Premier IHC: 32-point Carrigaline ease into semi-finals with win over Cloyne
Carrigaline’s Brian Kelleher gets his shot away as Cloyne’s Adam Sherlock closes in during Saturday's Co-op SuperStores Premier IHC quarter-final at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Chani Anderson
Carrigaline were rampant as they advanced to the Co-op SuperStores semi-finals with victory over Cloyne at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday evening.
A last-four clash between the competition’s two most recent runners-up looms as Carrig set up a clash with Ballincollig thanks to an impressive display of point-scoring.
The south-east outfit led by 0-30 to 0-12 with six minutes of normal time left when goalkeeper Robert Foster did well to deny Brian O’Shea – however, when play was called back for a free, the Cloyne captain fired low to the net and then, as injury time dawned, he added another dead-ball goal.
The loss of a clean sheet might have frustrated Carrigaline but it was not going to affect their victory. Unfortunately, though, the loss of centre-back Nathan Coleman to a late red card following a scuffle could have semi-final ramifications.
It was almost the only sour note of an otherwise excellent display. From the off, the defeated finalists of 2024 were sharper, getting on more breaks and then, by and large, efficient with the chances created thanks to quick deliveries.
Dual player Éanna Desmond was excellent for the winners, scoring six points from play from his midfield berth, but it was an ensemble effort – Desmond’s early opener was quickly followed by scores from David Drake and Brian Kelleher as they asserted themselves.
While a good James O’Brien catch from a clearance by Cloyne centre-back Ian Cahill led to a free that O’Brien converted, it was only brief respite: four of their five first-half points were dead balls by the Cork U20 star, with Adam Lee the only other scorer.
A strong defensive effort under-pinned Carrigaline’s movement clear of Cloyne in the first half, with Kelleher’s third making it 0-8 to 0-3 on 13 minutes.
They could even afford a period where five wides were racked up, but a Cloyne free was all that came in response and Carrigaline quickly atoned with points from Kelleher, a boomer from Nathan Coleman and Rhys McCarthy. A goal chance might even have materialised by Cloyne full-back Tom Cronin made a fine block on Kevin O’Reilly.
While they had scored four goals in beating Kilworth in their last group match, Carrigaline didn’t really threaten a green flag too often here; they might be required in the semi-final but, such was the ability to mine white ones that it was no impediment to their progress.
Two more Desmond points prompted a strong finish to the first half, scoring five of the last six to give them that 11-point advantage, and Kelleher was on target within 11 seconds of the restart to ensure that there was no fear of the momentum being lost.
Desmond continued to influence matters around the middle while Dan Green’s distribution from the half-back line was a key asset in ensuring that the scoreboard kept ticking over, with Oisín O’Connell and Rhys McCarthy among those making contributions as they moved 0-23 to 0-9 in front by the three-quarter mark.
Conor Cahill and Tom Cronin had Cloyne points as they reduced the deficit somewhat, but Carrigaline sub Ciarán Kearney marked his arrival with an immediate point while Finn O’Connell got on the scoresheet with a pair of nice points and Kelleher kept his tally growing.
The rate did slow down at the death while the concession of two goals made it look a closer game than it was, but there was no denying their superiority.
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