Bride Rovers 1-22
Blarney 1-15
Bride Rovers gained some measure of revenge for semi-final defeats to Blarney in the last season Co-op SuperStores SAHC campaigns as they triumphed by seven points at Páirc Uà Rinn on Sunday.
Despite spotting their opponents a four-point lead, the east Cork outfit responded well to lead by the same margin at half-time before pushing on, their scoring challenge a tag-team effort carried by Adam Walsh before the break and Brian Roche after it.
Blarney were hampered by injuries – Pádraig Power is a long-term absentee while his brother Conor and Cian Barrett were unable to start – and, though they had a good start, Rovers’ all-round quality meant they didn’t look like having their control shaken once they had got on top.
This was the fifth game played at Páirc Uà Rinn across the weekend and it was the first where the half-time leaders had played against the brisk wind blowing into the Cork Constitution end.
While Mark Coleman – playing in a roving role for Blarney – followed a first-minute free by latching on to the break from a Paul Hallissey puckout and finishing adroitly to the net, it was as good as it got for them.
Blarney players Mark Coleman and Eoghan Kirby jumping to block this ball by Eoin Roche of Bride Rovers. Picture: Dan Linehan
Adam Walsh opened the Bride Rovers account with a free and he was to prove a valuable outlet at full-forward for the Rathcormac/Bartlemy side, almost unmarkable under high deliveries.
With Cillian Tobin strong at centre-back and Eoin Roche doing well to curb his Cork colleague Shane Barrett closer to goal, Bride Rovers got a foothold and were 1-3 to 0-4 behind when a Tobin delivery was claimed by Walsh. Having lost his hurley, he kicked a shot goalwards – they felt it was a point but the officials, after much consultation, disagreed. If anything, it only served to rile him to greater powers.
Two fine from him sandwiched one by Blarney’s Cathal McCarthy and the sides were level when Walsh’s lay-off allowed Conor Barry to fire over. Though Shane Mulcahy set up Blarney debutant Jerry Murphy to make it 1-5 to 0-7, it was the last time they led as Rovers reeled off six in a row.
Walsh had them level – despite appearing to be fouled for what would have been a penalty – and they were in front as Cian Hogan found Cormac O’Sullivan from a puckout and he fed Louie Roche for a good point.
Strong defending from Denis Cashman provided the foundation for Brian Roche’s first of the day and they were five ahead in injury time before Coleman ended the scoring sequence with a nice catch and point for Blarney.
On the resumption, Cathal McCarthy cut the gap to four points as Blarney sought to rejig their side, with Seán Crowley given the duty of tagging Walsh while Shane Barrett was brought deeper.
Conor Barry of Bride Rovers tries to escape the clutches of Blarney’s Alan McEvoy. Picture: Dan Linehan
However, Rovers made what looked to be a decisive move as another searching ball in by Tobin broke and Conleith Ryan did brilliantly to seize possession before producing a cool finish. Though the impressive Alan McEvoy replied for Blarney, a Walsh free from his own 65 was followed by a point from the increasingly influential Brian Roche – 1-16 to 1-9 after 37.
Their lead didn’t grow any bigger than that, with Eoghan Kirby and McCarthy bringing Blarney back to five in the immediate aftermath, but Rovers continued to function well. Brian Roche hit a rich vein of scoring form and, while Coleman continued to take the fight from the Blarney side, they never looked like getting the goal necessary to reignite their charge.
On a couple of occasions in the last ten minutes, they got to within four points but Brian Roche’s seventh and a long-range free from goalkeeper Cian Hogan gave Rovers breathing space again before wing-back Shane O’Connor landed a big effort at the end.
Scorers for Bride Rovers: A Walsh 0-8 (0-4 f), B Roche 0-7, C Ryan 1-0, C Barry, S O’Connor 0-2 each, D Barry, L Roche, C Hogan (0-1 f) 0-1 each.
Blarney: M Coleman 1-7 (0-5 f), C McCarthy 0-3, A McEvoy 0-2, E Kirby, D McSweeney, J Murphy 0-1 each.
BLARNEY: P Hallissey; D Murphy, D Quill, S Crowley; S Mullane, P Crowley, A McEvoy; O Hegarty, S Mulcahy; D McSweeney, M Coleman, E Kirby; C McCarthy, S Barrett, J Murphy.
Subs: C Power for Quill (8, injured), C Barrett for Murphy (46), W Crowley for Kirby (49), D Hanlon for Mulcahy (60).
BRIDE ROVERS: C Hogan; D Cashman, E Roche, J Peters; C Hazelwood, C Tobin, S O’Connor; C O’Sullivan, D Barry; C Ryan, B Roche, K Kearney; C Barry, A Walsh, L Roche.
Subs: K Cotter for Peters (44-45), R O’Connell for Kearney (48).
Referee: C O’Regan (Ballyhea).