Valley Rovers pull off an upset in Junior A Hurling quarter-final against Dromina

Valley Rovers 0-16 Dromina 0-13 

Valley Rovers produced a fine performance to knock out North Cork champions Dromina in the Co-Op Superstore Junior A Hurling Championship at Whitechurch.

The South East side will now take on another second team in Killeagh after they squeezed past Newmarket after a penalty shootout. The other semi-final will see first-time Muskerry winners Donoughmoretarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> against Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas from West Cork.

This game ended in controversy as, with less than four minutes remaining, Dromina were awarded a close-in free and while Diarmuid Buckley dispatched the ball to the net to tie up the contest, referee David Daly awarded a free out for an infringement, with Charlie Finn receiving a yellow card. From there, Valleys held on to cause an upset.

Valleys almost had the perfect start, earning a penalty, but former Cork U20 goalkeeper Daniel O’Connell brilliantly saved Eoghan Galgey’s effort. Galgey and Ciarán McCarthy registered points soon after to nudge them two ahead.

The sides were level after Chris Dunne and Cork U20 Bobby Carroll found the target. Galgey responded but scores from David Jones, Jack Morrissey and John Murphy had Dromina two in front. It could have been more but a Buckley goal chance whizzed wide.

Galgey and Ciarán McCarthy levelled matters, but points from the impressive Jones (2) and Buckley, to a single Connor Taheny point, made it 0-8 to 0-6 at the break.

Galgey (2) and Eoghan Kilduff scored on the resumption for Valleys but Jones landed two more. The Carrigdhoun side were 0-14 to 0-11 up with 10 minutes left as Eoin O’Reilly cut loose with three points.

Jones and Galgey swapped scores before the controversy over the free. Another point from Buckley late on wasn't enough for Dromina.

Scorers for Valley Rovers: E Galgey 0-8 (0-7 f), E O’Reilly 0-3, C McCarthy 0-2, Kevin Dart O’Flynn, C Taheny, C Kilduff 0-1 each.

Dromina: D Jones 0-7 (0-4 f), B Carroll 0-2, D Buckley, C Dunne, J Morrissey, J Murphy 0-1 each.

VALLEY ROVERS: J. Lynch; N. Daly, C. O’Sullivan, E. Duarte; S. O’Regan, D. Lynch, E. Delaney; C. Kilduff, E. O’Reilly; D. O’Shea, K. O’Flynn, J. Cottrell; C. McCarthy, C. Taheny, E. Galgey.

Sub: D. Carthew for C. McCarthy (48).

DROMINA: D. O’Connell; B. Farrissey, C. Shanahan, J. Morrissey; D. Cagney, M. Buckley, K. Cagney; B. Carroll, P. Burke; J. Murphy, D. Jones, B. Buckley; D. Buckley, J. Morrissey, C. Dunne.

Subs: B. Murray for J. Morrissey (40), C. Finn for P. Burke (44), L. Morrissey for D. Cagney (45), P. Hasset for B. Carroll (54, inj).

Referee: David Daly (Brian Dillons).