SAHC: Inniscarra ease past Mallow to survive in the senior ranks
Inniscarra's David O'Keeffe hammers the ball to the Mallow net past Padge Buckley, during their SAHC clash, at Blarney. Picture: David Keane
INNISCARRA have secured their senior status following victory over Mallow in the Co-Op SuperStores SAHC relegation play-off at Blarney on Sunday afternoon.
Inniscarra’s one-year stint in the senior ranks was under serious threat but they delivered a big performance to prevail over a disjointed Mallow side who never clicked.
Despite what was at stake, Inniscarra weren’t fazed by the big encounter. The team in blue and white settled quicker hitting the first two points from a Pádraig Holland free and a Shane O’Mahony effort. A Mark Tobin free after five minutes got Mallow up and running but Inniscarra did all the running and they made their dominance count with 1-2 without reply.
David O’Keeffe with an excellent goal, an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net after being set up by Seán O’Donoghue, 1-4 to 0-1 after nine minutes. In a rare Mallow attack in the early stages, big Denis Hayes’ had a go for goal, but his shot was well saved by the experienced Inniscarra goalkeeper John O’Keeffe.
A second goal from the Muskerry outfit arrived after 14 minutes, another goal of the highest quality, this time it was Colm Casey, his rasper of a shot flew into the top corner of the net. Mallow’s response was three frees from Tobin before the sides traded points, 2-5 to 0-5 after 23 minutes.
The winners hit three of the last five points of the half to lead 2-8 to 0-7 at half-time.
Mallow required a strong start to the second-half but it didn’t transpire, with Scarra hitting three of the first four points in the new half. Casey’s point the pick of the bunch, 2-11 to 0-8 after 36 minutes. The teams exchanged points before Paul Lyons' well-struck effort was expertly saved by the Scarra netminder John O’Keeffe.
Three points on the trot from Mallow left six points between the teams. A beauty of a point from O’Donoghue was Scarra’s first score in 11 minutes, 2-13 to 0-12 after 47 minutes. The Mid-Cork side effectively ended the game with a third goal after 54 minutes, Holland with a rocket of a shot into the roof of the Mallow net.
A pair of Holland points, one from a free, pushed Scarra’s advantage out to 12 points with two minutes remaining. Mallow netted a consolation goal from Ronan Mills, a close-range effort a minute from time. Holland converted a free in injury time for the winners before Mallow sub Mark Kelleher bisected the posts. Scarra’s Owen McCarthy received a second yellow card in the last few seconds, but the job was done by the boys in blue and white.
P Holland 1-5 (0-3 f), C Casey 1-4, D O’Keeffe 1-1, S O’Donoghue 0-3, C O’Leary, M Nagle, S O’Mahony 0-1 each.
M Tobin 0-9 (0-8 f), R Mills 1-0, S Leneghan 0-2 (0-1 f), Daniel Sheehan, M Kelleher 0-1 each.
J O’Keeffe; D Keane, C O’Leary, B O’Mahony; S Sheehan, L Ryan, J Harrington; S O’Mahony, C Lombard; C Casey, M Nagle, S O’Donoghue; O McCarthy, P Holland, D O’Keeffe.
J O’Sullivan for B O’Mahony (49), J Enright for M Nagle (50), M Nagle for S O’Mahony (57, inj), S O’Leary for C O’Leary (60).
P Buckley; S Copps, B Kingston, J Healy; Dan Sheehan, N O’Riordan, D Moynihan; S Buckley, P Lyons; F O’Neill, R Sheehan, R Mills; M Tobin, D Hayes, Daniel Sheehan.
S O’Callaghan for J Healy (20), P Healy for S Buckley (25), M Kelleher for M Tobin, S Leneghan for S O’Callaghan (both 43).
Colm Lyons (Nemo Rangers).
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