IAHC: Blackrock beat Ballygiblin to set up semi-final showdown with Midleton
Blackrock's Eoin Smith shoots from Ballygiblin's Patrick Molloy during the Co-Op Superstores IAHC quarter-final at Riverstown Picture: Eddie O'Hare
WHAT a result for Blackrock’s second string, and the perfect tee-up for the seniors’ quarter-final on Sunday against Sars, as they claimed a huge win of their own against Ballygiblin.
They'll now face Midleton in the IAHC last four, with Mayfield and Aghabullogue on the other side of the draw.
Credit must be given to Ballygiblin who played a huge part in a thoroughly entertaining contest in Riverstown. The Rockies had their noses in front throughout but could never shake off the All-Ireland junior club champions.
The Rockies enjoyed a 0-11 to 0-7 half-time lead with Eoin O’Farrell and Ryan Sweeney impressing. O’Farrell was a key component in a side that managed double figures in the first half, five of those scored by the midfielder, all from inch-perfect frees and 65s.
Ballygiblin certainly came out the brighter of the two sides in the second half. Shane Beston, Patrick Malloy and Joseph O Sullivan scored the opening three scores of the second half to narrow Blackrock’s lead to one.
If Eoin O’Farrell was the talisman for the Rockies then Joseph O’Sullivan was his match in every way for Ballygiblin. Equally as deadly from frees, the midfielder scored 0-12 on the day, 10 from frees/65s. His pinpoint accurate free from distance on 51 minutes leveled the game for the first time.
One of Eoin O’Farrell’s few scores from play proved to be controversial as the half-forward’s strike from a tight angle was given by the umpires despite protests from the Ballygiblin fans and players that it had missed the posts.
Regardless, two scores from star man Joseph O’Sullivan made it all square soon after. 0-17 apiece with five minutes left on the clock, there was a sense that the initiative lay with the surging Ballygiblin men. But Blackrock weren't having it.
Points down the home stretch from substitutes Lee O'Sullivan and Fionn Coleman gave them sight of the semi-final and Tom Grainger sealed the deal with a 59th-minute goal when he was the only free Rockies man in the small square ready to pounce and put the contest to bed.
E O’Farrell 0-9 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), T Grainger 1-0, R Sweeney 0-3 (0-1 f), I O’Keefe 0-2, R Laide, D O Farrell, John O’Sullivan, S Healy, F Coleman, L O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
J O’Sullivan 0-12 (0-9 f, 0-1 65), S Beston 0-3, P Malloy, K Duggan, D Barry 0-1 each.
R Browne; J Golden, G Norberg, J Ryan; R Laide, L O’Donovan, E Cantwell; S Healy, D O’Farrell; I O’Keefe, E O’Farrell, R Sweeney; J O’Sullivan, F Coleman, E Smith.
T Grainger for C Coakley (47), L O Sullivan for L O Donovan (53), F Coleman for S Healy (58).
J Finn; B Coffey, F Herlihy, S O’Doherty; K Roche, R Donegan, A O’Brien; P Malloy, J O’Sullivan; S Beston, D Flynn, D Sheehan; K Duggan, S O’Sullivan, D Barry.
J Lewis for A O’Brien (26), E Flynn for D Sheehan (47), DR Price for P Malloy (51).
B Sweeney.
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