SAHC: Draw sends Ballinhassig and Carrigtwohill through
Jay Horgan of Carrigtwohill under pressure from Ballinhassig's Jack Grainger during Saturday's Co-op SuperStores SAHC game at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Larry Cummins
After enduring a range of emotions at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday evening, Ballinhassig and Carrigtwohill both come away with SAHC ambitions intact.
The headline takeaway was Ballinhassig coming from seven points down with 20 minutes left to avoid defeat and secure top spot in Group 3.
Their unbeaten record was maintained thanks to a 64th-minute equaliser by sub Diarmuid O’Sullivan. By that stage, the news of Courcey Rovers’ growing margin against Inniscarra meant that last year’s Premier Intermediate champions were going through but that point pushed them from first to second.
The demotion from potential group winners to runners-up will have disappointed Carrigtwohill but it was relative: when Darragh O’Sullivan had put Ballinhassig 1-16 to 1-15 in front on 59 minutes, their east Cork opponents, semi-finalists last year, faced elimination.
Sub Tomás Hogan pointed to level and they were back in the box seat as Jay Horgan landed a superb effort.
After Ballinhassig wasted one injury-time chance to tie, they got another as Richard Lombard caught a puckout and laid off to O’Sullivan, who did the rest.
Prior to that, Matthew Barrett’s goal on 40 looked to have had the hallmarks of being a decisive score.
Up by 0-10 to 0-8 at half-time, Carrigtwoill had reeled off three in the opening two minutes of the second half, courtesy of James Mulcahy, Cian O’Riordan and Liam O’Sullivan. After a Ger Collins free for Ballinhassig, a Carrig goal might have arrived in the 35th minute but Mulcahy was denied by fine Kevin Maguire defending.
Even so, play was brought back for a free, converted by Mulcahy for a 0-14 to 0-9 advantage. While Patrick O’Regan’s good point for Ballinhassig did cut the deficit to four, it soon swelled to seven. Mulcahy was the finisher as he pounced on a loose ball and finished smartly before Patrick Collins but its genesis owed much to the tenacity of O’Riordan forcing a turnover high up the pitch.
Carrigtwohill did not build on that, though, and Ballinhassig came back. Darragh O’Sullivan showed his leadership as he linked with Charlie Grainger before firing over and Richard Lombard marked his arrival off the bench with a nice point as they reduced the immediate impact of the concession.
O’Riordan’s fourth did put Carrigtwohill 1-14 to 0-13 ahead with 11 left, but the momentum was firmly with Ballinhassig by that stage and, after an Adam O’Sullivan free just after coming on, they were fully back in it as O’Regan’s superb crossfield pass allowed Brian Lynch to send a low shot to the net.
Evan Cullinane levelled before Darragh O’Sullivan put them in front – they were not able to hang on for the victory but the material outcome was the same as if they had.
In the opening half, Ballinassig made the early running and Jack Grainger’s long-range point had them 0-5 to 0-4 ahead before Michael Collins almost had a goal as he produced a great catch from one of his brother’s long deliveries from the goal.
Despite having midfielder Justin Oke added to an injury list where Seán Walsh was the stand-out entrant, Carrigtwohill responded well, with wing-back Seán Brennan and full-back Aaron Walsh Barry giving them a foundation while Patrick Walsh and Barrett were among the scorers as they opened up a 0-10 to 0-7 lead, the biggest of the game up to then.
Ger Collins’ free in injury time left two in it at the break before Carrig pushed ahead on the resumption – but there was lots more drama to follow.
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