Charleville hurlers finish league campaign strongly against Fr O'Neill's
Charleville's Zack Biggane is tackled by Fr O'Neill's Daniel Harrington during their Division 1 HL clash played in Castletownroche. Picture: David Keane.
With league finalists and relegation already confirmed both Charleville and Fr O'Neills had a useful workout for the Co-Op Superstores Premier SHC when they clashed in their concluding game in the Red FM Division 1 HL at Castletownroche.
While 10 points separated the teams at the end the game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests. With 10 minutes of normal time remaining just a point separated the teams, 1-18 to 1-17, but the Rathluirc side hit a purple patch, adding a further 2-6 without reply. The goals coming in injury time by Cathal O'Carroll and Robert Carroll as they finished their campaign on a positive note.
Played in ideal conditions, both teams were quick into the action with the game evenly poised for the fourth occasion at 0-4 apiece by the 11th minute. During this half, the North Cork side shaded matters for long periods. A brace of points by David Forde and Tim Hawe moved them 0-8 to 0-4 in front at the end of the first quarter.
Fr O'Neill's replied with a goal when Jason Hankard set up the in-rushing Rob Cullinane, who finished to the net. However, Charleville continued to set most of the running.
In the 20th minute, a delivery by the impressive Jack O'Callaghan was cleared off the line by Fr O'Neill's keeper Jonathan Swayne with the rebound picked up by Conor Buckley who set up David Forde to billow an unstoppable shot to the roof of the O'Neill's net.
Further pressure saw them extend their lead to 1-14 to 1-7 by the 27th minute when Forde (2), Hawe, Robert Carroll and Zack Biggane were on target. In the closing moments, O'Neill's rallied well.
They forced the Charleville defence to concede a number of frees that were expertly punished by Kevin O'Sullivan that closed the deficit at the interval to 1-14 to 1-10.
On the changeover exchanges, were again keenly contested early on. Charleville had points by Jack O'Callaghan, Robert Carroll and Cathal O'Carroll with O'Neill's replying through Kevin O'Sullivan, Tom Millerick and Jason Hankard: 1-17 to 1-13 by the 40th minute.
Both teams came close to a second goal. Jason Hankard's effort came back off the upright while Sean Bresnan was denied by Swayne.
As the half went on Fr O'Neill's enjoyed their best spell of the game with Tom Millerick, Kevin O'Sullivan, Robert Cullinane, Mark O'Keeffe and Ryan Kenneally most effective and helped by points by O'Sullivan (3) and Cullinane, the lead was down to the minimum with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, 1-18 to 1-17.
Just when the East Cork side looked like getting back on parity, it was Charleville who had some fine displays by Alan Dennehy, Finbarr Cagney, Jack O'Callaghan, David Forde, Tim Hawe and Robert Carroll, that prevailed from there.
Substitutes Garrett Gleeson and Gavin Kelleher rattled off three points between them before the final whistle while Robert Carroll, with 1-2 (the goal a penalty), Cathal Carroll, and David Forde were also on target as they ran out deserving winners.
D Forde 1-8 (0-5 f), R Carroll 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-2 f), C O'Carroll 1-1, T Hawe, J O'Callaghan 0-3 each, G Gleeson 0-2, G Kelleher, Z Biggane 0-1 each.
K O'Sullivan 0-9 (0-7 f), R Cullinane 1-1, M O'Keeffe 0-2, C O'Leary, M Wall, T O'Donoghue Brosnan, T Millerick, J Hankard 0-1 each.
C Reynolds; D Butler, J Meade, J Madigan; F Cagney, A Dennehy, B O'Connell; J O'Callaghan, C O'Carroll; S Bresnan, D Forde, R Carroll; C Buckley, Z Biggane, T Hawe.
G Kelleher for C Buckley, G Gleeson for S Bresnan, O O'Connell for B O'Connell.
J Swayne; M Millerick, D Harrington, R Kenneally; D O'Neill, T Millerick, E Motherway; J Millerick, K O'Sullivan; C O'Leary, R Cullinane, M O'Keeffe; T O'Donoghue Brosnan, M Wall, J Hankard.
C Lowney for D O'Neill (inj), P Hassett for Tadgh O'Donoghue/Brosnan, R Lowney for M Wall.
Wayne King (Kilbrin)
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