Premier Senior Hurling: Blackrock top group by beating Fr O'Neills
Alan Connolly, Blackrock, breaking between Eoin Motherway and Daniel Harrington, Fr O'Neills in their Co-Op Superstores Premier Senior Hurling Championship at Carrigtwohill. Picture: Dan Linehan
Blackrock’s ideal preparation for the county quarter-finals continued by stitching three goals for the third consecutive game to fend off Fr O’Neills.
With both sides guaranteed their place in the last seven, the Rockies earned the higher seeding to place them against Kanturk thanks to 1-7 from Alan Connolly and Ciarán Cormack and Fionn Coleman’s 1-3 contributions.
O’Neills must face their former Imokilly comrades, many of whom shared the pitch during the division’s senior treble between 2017 and '19. Declan Dalton ended with a 1-10 haul despite two blood-injury withdrawals and a handful of wides.
The Ballymacoda-Ladysbridge side were without injured joint-captain Cillian Broderick and Kevin O’Sullivan through suspension. They ended the hour with a couple more knocks to Billy Dunne and their other joint-captain Eoin Motherway. All will hope to be available next time out.
After a minute’s silence for Blackrock stalwart Frank Barry, the game opened with a goal chance at either end. Jason Hankard whipped a loose ball which Gavin Connolly blocked sharply before Paudie O’Sullivan made a diving save to deny Robbie Cotter. The dangerous corner-forward was otherwise well-marshalled by Mike Millerick.
Blackrock got the early run with Kevin O’Keeffe and full-forward Coleman, who was picked up by Ger Millerick, helping to open up a three-point lead.
Before long, O’Neills began to cut down on the supply and clipped four in a row for their only lead, with Joe Millerick, Paudie McMahon, Dalton, and Dunne opening their accounts.
The Rockies came with 1-2 in response. Peter Linehan’s pinpoint pass released Alan Connolly into space and he squared for Coleman to tuck away.
Dunne’s replacement Michael Wall had Gavin Connolly beaten with his first touch but his batted effort was scooped off the line by John Cashman.
O’Neills cut the deficit to the minimum with three points on the trot from McMahon, who ended the half with 0-4, and Wall.
But the second time Alan Connolly found open ground to exploit, he again chose the right option, blasting a bullet past the keeper. A Coleman point made it 2-7 to 0-8.
Dalton had missed much of that spell with a blood injury but he made an immediate impact when returning closer to goal. He followed a high catch with a brilliant low finish; 2-8 to 1-9 behind now.
The city side almost produced a quickfire answer but Alan Connolly’s vicious pull was met by Paudie O’Sullivan, contorting his body back the opposite direction for an incredible reflex save.
After heading into the break 2-9 to 1-10 down, O’Sullivan did the job again on the resumption to stop Kevin O’Keeffe’s strike.
Two Dalton scores on the counter levelled for a fourth and final time.
The Rockies, backed by a strengthening wind, steadied to nail four in succession via David O’Farrell, Linehan, Coleman, and a Connolly free.
The change in the breeze hampered Dalton’s free-taking as he leaked a few wides but he wasn’t discouraged, slotting a terrific brace off of either side to bookend a briefer blood-sub absence.
That left two in it but Blackrock wrapped it up in the 53rd minute. Under pressure from Alan Connolly, Paudie O’Sullivan spilled the sliotar for Cormack to tap-in. The centre-forward tagged on a point straight after to hammer home the advantage.
Dalton nailed three dead balls but once John Millerick’s low shot was parried by Gavin Connolly, O’Neills best hope for a comeback was extinguished.
A Connolly 1-7 (0-3 f, 0-2 65), F Coleman, Ciarán Cormack 1-3 each, K O’Keeffe, D O’Farrell 0-2 each, P Linehan 0-1.
D Dalton 1-10 (0-4 f, 0-1 65), P McMahon 0-4, Joe Millerick 0-3 (0-1 f), B Dunne, M Wall 0-1 each.
G Connolly; S Murphy, J Cashman, O McAdoo; Cathal Cormack, A O’Callaghan, N Cashman; D O’Farrell, D Meaney; P Linehan, Ciarán Cormack, K O’Keeffe; A Connolly, F Coleman, R Cotter.
R Sweeney for Meaney (49), S O’Keeffe for Ciarán Cormack (54).
P O’Sullivan; M Millerick, G Millerick, E Motherway; C O’Connor, D Harrington, M O’Keeffe; Joe Millerick, John Millerick; P McMahon, D Dalton, J Hankard; R Kenneally, P Hassett, B Dunne.
M Wall for Dunne (17, inj), R Cullinane for Dalton (21-27, temporary), Cullinane for Motherway (27, inj), C O’Leary for Dalton (46-48, temporary), J Barry for O’Keeffe (57).
C Lyons (Nemo Rangers).
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