Blackrock power to Rebel Óg U16 hurling league title despite Éire Óg comeback
Blackrock’s Jack Punch is chased down by Éire Óg’s Cormac Ahern. Picture: Chani Anderson
Blackrock landed the Rebel Óg U16 Premier 2 Hurling league with an impressive display against Éire Óg in the Mardyke.
They finished the stronger, with their stronger depth proving decisive as the Ovens side had battled back to tie the game at 1-12 apiece after 47 minutes. Leading scorers Shane O'Shaughnessy and Liam Cummins came up with vital points while Rowan Moran hit the net.
Cummins, who finished with 1-4 and led the line well, had opened the scoring after 20 seconds. The full-forward collected a pass and raised a green flag by beating the tightest of angles, and this was followed by points from play by Ben O’Keeffe, Shane O’Shaughnessy, and Conor Stack.
Eoghan Hogan and Jack Casey got Éire Óg’s on the scoreboard and Blackrock responded with a converted free by Cummins.
Then the team from Muskerry went long and Sam Brennan caught the sliotar on the edge of the square. The corner-forward goaled and suddenly it was game on at 1-4 to 1-2 in the eighth minute.
Jack Punch, Michael Quill, Cummins, and O’Shaughnessy all scored across the rest of the half to keep the city side ahead and they went into the break leading 1-10 to 1-7. The Rockies would have been further in front if not for eight wides.
The game restarted with an O’Shaughnessy free before Hogan responded for Éire Óg. The Muskerry club won the puck-out and managed to create a goal chance which ended with the sliotar going narrowly wide.
After Cummins made it 1-12 to 1-9, Éire Óg rattled off 0-3 and it was a drawn game for the first time since throw-in with 47 minutes on the clock.
Cummins and Punch restored Blackrock’s lead and this was followed by Rowan Moran’s goal in the 52nd minute.
The Rockies management team then brought on Ronan O’Connell and Liam O’Herlihy and the fresh legs allowed them to remain on top in the closing stages.
O’Shaughnessy landed two more points and Cummins converted a free from right in front of the posts which put Blackrock in front by eight points.
That sealed the win and there was no way back for Éire Óg with time running out.
L Cummins 1-4 (0-1 f); S O’Shaughnessy 0-6 (0-1 f), R Moran 1-1, J Punch 0-2, C Stack, K Long, M Quill (65), B O’Keeffe 0-1 each.
S Brennan 1-4 (0-1 f), E Hogan 0-3, C Healy, C Casey, E Hyde (f), C Murphy, D Dineen 0-1 each.
C Coates; S O’Se, F O’Keeffe, J Browne; D Norberg, M Quill, P McCarthy; O McCaffrey, K Long; R Moran, S O’Shaughnessy, C Stack; J Punch, L Cummins, B O’Keeffe.
S O’Flynn for McCaffrey (35); R O’Connell for O’Keeffe (58), L O’Herlihy for Punch (59).
M Sheehan; M O’Riordan, J O’Connell, C Ahern; J Healy, E Hogan, J Downey; C O’Flynn, A Hayfield; C Healy, R Coakley, D Dineen; J Casey, E Hyde, S Brennan.
C Murphy for Healy (40).
Mark Maher (St Finbarr’s).
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