SAHC: Blarney edge out Ballyhea to progress as Mark Coleman returns from injury with two points
Joseph Hickey, Ballyhea, challenges Peter Philpott, Blarney, as he kicks the sliotar clear in the SAHC at Mourneabbey. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
BLARNEY made it through to the SAHC quarter-finals on Saturday evening, squeezing past Ballyhea in Mourneabbey to secure their progression – something that looked unlikely just a month ago.
After losing out to Newcestown on the opening day of competition, the Muskerry men had their backs to the wall since. However, a narrow win over Courcey Rovers and this win over Ballyhea means the men in red are through to the knockout stages.
Led in the scoring stakes by Cork star Shane Barrett, Blarney looked well in the hunt from the off, Cathal Hegarty, Shane Mulcahy and Cian Barrett all helping out to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
On the other side, the mercurial Pa O’Callaghan led the line, a personal tally of 1-14 a clear indication of the centre forward’s importance to his side.
Tom Hanley, Jamie Copps and Maurice O’Sullivan are another trio with plenty of skill as Ballyhea looked to push through at the expense of the night’s opposition.
There was little or nothing to separate these two sides from the first to the 32nd minute and the short whistle, with Blarney just edging the opening period thanks to four points on the bounce: 0-11 to 0-10.
On a beautiful evening for championship knockout hurling neither side asked for nor gave quarter with the challenges flying in on all sides – plenty of frees in the opening period but hardly a dirty stroke in it.
As one would expect, a battle of the free takers dominated the first half with number eight Barrett notching up six frees and a tasteful point from play with Ballyhea’s starman, O’Callaghan bagging the same – his tally of four frees and a 65, allied to two of the most spectacular points from play kept his side in touch to the break.
Inside the opening minute, there was a point apiece on the board, a long-range effort from Maurice O’Sullivan was quickly cancelled out by Barrett’s first free.
The boys in black and white hit two points on the bounce, O’Callaghan and Gavin Morrissey on target but Barrett was more than a match with his accuracy from placed balls – the sides level on 10, 17, and 30 minutes – Ballyhea didn’t trail till the half time break.
A lovely point from Mulcahy pushed Blarney two clear on the resumption but the next 60 seconds would go a long way to deciding the outcome – Ballyhea corner-forward Eugene O’Leary goaled however O’Callaghan suffered a heavy injury in making the goal – the number 11’s movement was severely hampered from that to the finish.
The sides traded scores to the three-quarter mark when a goal from second-half sub Eoghan Kirby (his first of two) turned the game on its head.
Kirby’s net-buster led to four points on the bounce from Blarney and while O’Callaghan chipped away with the frees, another Kirby goal on 50 minutes all but ended this one as a contest.
Credit to Ballyhea, they continued to fight and four frees and a late penalty from O’Callaghan cut the gap to five, but this one was done.
For Cork fans, Blarney star Mark Coleman came in and played the last 20 minutes, his first action in 12 months for the club, and bagged a brace of super scores.
Blarney will now face Cloyne in the last six after the East Cork side saw off Mallow to secure progression.
S Barrett 0-14 (0-11 f), E Kirby 2-0; C Barrett, M Coleman, S Mulcahy, C Hegarty 0-2 each; D McSweeney 0-1.
P O’Callaghan 1-14 (1-0 pen, 0-10 f, 0-1 65); E O’Leary 1-0; J Hickey, G Morrissey, M O’Sullivan, T Hanley 0-1 each.
C Murphy; S Crowley, P O’Leary, D Murphy; P Philpott, P Crowley, A McEvoy; S Barrett, O Hegarty; D McSweeney; C Power, C Hegarty; S Mulcahy, P Power, C Barrett.
E Kirby for C Power and M Coleman for S Mulcahy (both 40), C Dunlea for D McSweeney (57), J O’Keeffe for P Crowley and C McCarthy for P Power (both 61).
M Browne; A Barrett, J Hennessy, L Hanley; C Cox, Tom Hanley, J Copps, Tiernan Hanley, L Crowley, P O’Callaghan, G Morrissey; J Hickey, J Morrissey, E O’Leary.
D Curtin for G Morrissey (40), D Copps for L Crowley (55).
W Wallis (Midleton)
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