Blackrock hit Aghabullogue for three goals to progress from camogie group stage
Aghabullogue's Ciara McCarthy is tackled by Blackrock's Aisling Leahy during the SE Systems Cork Senior Camogie Championship at Rathpeacon. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Three second-half goals helped Blackrock secure an SE Systems Senior Camogie Championship preliminary quarter-final.
Aghabullogue battled hard but were without Cork intermediate star Emma Flanagan, who picked up a serious knee injury in their last outing and she was a big loss as they found it hard to cope with the pace of a lively Blackrock.
The sides were level at the break 0-5 each but Blackrock had enjoyed a lot of first-half possession only for a resolute Aghabullogue defence to keep them at bay. Cliona Healy was unerring from placed balls, firing over four, and with Ciara McCarthy adding one they stayed in touch with Blackrock who had Hayley Ryan on target with four and Juliet O'Keeffe with one.
On the restart, Aoife Twomey denied Blackrock a goal with a superb save and Aghabullogue raced into a three-point lead through Healy, Lily O'Shea and Ciara McCarthy.
In the space of 30 seconds, the lead changed with two Blackrock goals.
The first was thanks to the hard work of Bronagh O'Shaughnessy who won possession from a long puck-out and raced through before offloading to Cliona O'Callaghan, who finished from close range. From the puck-out Erinn Curtain won possession and in a carbon copy move set up Hayley Ryan who made no mistake.
Beginning to win a lot of possession out around the middle, Blackrock were now applying huge pressure.
The sides swapped points before Cliona O'Callaghan had Blackrock’s third goal at the end of the third quarter.
Aghabullogue replied with two points but the strength of Blackrock was beginning to tell and three points in a row saw them put them seven up.
Aghabullogue kept at it and forced a good save from Anna Kearney, but finishing stronger Blackrock had enough to get over the line with Ryan and O'Callaghan replying to points from Healy and McCarthy.
With Cloughduv defeating Inniscarra 1-10 to 0-9 in the other game in the group Cloughduv finished on top.
Inniscarra and Blackrock were in joint second with Inniscarra taking the quarter-final spot and Blackrock going to a preliminary quarter. The placing decided by the county board was based the criteria of least conceded, Scarra left in 41 to Blackrock's 49.
H Ryan 1-8 (0-5 f), C O'Callaghan 2-3, M Coffee, J O'Keeffe 0-1 each.
C Healy 0-8 f, C McCarthy 0-3, L O'Shea, A Foley 0-1 each.
A Kearney: L McKeogh, M Ryan, A Hegarty; A Leahy, O Grimley, M Cashman; J O'Keeffe, A O Farrell; M Coffee, B O'Shaughnessy, H Ryan; S McCarthy, C O'Callaghan, R de Faoite.
E Curtin for A O'Farrell (38), J Murphy for L mc Keogh (38), K O'Sullivan for J O'Keeffe (42), K O'Brien for M Cashman (48).
A Twomey; A O'Sullivan, M Cotter, B Cotter; E Barrett, M Ring, A Barrett; L O'Shea, R Barrett; E Buckley, C Healy, E Duff; C Daly, C McCarthy, A Foley.
A Dineen for A O'Sullivan (inj 53), S Dineen for E Buckley (55).
Denis Motherway (St Fanahan's).
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