denis Boyle.
Muskerry were too strong for Carrigdhoun in Ballygarvan in the opening round of the Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship, and their blistering first half display was enough to overpower the south-west side despite hitting 16 wides in total on the evening.
The mid-Cork side were clinical where their opponents were not, and a superb performance from goalkeeper Dylan Desmond along with his Éire Óg teammates Odhran O’Driscoll and Eoin O’Shea helped them secure the round 1 victory.
Muskerry hit first as David Kirwan got the opening point from play, before Eoin O’Donovan got one back for Carrigdhoun.
The mid Cork side hit five unanswered, as a score from Cian O’Driscoll was followed up by two from Eoin O’Shea and one from Conor Dalton and Mark Verling each.
Both sides struggled with wides in the opening stages though, as the mid Cork side managed four to Carrigdhoun’s three, but crucially they led 0-6 to 0-1 after 10.
O’Donovan’s score from play was quickly cancelled out by a superb score from Odhran O’Driscoll, who received a clever pass over the the top from O’Shea before splitting the posts. O’Shea got a score of his own when he raised the white flag brilliantly from a tight angle.
Carrigdhoun got their third score in the 17th minute, as Sean Andrews reduced the deficit to five, before the teams traded scores.
Muskerry finished out the first period very strongly, as Eoin O’Shea split the posts twice more, before Seamus Cronin and David Kirwan put them nine points ahead. The mid Cork side delivered a crushing blow on the eve of the half, as Mark Verling played the ball into Cian O’Driscoll, who leapt high to catch it on the edge of the square. He got free from his man, before striking the sliotar powerfully into the top corner.
Kelleher’s subsequent free did little to reduce Muskerry’s lead, who were winning 1-13 to 0-5 at the interval.
Carrigdhoun returned from the break and upped the tempo, but their accuracy woes continued as they sent four attempts wide in just the first five minutes of the second period.
The teams only scored three times in the first 10 minutes of the second period. With a 10-point lead and 20 minutes to go, Muskerry hit four wides on the bounce, but both sides struggled to take their scores.
It took fourteen minutes for either of the two to split the posts, as Carrigdhoun’s Brian Kelleher got his fourth score and just the fourth of the second period in the 53rd minute.
However, Carrigdhoun did challenge Éire Óg’s Dylan Desmond in this period, who had to make a double to stop a shot at goal from Kevin Kavanagh, and the follow up effort from the south-west side.
Muskerry scores from O’Driscoll and O’Shea were cancelled out by two from Kelleher, but with just three minutes remaining the result was certainly set.
E O’Shea 0-7 (0-2 f, 0-2 65), C O’Driscoll 1-1, D Kirwan 0-3, O O’Driscoll 0-2, C Dalton, M Verling, S Cronin 0-1 each.
B Kelleher 0-7 (0-3 f 0-1 65), E O’Donovan 0-2, R Kelleher, S Andrews 0-1 each.
D Desmond (Éire Óg); N Barry Murphy (Aghabullogue), C Timmins (Aghabullogue), D O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); B Corcoran (Éire Óg), M Brady (Éire Óg), F Denny (c, Ballincollig); O O’Driscoll (Cloughduv), E O’Shea (Éire Óg); C Dalton (Ballincollig), D Kirwan (Éire Óg), S Cronin (Grenagh), M Verling (Cloughduv), K Hallissey (Éire Óg), C O’Driscoll (Ballincollig).
Liam Lyons (Ballinora) for Hallissey (46), D Twomey (Grenagh) for C Dalton (52), R Murphy (Kilmicheal) for Cronin (53).
D Mackey (Ballygarvan); J O’Sullivan (Belgooly), C Desmond (c, Valley Rovers), E Lombard (Ballinhassig); K O’Rourke (Kinsale), W Hurley (Valley Rovers), S Fenton (Ballygarvan); F O’Connell (Carrigaline), R Kelleher (Carrigaline); B Kelleher (Carrigaline), C Desmond (Ballinhassig), E O’Donovan (Belgooly); S Andrews (Shamrocks), K Kavanagh (Carrigaline), M Murphy (Kinsale).
G O’Riordan (Belgooly) for O’Donovan (27), J O’Brien (Kinsale) for O’Connell (37), J Murphy (Kinsale) for Andrews, T O’Callaghan (Kinsale) for Fenton (both 46).
Ian McCarthy (Bandon).
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