SAHC: Blarney lay down marker with 19-point win over Courcey Rovers
Blarney's Olan Hegarty moves away from Courcey Rovers' Fergus Lordan. Picture: Denis Boyle
Blarney held their nerve to seal a spot in the business end of the Co-Op SuperStores SAHC following a big win over Courcey Rovers at Newcestown on Saturday evening.
The beaten finalists in the last two seasons knew a win was a must in this Group 3 Round 3 contest played in dreadful weather conditions and they delivered with a display full of courage, belief and quality.
Blarney will now meet Na Piarsaigh in the quarter-finals.
They laid the foundation in the opening half, leading by 12 points at the short whistle. They pushed on to win by 19 points and it could have easily been more.
Courcey Rovers have now lost all three of their group games as they will head for the relegation play-off against Bishopstown.
They will have to improve big time. They only managed two points from play, with the first coming after 44 minutes and had just two different scorers.
Blarney hit the ground running. Eoghan Kirby landed a pair of points inside five minutes.
Richard Sweetnam, Courcey Rovers' only scorer in the first half, converted a free, but it was one-way traffic.
A pair of Mark Coleman frees and a Cathal McCarthy effort was followed by a Coleman penalty after 15 minutes.
Olan Hegarty set up Cian Barrett who was pulled down in the square, 1-5 to 0-1.
The sides traded points before the excellent Kirby pointed as well as Shane Mulcahy from an acute angle.
Sweetnam hit over another free, but Courcey Rovers trailed 1-8 to 0-3 after 23 minutes with the wind favouring no particular team. They were just being outfought.
Blarney landed the last four points of the half with Kirby getting one of the scores, which was his fifth, 1-12 to 0-3 at half-time.
The rain got heavier after the interval, but the Blarney machine showed no signs of abating.
Courcey Rovers did get a penalty a minute into the new half after Daniel O’Donovan was pulled down. Sweetnam stepped up, but his effort hit the post.
The sides exchanged white flags until Denis McSweeney clipped over a beauty of a point for the Muskerry men.
Sweetnam was accurate from frees, he pointed another, before the game was put to bed after 42 minutes when Cathal McCarthy finished low into the net, 2-14 to 0-5.
That was followed by Shane Barrett pointing, his first in what was a quiet enough game by his standards.
Courcey Rovers did finally score from play, that man Sweetnam bisecting the posts 16 minutes from time.
Blarney tacked on 1-2 without reply to finish off their scoring in the final quarter. McSweeney with his side’s third goal after 54 minutes, 3-17 to 0-6.
Courcey Rovers sub John McCarthy did get the last score of the encounter. They have plenty of food for thought before meeting Bishopstown to avoid dropping down.
No such problems for Blarney, they power on.
M Coleman 1-5 (0-5 f, 1-0 pen), E Kirby 0-5, C McCarthy, D McSweeney 1-2 each, S Barrett 0-2, S Mulcahy 0-1.
R Sweetnam 0-6 (0-5 f), J McCarthy 0-1.
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 Barrett, C McCarthy.
C Hegarty for C Barrett (46), J Murphy for C McCarthy (51), D Hanlon for S Crowley, M O’Leary for S Mulcahy (both 55), W Crowley for S Mullane (61).
G Moore; D Collins, F Lordan, C Daly; O Crowley, C Roche, M Collins; DJ Twomey, C Morgan; L Collins, T O’Sullivan, R O’Callaghan; A O’Donovan, R Sweetnam, D O’Donovan.
B Collins for A O’Donovan (23, inj), J McCarthy for C Morgan (h-t), C Crowley for T O’Sullivan (47), P O’Donoghue for D Collins (55).
Conor Lane (Banteer).
App?
