Blarney deliver statement win over Watergrasshill as Mark Coleman and Cian McCarthy shine
Blarney's Patrick Crowley is strongly challenged by Watergrasshill's Patrick Cronin, during their Senior 'A' HC clash at Grenagh.
Blarney produced an awesome second-half display to secure the all-important win against Watergrasshill in the Co Op Superstores Senior A Hurling Championship at Grenagh.
Make no mistake, this was a statement of intent from the mid Cork side who lost their opening game in this group to Bride Rovers and going into this clash were on the fringes of elimination from the championship.
When a team needs inspiration in a game of this magnitude, they must have a leader and in Cork hurling star Mark Coleman they certainly had one.
Coleman was simply awesome from start to finish and his nine-point tally proved crucial to his team’s emphatic win.
There will be some soul searching in the Watergrasshill camp as Adam Murphy led their scoring on nine points with only three coming from play, with only 12 in total over the hour but it was their low key second half display that will worry the faithful.
The last round of games in this group will see Watergrasshill play Bride Rovers where only a win may suffice and Blarney will also be know that they need a result against Courcey Rovers.
It was evident from the throw in that both teams were up for battle as the game was played at a ferocious pace.
Adam Murphy looked electric from the opening minute and he was on hand to edge Watergrasshill ahead after two minutes but that was quickly matched from a similar strike by Mark Coleman.
The Hill wer relying on Murphy to keep them within striking distance and when he nailed his fourth point in the 10th minute, it reduced the deficit to the minimum.
Sadly for Watergrasshill, they were held scoreless for 11 minutes as Blarney increased their lead to five points. We witnessed a mini-brawl with two minutes remaining to the interval that saw a yellow card issued to a player for each side but it was the goal on the stroke of half-time that proved key to Blarney’s win.
A majestic move saw Denis McSweeney winning possession before finding Cathal McCarthy with the corner-forward placing the final pass to Cian Barrett who drilled an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net.
Trailing 1-13 to 0-9 Watergrasshill would have been the happier of the two sides at the break with the wind advantage for the restart but they never envisaged what Blarney had left in the tank.
Coleman led by example and consecutive long-range points from the captain seemed to inspire his team.
Murphy did open the Watergrasshill scoring in the 32nd minute but they went 18 minutes without scoring again. McCarthy was on hand to register the second Blarney goal midway through the half and the same player showed his eye for goal again in the final minute with a clinical strike.
In the end Blarney knew scoring average may come into play if three teams finish level on points at the end of the final group games, as Watergrasshill were given a little reminder about life in the fast lane.
M Coleman 0-9 (0-4 f, 0-2 65), C McCarthy 2-3, C Barrett 1-0, S Barrett 0-3 f, D McSweeney 0-3, J Murphy, E Kirby 0-2 each, C Power, A McEvoy 0-1 each.
A Murphy 0-9 (0-6 f), S Desmond, A Foley, S O’Regan (65) 0-1 each.
P Hallissey; A McEvoy, C Power, S Crowley; D Murphy, P Crowley, M Coleman; O Hegarty, S Mullane; D McSweeney, S Barrett, E Kirby; S Mulcahy, C Barrrett, C McCarthy.
J Murphy for E Kirby (42), C Hegarty for C Barrett (52), K Cremin for S Mullane (53), W Crowley for D McSweeney (55).
A Foley; C O’Leary, D McCarthy, D Roche; I O’Callaghan, J Gowen, K O’Neill; S O’Regan, A Spriggs; P Cronin, B Lehane, L Foley; A Murphy, S Desmond, P O’Leary.
A Cronin for L Foley (h-t), C Healy for J Gowen (43), C Cronin for P Cronin (43), R Loftus for P O’Leary (43), L Foley for K O’Neill (inj 60).
Ian McCarthy (Bandon).
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