Brian Kelleher late point keeps Carrigaline in the Premier IHC after narrow win over Ballymartle

Carrigaline 0-20 

Ballymartle 1-16 

A point in the dying seconds from Brian Kelleher kept Carrigaline in the Co-Op Superstores Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship at the expense of local rivals Ballymartle on Sunday afternoon at Minane Bridge.

It was a straight shootout from the start as both teams has two points apiece going into the game meaning it was a play-off to decide who would go through to the quarter finals.

Carrigaline edged it out by navigating a marathon tie that saw the two clubs level 12 times over the course of the hour.

Ballymartle did have momentum late on when the sliotar hit the post and rebounded out to Luke O’Callaghan for a goal on the edge of the square, to make it 1-12 to 0-13.

What saw Carrigaline through was their scoring diversity as seven different players put the ball over the bar.

This was where the game was won, as just four from Ballymartle were able to hit the target. 

Cork U20 star Ryan Deasy led their show by tallying 0-12 with 11 frees converted by the half-forward.

It wasn’t enough in the end, or at half-time to build up a lead as the two clubs were locked at 0-9 apiece.

Carrigaline would have been ahead if not for a Desmond penalty miss, which was expertly stopped by Darren McCarthy as the goalkeeper dived low to his right.

Things exploded in the second half with both teams finding space and putting the sliotar over the bar, starting with Deasy getting his sixth free.

The Cork star then got into a goal scoring position and this was scrambled away by the Carrigaline back-line, before Kelleher raised two quick white flags in a matter of seconds.

Once O’Callaghan goaled, the game exploded to life with the scoreboard level four times going into injury time.

The entire game and season for Carrigaline rested on Desmond, who kept his composure to send last year’s beaten finalists through to the quarter finals.

Scorers for Carrigaline: B Kelleher 0-8 (3f, 1 65); E Desmond 0-5, D Drake 0-3, F O’Connell, H Andrews, R Kelleher and D Greene 0-1 each.

Ballymartle: R Deasy 0-12 (11f); L O’Callaghan 1-2, B Corry, F Desmond 0-1 each.

CARRIGALINE: R Foster; D Greene, S Williamson, D King; H Andrews, K Kavanagh, C Vaughan; B O’Driscoll, J McCarthy; R O’Shea, P Mellett, D Drake; B Kelleher, E Desmond, K O’Reilly.

Subs: N O’Keeffe for O’Driscoll (35); F O’Connell for P Mellett (40), R Kelleher for Andrews (60).

BALLYMARTLE: D McCarthy; C Coleman, TJ Murphy, E O’Leary; J Dwyer, R Cahalane, S Corry; F Desmond, S Dorney; S Cummins, E Healy, E Deasy; C Lordan, B Corry, L O’Callaghan.

Subs: P Dorney for O’Leary (30); J McCarthy for Dwyer (39), D Desmond for Dorney (60).

Referee: Simon Stokes (Tullylease)