City Division U21 A HC: Blackrock blitz at the death sinks St Finbarr's in semi-final
Kyle Leahy, Blackrock breaking between St Finbarr's Jack Brady and James Kennefick in the Seandún Pharmacare City Division U21 A Hurling Championship semi-final match at Church Road, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan
It wouldn’t be fair to say the scoreline flattered Blackrock, but their Pharmacare City Division U21 A Hurling Championship semi-final on Wednesday night against St Finbarr’s was far closer than the final result suggests.
For 52 minutes on a cold southside night in Church Road, St Finbarr’s had Blackrock within arm’s reach, the gap down to two and possibility in the air. Then, the Rockies ripped the contest from their grasp with a goal, and disappeared into the distance with seven unanswered points.
Blackrock march on to face Glen Rovers in the final, and they do so as deserving winners.
It was Eoin Coughlan who steadied the pulse first, landing a free to nudge the Rockies three clear after 53 minutes.
Almost instantly, sub Adam O’Callaghan sent him through for a clever finish moments later, 1-18 to 0-15. The Barrs did flick once more, Luke O’Shea and William Buckley (free) trimming it back, but Blackrock had already tightened the bolts. Ollie McAdoo’s late switch onto Buckley stemmed the Togher talisman’s influence.
Coughlan and Ryan Sweeney led the final wave, minors such as Rowan Moran surfing it, and the scoreboard went beyond reach of St Finbarr’s.
That finish masked the graft that preceded it. Jamie Ryan and Sean Healy were superb in defence, completely nullifying Buckley and John Wigginton-Barrett. The Barrs’ chief marksmen found little oxygen – just three from play for Buckley, no shot at all for Wigginton-Barrett.
Blackrock’s best hurling came in pulses, opening at pace to push 0-4 to 0-2 clear through Fionn O’Keeffe, Kyle Leahy and Shane O’Shaughnessy.
By the 12 minute, the Barrs had the gap back down to one, 0-5 to 0-4, fortunate not to be further behind with goalkeeper Eoin Kelleher forced to make three sharp stops in the early stages.
But by the 17-minute mark, a Coughlan-driven burst had daylight at 0-9 to 0-4.
The Barrs rallied, as they always do. James Murray clipped one, linked beautifully with Evan Malone to tee up Buckley’s first from play. Yet three more Rockies scores, two again from the unerring Coughlan, had it 0-12 to 0-6 as half-time neared. Blackrock led by five at the interval after a Buckley free.
Minor Michael Quill – magnificent at wing-back all night – helped stretch it again on the restart with his second point from play.
The Barrs came hunting in the third quarter, O’Shea, Conor McCarthy and Buckley reducing the margin to four. Sweeney, growing with every possession, split the posts on 44 minutes with one of many excellent scores to steady the home camp again, 0-15 to 0-11.
It was tight right up until Blackrock’s strong finish, the hosts not able to pull any further ahead, but not allowing the Barrs back into the picture.
When Rickey Barrett and Buckley strung a spell of two together for the blue and gold, it looked as though they may have a tight finish, but the Rockies answered, and kicked the door shut.
E Coughlan 1-11 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), R Sweeney, F O’Keeffe 0-4 each, M Quill 0-2, K Leahy, R Moran, S O’Shaughnessy 0-1 each.
W Buckley 0-10 (0-7 f), L O’Shea 0-3, C McCarthy 0-2, J Murray, R Barrett 0-1 each.
D Murphy; D Browne, C Coakley, J Ryan; M Quill, S Healy, B Lynch; O McAdoo, L O’Sullivan; S O’Shaughnessy, R Sweeney, K Leahy; F O’Keeffe, E Coughlan, A Geary.
R O’Riordan for Lynch (37), A O’Callaghan for Leahy (45), R Moran for O’Shaughnessy (51).
E Kelleher; J Kennefick, S Kennedy, C Buckley; J Brady, T Egan, T Howe; C McCarthy, J Murray; R Barrett, W Buckley, E Malone; L O’Shea, J Wigginton-Barrett, C Hegarty.
S Doolan for Buckley (28-HT temp), Doolan for Hegarty (36).
P Lyons (Bishopstown)
App?
