Robbie Cotter hat-trick fires Blackrock to comfortable win over Fr O'Neill's in PSHC
Blackrock's Robbie Cotter celebrates his goal against Fr O'Neill's during their Premier SHC clash at Midleton. Picture: David Keane.
A fourth-quarter run with six different scorers, as well as a hat-trick from Robbie Cotter, allowed Blackrock to finally shake off Fr O’Neill’s in Midleton and run off with a comfortable victory, despite their opponents limiting the damage with two late goals.
Sunday's result leaves the Rockies top of their Premier Senior group with maximum points, but Glen Rovers’ win over Kanturk means their place in the knockout phases is not yet certain.
Blackrock led by three here at half time in Midleton, but they started the second half strongly to push six clear again. When Cotter waltzed through to power home his and Blackrock’s third goal in the 42nd minute, O’Neill’s were left with a mountain to summit.
John Millerick reduced the gap to eight again by the 46th minute, but Blackrock – profiting from the boost of fresh legs – reeled off six points in a row to leave their opponents in the dust.
To O’Neill’s credit they continued to battle hard, but Blackrock’s half-back line hoovered up all the breaking ball in that fourth quarter. While Declan Dalton had a chance from a free kept out, O’Neill’s would finally find the net in the 59th minute, as Paudie O’Sullivan dropped one in and Jason Hankard reacted quickest to pull to the net.
Mike O’Halloran – already on 0-5 – assisted PJ Linehan for his fourth of five from play, but O’Neill’s would get another chance to reduce the deficit when Cathal Cormack was shown a straight red card and O’Neill’s were awarded the 21-metre free. Dalton drove low but it crept over the bar, reducing the deficit to 10.
Billy Dunne would net their second goal deep into added time, but an Alan Connolly free left the gap at nine by the finish.
The first half was packed with scores at either end, Blackrock marginally ahead at the break with a 2-13 to 0-16 lead. It was the goal threat of Robbie Cotter, who scored 2-2 in the first half and was a real handful for Mike Millerick, that made the difference.
Fr O’Neill’s finished the opening period strongly though, Dalton and Kevin O’Sullivan (two) on target to leave them within an arm’s length, and they almost drew level on the resumption, but were kept out by a brilliant double save from Gavin Connolly. He first denied Dalton but parried straight to Mark O’Keeffe, and then got back in position to save again from O’Keeffe.
Once the Rockies’ brought the lead back out to six though, the east Cork side were always going to struggle to get something from the game.
It was the first half goals that were pivotal for the City side, Cotter netting the first after five minutes when he ran wide, cut in and blasted to the underside of the bar with conviction. O’Neill’s would not find parity thereafter but had the deficit at two by the 15th minute, only for Cotter to break through again with a powerful strike to the net on 17 minutes.
At that stage, it looked a question of when Blackrock would find the extra gear rather than if ¬– and while O’Neill’s made life awkward for as long as possible – they couldn’t halt the inevitable.
It leaves O’Neill’s fighting for their Premier Senior status when they meet the Glen at Carrigtwohill in a fortnight.
R Cotter 3-2, A Connolly 0-9 (0-7 f), PJ Linehan, M O’Halloran 0-5 each, K O’Keeffe 0-2, A O’Callaghan, D Meaney, T Deasy, N Cashman, M O’Keeffe, R Sweeney 0-1 each.
D Dalton 0-11 (0-9 f), B Dunne 1-2, K O’Sullivan 0-4, J Hankard 1-0, M O’Keeffe, J Millerick 0-2 each, P O’Sullivan, M Wall 0-1 each.
G Connolly; S Healy, Cathal Cormack, A O’Callaghan; Ciarán Cormack, J Cashman, T Deasy; O McAdoo, N Cashman; PJ Linehan, K O’Keeffe, D Meaney; R Cotter, A Connolly, M O’Halloran.
D Cormack for Ciarán Cormack (42), M O’Keeffe for J Cashman, D O’Farrell for McAdoo (both 47), R Sweeney for K O’Keeffe (50), Jamie Ryan for Healy (56).
P O’Sullivan; E Motherway, G Millerick, M Millerick; T Millerick, D Harrington, R Kenneally; C O’Leary, K O’Sullivan; R Cullinane, D Dalton, M O’Keeffe; John Millerick, J Hankard, B Dunne.
M Wall for Cullinane (8 inj), P Hassett for O’Leary (HT), T O’Donoghue-Brosnan for M O’Keeffe (53).
S Scanlon (Newcestown)
App?
