Carrigaline progress to Carrigdhoun Junior Hurling quarter-final against Courcey Rovers

Carrigaline 0-19 Courcey Rovers 1-13

Carrigaline advanced to the quarter-final of the Ross Oil Junior A South East Hurling Championship after a lively encounter against Courcey Rovers on Friday night in Brinny.

A game that produced some outstanding individual performances was reflected in the scoreboard, as the contest remained in the melting pot, with only a green flag separating the sides right down to the final whistle.

The opening score came from Carrigaline’s Callum Farrell, who was very prominent over the hour, as Olan Crowley set the Ballinspittle outfit on their way.

A brace of Carrigaline points from Farrell and Cian O’Donovan, who was later forced off early in the second half with an injury, had their team out in front by 0-3 to 0-1 after four minutes.

Courceys cut the deficit to one when Jack O’Callaghan fired over.

But three on the bounce from their opponents had Carrigaline leading by four on 11 minutes.

Halfway through the first half, the score was 0-8 to 0-4, as the lively Darren Winters added two points to the Courceys tally.

Moments later, a Jack O’Callaghan free was cleared off the Carrigaline goal line, but it only went as far as Calum Morgan, who rifled his shot to the Carrigaline net.

With each side vying to take control of the contest, it was Carrigaline who proved to be more clinical in front of goal, as they outscored their opponents by a single score, including a delightful score from Sean Browne, to leave the score at 0-11 to 1-6.

Despite an early second-half score from Donnacha Walsh, Carrigaline were leading by 0-15 to 1-7 with 20 minutes remaining.

It could have been more emphatic had David Hickey not saved brilliantly from Jack Connolly on 39 minutes.

Four Walsh points in a 10-minute period, to a single response from O’Farrell, had two between the sides.

However, the Carrigaline defence, marshalled by Daniel Callanan, never looked like conceding another goal, and three O’Farrell frees to a brace from Walsh saw Carrigaline over the line.

Scorers for Carrigaline: C O’Farrell 0-7 (0-4 f, 0-1 65), C O’Donovan 0-4 f, J Connolly 0-3, T Deasy, I O’Donoghue 0-2 each, S Browne 0-1.

Courcey Rovers: D Walsh 0-7 (0-5 f), D Winters 0-3 (0-1 f), C Galvin 1-0, J O’Callaghan, O Crowley, O Smith 0-1 each.

CARRIGALINE: J Carolan; B Cronin, D Callanan, S Tivy; W O’Neill, C McSweeney, S Browne; T Deasy, E O’Shea; C O’Farrell, I O’Donoghue, F Walsh; W O’Neill, J Connolly, C O’Donovan. 

Subs: A McCarthy for C O’Donovan (36, inj), S McHugh for E O’Shea (55).

COURCEY ROVERS: D Hickey; J Galvin, K Collins, J Galvin; B White, D Lordan, D Coakley; J O’Callaghan, P Galvin; O Crowley, C Galvin, C Morgan; C Hickey, D Winters, O Smith. 

Subs: D Walsh for C Galvin (HT), D O’Leary for C Hickey (45).

Referee: Alan O’Connor, Ballygarvan.