Impressive Ballincollig gain revenge on Carrigaline in Premier Intermediate quarter-final
Carrigaline's Patrick Mellett and Ballincollig's David O'Leary tussle for a loose ball during the PIHC match in Riverstick. Picture: Howard Crowdy
A statement performance from Ballincollig, a display that ticked most boxes.
Built as two heavyweights going head-to-head, Ballincollig showed maturity, class and composure to see off Carrigaline in the Co-Op SuperStores PIHC quarter-finals at Riverstick on Sunday afternoon.
The Village have now made the last four for the third season on the trot following this comfortable 12-point victory. They will meet Dungourney in two weeks.
Eamonn Keating’s team were full value for this win despite missing a number of key players due to injury. They had played with the wind in the opening half as they led by seven points at half-time, but their display after the break was outstanding.
Their work-rate, attitude and understanding was on a different level to their opposition and showed how far they have come since losing by a point to Carrigaline in the last four last year.
Ballincollig had a strong wind advantage for the opening 30 minutes and made the most of it.
They landed the first three points, Brian Keating with two frees and a David O’Sullivan effort.
Brian Kelleher did get Carrigaline up and running after seven minutes before the sides traded white flags.
There was plenty of needle in what was a scrappy opening quarter.
O’Sullivan clipped over another effort for Ballincollig, this time from a free, but Brian Kelleher (free) and David Drake efforts left Carrigaline a point adrift, 0-5 to 0-4 after 20 minutes.
The Village used the wind to their advantage landing six unanswered points. O’Sullivan’s long-range effort the pick of the scores, an inspirational one which brought a huge roar from the large Ballincollig crowd.
A couple of poor Carrigaline wides didn’t deter them. Brian Kelleher added another free, 0-11 to 0-5 going into added time.
Carrigaline were hanging on but their opposition got two of the last three points of the half to lead 0-13 to 0-6 at the short whistle.
Eddie Murphy’s outfit had wind advantage for the new half and they did hit the first two points through Brian Kelleher, a free and also a 65.
The same player had the first goal chance from a close in free, but it was stopped by Collig netminder James Linehan.
A Keating free was a huge one for the Muskerry side, 0-14 to 0-8 after 37 minutes.
Éanna Desmond was only Carrigaline’s third scorer, but with 20 minutes still to go, it would be their last point despite having the wind advantage.
Ballincollig were majestic all over the pitch with Brian Dore, David O’Leary and Jordan Murray leading the way at the back.
Seán O’Neill’s introduction did give the team in green and white another dimension. They would land five unanswered points to lead 0-19 to 0-9 after 53 minutes. The evergreen Barry Coleman’s effort the pick of those scores.
The game was put to bed two minutes from time, when Keating, just back on having been treated for an injury, billowed the back of the Carrigaline net.
O’Sullivan and Keating rounded off the scoring for the winners. Carrigaline sub Kevin O’Reilly did net a consolation goal in between those points.
B Keating 1-11 (0-9 f), D O’Sullivan 0-4 (0-1 f), M Oldham 0-2, B Coleman, T Morgan, C Dorgan, C O’Driscoll 0-1 each.
B Kelleher 0-7 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), K O’Reilly 1-0, E Desmond, D Drake 0-1 each.
J Linehan; F Denny, J Murray, B Dore; B Coleman, D O’Sullivan, D O’Leary; T O’Connell, T Morgan; C Dorgan, B Keating, D O’Mahony; M Oldham, C O’Driscoll, A Wills.
S O’Neill for A Wills (43), P Morris for B Keating (55-58, temp), C Dalton for C Dorgan (58), P Morris for D O’Mahony, P Kelly for M Oldham (both 61).
R Foster; C Vaughan, S Williamson, D King; K Kavanagh, D Griffin, D Greene; H Andrews, J McCarthy; E Desmond, P Mellett, R O’Shea; D Drake, B Kelleher, F O’Connell.
R Kelleher for J McCarthy (h-t), D Stack for D King (41), K O’Reilly for F O’Connell (44), N O’Keeffe for H Andrews (51), C Kearney for P Mellett (53).
Patrick O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).
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