Ballincollig grab three second-half goals to squeeze past Dungourney into Premier IHC final
Ballincollig defender Brian Dore is chased by Jack Leahy, Dungourney. Picture: Larry Cummins
Three second-half goals secured Ballincollig’s passage to the Co-op Superstores PIHC final following their win over Dungourney at Caherlag on Saturday.
The wind was a major factor and Dungourney opted to play against it in the first half, despite winning the toss. They went in 0-11 to 0-6 behind, which was manageable given how strong the gale was.
They dominated on the point-scoring front with the conditions, but Ballincollig’s ability to get goals at crucial times and keep a clean sheet was enough to see them through to the final, having lost the last two semis.
Defensively in the second half, the likes of David O’Sullivan and James Dwyer, returning from injury off the bench, led by example, with Tadhg O’Connell also dropping deep to pick up crucial ball.
It took Ballincollig just 40 seconds to take the lead, when Brian Keating scored from a free, with Jack Leahy equalising, from another free. Bryan Forbes put Dungourney in front, before David O’Sullivan had the sides level, from another free.
Another Leahy free made it 0-3 to 0-2 to Dungourney with five minutes gone. John Ahern increased their lead before Ballincollig started to make the wind count.
Cian O’Driscoll pointed, followed by a Keating free after O'Driscoll was fouled to level. Another Keating free put the Village in front, with centre-back O’Sullivan scoring from distance to increase their lead.
Two Keating frees made it 0-7 to 0-4 in Ballincollig’s favour after 22 minutes, before Leahy reduced the gap from another free.
Sean O’Neill and Theo Morgan pointed for the Village, with Leahy replying, again from a free, to make it 0-9 to 0-6.
Two late scores from Darragh O’Mahony and Keating put them five points up at half-time. The question was would it be enough, given Ballincollig had missed some placed balls, and Dungourney could pick scores from range with the wind.
A huge moment came just 15 seconds into the second half. O’Connell roared up the middle and fed Adam Wills, who burst through the Dungourney defence to find the back of the net.
The East Cork side responded and really started to make the wind tell, as they hit eight points without reply. Their work-rate and intensity put ferocious pressure on Ballincollig when they tried to work the sliotar out.
Two Leahy frees and scores from Niall Motherway reduced the deficit – 1-11 to 0-10. Leahy was about to take another free when the referee told him he had to leave the pitch for blood reasons. But up stepped Ahern to convert the placed ball and he added another to put only two between them.
Further scores from the industrious Shane Hegarty and Mike Leahy had the sides level after 51 minutes, before Wills got Ballincollig’s first point of the second half. A lift after they had struggled for the previous 20 minutes.
Cillian O’Callaghan replied to level it before team captain Cian Dorgan, just on as a sub due to an injury that prevented him starting, got the crucial goal for Ballincollig, a blow Dungourney never recovered from.
With a minute of normal time left Darragh O’Mahony got their third after a fine team move to put the result beyond doubt, with a late Seán O'Neill point capping off a very strong closing spell for the Village.
The PIHC decider is fixed for SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, October 19, as a curtain-raiser to the Premier Senior final.
B Keating 0-5 f, D O’Mahony, A Wills 1-1 each, C Dorgan 1-0, S O’Neill, D O’Sullivan (0-1 f) 0-2 each, C O’Driscoll, T Morgan 0-1 each.
J Leahy 0-7 (0-6 f), J Ahern (0-2 f) 0-3, N Motherway 0-2, B Forbes, M Leahy, S Hegarty, C O’Callaghan, R Denny 0-1 each.
J Linehan; F Denny, J Murray, B Dore; B Coleman, D O’Sullivan, D O’Leary; M Oldham, T Morgan; S O’Neill, T O’Connell, D O’Mahony; A Wills, C O’Driscoll, B Keating.
J Dwyer for J Murray (h-t), C Dorgan (c) for M Oldham (46), P Kelly for D O’Mahony (60), P Morris for A Wills (61).
P Flynn; J McCarthy, M Leahy, D Healy; R Harney, J Griffin, M McGrath; S Hegarty, C Murphy; N McGrath, J Leahy, B Forbes; N Motherway, J Ahern, C O’Callaghan.
K Cody for C Murphy (h-t), R Denny for N McGrath (46 inj).
Kevin O’Sullivan (Valley Rovers).
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