Charleville relegate Bishopstown from Premier Senior Hurling as Tim Hawe hits hat-trick

Charleville 3-24 Bishopstown 2-18

A hat-trick from Tim Hawe fired Charleville to safety in Grenagh on Saturday afternoon as they were worthy winners over Bishopstown in the Co-op Superstores Cork PSHC relegation play-off. 

Bishopstown played their part in a very entertaining game that belied what was at stake but their stint in the topflight of Cork hurling is now over.

Hawe’s third goal came with five minutes remaining and it proved to be the final nail in the Town’s coffin, putting Charleville 3-21 to 0-18 in front. The Town kept going to the very end, with Mark Driscoll, who had been moved from goalkeeper to full-forward, and Colm O’Driscoll striking for two late goals, but it was too little too late for the city side.

When they analyse the defeat, their thoughts will turn to a chance that went a-begging at the end of the third quarter. Hawe’s first two goals gave Charleville a 2-11 to 0-11 interval lead and they outscored the Town by 0-6 to 0-4 after the break, Darragh Fitzgibbon with three of them. The excellent Conor Hegarty then put Luke Lordan through on goals, but his bullet of a shot flashed to the wrong side of the post. It proved to be a terminal blow to the Town’s chances, and while they went tit for tat with Charleville after that chance, Hawe’s third goal finished them off.

Bishopstown had the wind at their backs in the opening half, and the only real difference between the sides was Hawe’s first two goals. His opener came in the fifth minute when he picked up a lovely ball in from Fitzgibbon, beat his men, and kicked the ball to the net.

Fitzgibbon and Colm O’Driscoll had exchanged scores before that, and the sides were soon level again as points from Daniel Murray, Hegarty and Thomas Murray brough the Town to 0-4. Charleville then hit three on the spin with Fitzgibbon, Conor Buckley and Oran O’Connell on target before Thomas Murray and Buckley exchanged scores to leave Hawe’s goal between them with fifteen minutes played, 1-5 to 0-5.

Charleville were looking that bit sharper, especially up front as two placed balls from Fitzgibbon and Jack Doyle’s first outdid another O’Driscoll point for the Town to leave five between them. Successive frees from ‘keeper Driscoll and Murray then reduced the margin before Hawe struck again. This time he was at the end of a lovely move involving Buckley and David Forde, giving Driscoll no chance from close range.

He added a point immediately afterwards, Hegarty cancelled it out before Driscoll saved brilliantly from Andrew Cagney. Forde then clipped over his first before frees from Murray and Driscoll left two goals between them at the break, 2-11 to 0-11.

Bishopstown needed to get the next goal if they were going to pull off another great escape, but it was to be Hawe who would prove his worth, again.

Scorers for Charleville: T Hawe 3-2, D Fitzgibbon 0-7 (0-5 f), J Doyle 0-4, D O’Flynn, C Buckley, A Cagney, D Forde 0-2 each, O O’Connell, J O’Brien, G Kelleher 0-1 each.

Bishopstown: T Murray 0-9 (0-8 f, 0-1 65), M Driscoll 1-2 (0-2 f), C O’Driscoll 1-2, C Murray, D Murray 0-2 each, D O’Donovan 0-1.

CHARLEVILLE: C Collins; D Butler, J Buckley (c), J Madigan; A Dennehy, D O’Flynn, F Cagney; D Casey, D Fitzgibbon; O O’Connell, C Buckley, J Doyle; A Cagney, D Forde, T Hawe.

Subs: G Kelleher for O’Connell (41), J O’Brien for C Buckley (49), D O’Riordan for Forde (55), R Carroll for Madigan and M O’Flynn for Cagney (both 56).

BISHOPSTOWN: M Driscoll; R Foley, D Daly, S Murphy; G Murphy, P Honohan, C Dunne; C O’Hora, D Quaid; C Hegarty, C O’Driscoll, D Murray; D O’Donovan, B Murray (c), T Murray.

Subs: L Lordan for Murphy (26), K O’Halloran for Lordan (49), D Lester for Foley (55), K McFadden for Quaid and M McStay for Honohan (both 60).    

Referee: Ian McCarthy (Bandon).