Cork hurling: Seandún edge Muskerry to advance to divisions/colleges final
Seán O’Reilly of Seandún looks to break past Muskerry’s Cian O’Driscoll in Sunday's Co-op SuperStores Divisions/Colleges Hurling Championship game at Ballinlough. Picture: Noel Sweeney
Seandún will face Imokilly for a place in the quarter-finals of the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC following a battling victory over Muskerry at Ballinlough on Sunday afternoon.
Having seen a lead evaporate at end of the second half as their opponents forced extra time, Seandún fell behind for the first time since the opening score of the game when Matthew Bradley got his 13th point of the day for the mid-Cork outfit.
However, Thomas O’Neill – who had been brought on late in normal time – levelled with a point, the first of what would be a significant contribution, and Seandún had a chance to go back in front when fellow sub, Niall McCarthy, was hauled down under a dropping ball, with a penalty awarded.
Jamie Hegarty drilled his shot to the net and when another replacement, the influential Blake Murphy, pointed, they had restored most of what been a six-point lead early in the second half of the match.
Muskerry, as they had in normal time, fought back in the second period, with Bradley - reaching 17 points - and subs James Foley and Seánie Hurley on target as they closed to within one as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark.
But, where they were earlier able to find an equaliser, this time Seandún responded. A clearance by excellent centre-back Seán Harrington was brilliantly won by O’Neill and he slotted over for his fourth point and a 1-30 to 0-31 lead. Foley replied for Muskerry but there was no chance for them to tie the game again and Seandún advance.
In normal time, Muskerry – playing their first game of the year – battled back well, though it was a margin that was partly self-inflicted as they shot 20 wides. This tally included 12 in the second half with the wind at their backs, six before reopening their account after the restart.
That brief period allowed Seandún to extend what had become a 0-12 to 0-8 lead coming up to half-time, with Dylan Barrett and Ruairí Quirke (free) on target.
A long-range effort from centre-back Paul Ring belatedly got them going before a free from Bradley and, while Seán Daly did manage to respond with a nice Seandún score following a turnover, the momentum was beginning to shift.
Sub Seánie Hurley marked his introduction with an immediate point, well set-up by David O’Sullivan, and Ring had another from distance and Theo Morgan left them three behind, 0-19 to 0-16, by the 54th minute.
That difference might have been wiped out when Bradley went for goal from a 20m free but corner-back Ruairí Quinlan did well to divert the ball over and another from Daly gave Seandún slightly more breathing space again.
However, Bradley – who had had seven points up to then – went into overdrive, scoring five more from the 59th minute onwards, including the last two to send the game to extra time.
Seandún, who had led for much of the first half before finishing well with points Luke Malone, Quirke and a huge free from full-back Thomas Harrington to lead by 0-12 to 0-8, might have feared that their opponents would push on, especially when Bradley put them ahead.
Just as in their previous game against Carbery in June, though, the city division prevailed in the additional period.
D Barrett 0-5 (0-3f, 0-1 65), T O’Neill, B Murphy (0-1f) 0-4 each, J Hegarty 1-1, S Daly 0-3, D Daly, N McCarthy, D Barrett, S O’Reilly 0-2 each, T Harrington (0-1f) L Calnan, M Coffey, E O’Sullivan, L Malone 0-1 each.
M Bradley 0-17 (0-11f, 0-1 65), T Morgan, P Ring, S Hurley, J Foley 0-2 each, D Desmond (0-1f), C O’Driscoll, S Joyce, C Quirke, M O’Connell, D Holland, B Mayer 0-1 each.
A Long (Passage); L Malone (Mayfield), T Harrington (Passage), T Quinlan (White’s Cross); D McCarthy (Passage), S Harrington (Passage), D Daly (Bishopstown); E O’Sullivan (Mayfield), S O’Reilly (Whitechurch); R Quirke (Delanys), D Barrett (Passage), M Coffey (Mayfield); L Calnan (St Vincent’s), S Daly (St Vincent’s), J Hegarty (Whitechurch).
N McCarthy (Passage) for Coffey (half-time), B Murphy (St Vincent’s) for Quirke (36), T O’Neill (Passage) for O’Reilly (52), C O’Donovan (Mayfield) for Calnan (56), A Murphy (Whitechurch) for Daly (60+3), Calnan for Barrett (77), J Kind (Passage) for Hegarty (79), L Harrington (Passage) for N McCarthy (80).
D Desmond (Éire Óg); R Honohan (Donoughmore), C McGoldrick (Éire Óg), E Clifford (Cloughduv); D O’Sullivan (Ballincollig), P Ring (Aghabullogue), M O’Connell (Dripsey); P O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue), T Morgan (Ballincollig); S Joyce (Grenagh), M Bradley (Aghabullogue), C O’Driscoll (Ballincollig); J Lane (Aghabullogue), C Quirke (Ballinora), B Mayer (Ballinora).
J Foley (Aghabullogue) for Mayer (23, injured), D Foley (Éire Óg) for Joyce (39), S Hurley (Éire Óg) for Lane (48), J Murray (Ballincollig) for O'Sullivan (70, injured), D Holland (Donoughmore) for Morgan (half-time in extra time), R Coleman (Grenagh) for O'Connell (78).
B Sweeney (Erin’s Own).
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