Blackrock U21s hit four goals to blast past Na Piarsaigh
Blackrock's Ryan Sweeney wins possession ahead of Na Piarsaigh's Sean Downey. Picture: David Keane.
Blackrock booked their PharmaCare U21 A Seandún Hurling Championship semi-final place as they defeated Na Piarsaigh.
Blackrock’s goals, including a Mikey O'Connell hat-trick, were to prove decisive, as they played a more open game. The Fair Hill side were dependent on scores from placed-balls.
Na Piarsaigh created two late goal-scoring opportunities, which were foiled by the Blackrock defence.
Ryan Sweeney opened the scoring with a point from play for Blackrock, but this was cancelled out by Na Piarsaigh's first free from Ross O’Sullivan.
In the third minute, Mikey O’Connell drilled home the game’s opening goal, to give Blackrock a three-point advantage. The Fair Hill side responded with a point from play by Jack Scanlon, which was followed by two frees by O’Sullivan, which tied the scores at four points apiece.
Vaughan Ryan and Jack O’Sullivan each added points for Blackrock. Ross O’Sullivan replied with three points from play and a free for Na Piarsaigh, which levelled matters at seven points apiece.
A Ryan Sweeney free led to Blackrock’s second goal, following a free to put his side ahead by three points. PJ Linehan and Ryan each tagged on points from play for Blackrock before Na Piarsaigh seized the initiative.
O’Sullivan replied with two points, one from play, and Cian Hogan also added a point from play which left it 2-6 to 0-10 in Blackrock’s favour at the break.
Blackrock had Na Piarsaigh on the back foot from the resumption as Eoin de Burca slotted over a point from play and Sweeney got Blackrock’s first score from a placed-ball. O’Connell stretched the margin to seven points, with his third goal from the corner of Na Piarsaigh’s square in the 36th minute.
The Fair Hill side’s Luke Sheehan exchanged points with Blackrock’s Lee O’Sullivan and this was followed by Ross O’Sullivan's sixth free.
Both sides exchanged three points each, with one of Blackrock points coming from a free by Sweeney, entering the final quarter. Wayward puck-outs were proving to be costly as O’Connell got his third goal from the edge of the square, four minutes from time
Sweeney completed the scoring for Blackrock in the 58th minute before Na Piarsaigh had Blackrock pinned deep inside their half in stoppage time. Persistent fouling was to be Blackrock’s undoing, but their defence held firm.
M O’Connell 3-0, R Sweeney 1-4 (1-3 f), V Ryan, E de Burca 0-2 each, E Coughlan, J O’Sullivan, PJ Linehan, L O’Sullivan, J O’Farrell 0-1 each.
R O’Sullivan 0-9 (0-6 f), L Sheehan, D Scanlon 0-2 each, SP Cooke, C Hogan 0-1 each.
R Browne; T Harrington, C Coakley, J Ryan; L O’Donovan, S Healy, L O’Sullivan; J O’Sullivan, R Sweeney; PJ Linehan, V Ryan, E de Burca; F O’Keeffe, M O’Connell, E Coughlan.
D Browne for Harrington (15), B Lynch for L O’Donovan, J O’Farrell for Coughlan (both h-t), A Geary for O’Keeffe (43), R O’Shaughnessy for Ryan (53).
C O’Brien; E Cronin, A Burke, C Meaney; J Scanlon, S O’Mahony, P Lehane; S Downey, D Scanlon; C Hogan, R O’Sullivan, L Sheehan; SP Cooke, M Sheehan, R Lynch.
C O’Leary for M Sheehan (37), E Kenny for J Scanlon (48).
Mark Maher (St Finbarr’s).
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