Cork hurlers Padraig Power, Mark Coleman and Shane Barrett feature as Blarney land league title against Ballinhassig
Ballinhassig's Simon O'Neill and Blarney's Alan McEvoy clash over a loose ball during the Red FM Division 3 Hurling League final at Ballincollig. Picture: David Creedon
Blarney got the better of Ballinhassig in their Red FM Division 3 hurling league final clash at Ballincollig on Friday night by the closest of margins.
It was close for most of the game, but when Cork player Padraig Power goaled for Blarney, it looked like it was going to be enough to kill off the Ballinhassig challenge.
But full credit to them, they kept ticking away, and in the end, they ran out of time as they made Blarney fight all the way to the finish.
For the winners, Power started the game, with their other Cork players, Mark Coleman and Shane Barrett, coming on in the second half.
On the opposite side, Patrick Collins and Darragh O’Sullivan both started, and all can be happy with their performances.
Denis McSweeney was another to impress for the winners as both sides will turn their attentions to the upcoming championship.
Ballinhassig got off to the perfect start when they found the net early on. Ger Collins played Sean Lombard in to find the back of the net, giving Conor Murphy no chance of saving.
Power opened Blarney’s account, with Conor Desmond replying at the other end as the game started at pace despite the warm weather.
Power added a second for his side, with Evan Cullinane replying, as Ballinhassig led by 1-2 to 0-2 after nine minutes.
Two from Denis McSweeney reduced the deficit to one, before Charlie Grainger made it a two-point game again.
Ballinhassig had a chance of a second goal, this time Murphy saving superbly to deny Cullinane.
Cullinane added a point for his side before scores from McSweeney, Mark O’Leary, Power, and Cian Barrett, from a free, made it 0-8 to 1-4 after 22 minutes.
Jack Grainger and Ger Collins replied for Ballinhassig, with Barrett on target from another free.
With 26 minutes gone, Blarney scored a goal when Eoghan Kirby and Power combined to play Declan Hanlon in, to make it 1-9 to 1-7.
Kirby and McSweeney pointed for Blarney, with Collins and Simon O’Neill replying for Ballinhassig, to see the former lead by 1-11 to 1-9 at half-time.
Collins, Lynch, Cullinane, and Lombard all scored early points for Ballinhassig in the second half as they came from behind to lead by 1-13 to 1-12 after 37 minutes.
Blarney responded with Power, Crowley, McEvoy, and Cian Barrett among their scores as they went back in front by the 41st minute, 1-16 to 1-13.
The telling score came after 48 minutes when Shane Barrett played a long ball in, which was batted down by Cathal Hegarty to the waiting Power to give Patrick Collins no chance of saving to make it 2-17 to 1-15.
Blarney then had Murphy to thank, who made two great saves in the space of a minute, both times denying Richie Lombard.
Credit to Ballinhassig, they kept driving forward and finished the game the stronger of the two sides, with Lynch, Cullinane, and Diarmuid O’Sullivan among their scorers as they made it 2-18 to 1-20 with time running out.
Cian Barrett pointed from a free for his side, with Patrick O’Regan replying on the stroke of full-time as Blarney hung on for the win to take the title after a highly entertaining game.
P Power 1-4, D McSweeney 0-5, C Barrett 0-4 f, D Hanlon 1-0, P Crowley 0-2, M O’Leary, E Kirby, A McEvoy, C Hegarty 0-1 each.
S Lombard 1-1, G Collins 0-6 (6f), E Cullinane 0-4, B Lynch, J Grainger, Diarmuid O’Sullivan 0-2 each, C Grainger, S O’Neill, C Desmond, P O’Regan 0-1 each.
C Murphy: S Crowley, C Power, S Mullane; O Hegarty, A McEvoy, B Ahern; D McSweeney, P Crowley; M O’Leary, C Barrett, S Mulcahy; D Hanlon, E Kirby, P Power.
M Coleman for B Ahern, C Hegarty for S Mulcahy (both ht), S Barrett for M O’Leary (38), J Cronin for S Crowley (44), J O’Keeffe for D Hanlon (57).
P Collins; E Lombard, K Maguire, J O’Brien; C Kirby, Darragh O’Sullivan, C Desmond; C Grainger, B Lynch; J Grainger, S O’Neill, E Cullinane; M Collins, G Collins, S Lombard.
P O’Regan for J Grainger, R Lombard for M Collins (both 33), S McCarthy for S O’Neill (46), Diarmuid O’Sullivan for B Lynch (53).
Ciaran O’Regan, Ballyhea.
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