Only one team has guaranteed a semi-final spot so far in the Mid Cork junior hurling championship, as BRENDAN KENNEALLY explains
BALLINORA’S reign as Mid Cork junior hurling champions is in the balance after they suffered a shock loss to Dripsey in Group 2. This has thrown the group wide open.
Five-in-a-row chasing Ballinora face table-toppers Grenagh next on September 20th, and it’s a game they need to win, or they could face possible elimination.
In this championship, we have two groups of five, and the top two from each advance to the semi-finals. As it stands now, Donoughmore in Group 1 are the only club assured of a place in the last four.
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Donoughmore 0-19
Ballincollig 0-15
Donoughmore were made to work very hard by Ballincollig for eventual victory in miserable weather conditions at Blarney on Saturday afternoon in this Group 1 tie. And so the league champions remain unbeaten after three rounds and are guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.
Donoughmore led by four points at half time, having played with the elements, and the gap was down to two points, 0-16 to 0-14, in the 52nd minute so there was every chance of an upset. In the closing stages, Donoughmore rattled over three points in a row to seal the win.
Donoughmore led 0-11 to 0-7 at the break, with David O’Connell, Kevin O’Connell, Mark Lucey, Colm O’Callaghan, Scott Barrett and Seán O’Hanlon all on target. Ballincollig marksman Eoin Dwyer, who finished with 0-9, kept his side in touch.
On the resumption Ballincollig, with Dwyer in impeccable form, reduced the deficit further to 0-14 to 0-11 by the 41st minute. A Jack Murray point from a Ballincollig 65 cut the gap to two points but Colm O’Callaghan gave Donoughmore a welcome score before Shane Murphy had a further Ballincollig point, again answered by O’Callaghan to keep a three-point lead.
Eoin Dwyer cut the deficit with a free in the 54th minute and the outcome was now anything but certain. When the need was greatest, Donoughmore redoubled their efforts and were rewarded with successive points from Daniel Holland, Jack Murphy and Adam Dinan to secure the win.
Scorers
Donoughmore: C O’Callaghan 0-4; K O’Connell 0-3; A Dinan 0-3 (3f); D O’Connell, M Lucey, D Holland 0-2 each; S Barrett, S O’Hanlon, J Murphy 0-1 each.
Ballincollig: E Dwyer 0-9 (6f); B O’Brien 0-2; C Sexton, B O’Sullivan, J Murray, S Murphy 0-1 each.
Donoughmore: Shane Sexton; Seán Broderick, Mark Foley, Frankie Honohan; Rory Honohan, Josh Crowley, Sean O’Hanlon; Kevin O’Connell, Scott Barrett; Colm O’Callaghan, Mark Lucey, Daniel Holland; David O’Connell, Adam Dinan, Gavin O’Sullivan.
Subs: Jack McCarthy (42), Liam O’Sullivan (42), Jack Murphy (53), Shane Healy (55), Cian Buckley (59).
Ballincollig: Ronan Cambridge; Ronan Power, Colin Moore, Cillian Power; Kevin O’Leary, Diarmuid Ward, Brian O’Sullivan; Conor Sexton, Shane Murphy; David Bowen, Brendan O’Brien, Eoin Dwyer; Jack Murray, Karl Rodgers, George Howard.
Subs: Darragh Lee (ht), Rory O’Doherty (46), Tadgh Murphy (46), Alan Cronin (53), Ciarán O’Sullivan (58).
Referee: Jerry Masters (Kilmichael).
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Inniscarra 6-13
Aghabullogue 1-13
Inniscarra kept alive their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals with an expected Group 1 victory at Grenagh on Sunday over Aghabullogue, who finished their championship campaign without a win.
The outcomes in the final group games (Inniscarra v Ballincollig, Blarney v Donoughmore) will be needed to determine which of the three sides joins Donoughmore in the semi finals.
Scorers
Inniscarra: Michael Murphy 3-1; Darragh O’Brien 1-5; Jack Shine 2-1; Ardal O’Connell 0-3; Jack O’Mahony, Jerry Roche, Colin O’Leary 0-1 each.
Aghabullogue: Paudie Twomey 1-2; Aodán Healy, Michael Dennehy 0-3 each; Tadgh Bradley, Oisín O'Connell 0-2 each; Ardghal Ó Buachalla 0-1.
Inniscarra: Kieran Rice; Seán Ahern, Colm Hegarty, Trevor O’Reilly; Jack O’Dwyer, Shane Buckley, Mark Linehan; Colin O’Leary, Sean Quinlavin; Darragh O’Brien, Jerry Roche, Jack O’Mahony; Ardal O’Connell, David Enright, Jack Shine.
Subs: Michael Murphy (15), Mikey O’Connell (40), Conor Geoghegan (50), Conrad Desmond, Daniel O’Connor.
Aghabullogue: Finny Foley; Denis Quinlan, Aidan Barry-Murphy, Daniel O'Leary; Oisín O'Connell, Killian Barry-Murphy, Jerome Corkery; Michael Dennehy, Shane Bermingham; Barry Kendellen, David Hartnett, Ardghal Ó Buachalla; Aodán Healy, David Thompson, Paudie Twomey.
Subs: David Dineen, Jimmy O'Connor, Tadgh Bradley.
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Dripsey 4-13
Ballinora 1-10
Few expected a Dripsey victory in this Group 2 encounter – no-one could have anticipated a 12-point winning margin for the challengers, up against a team seeking a fifth consecutive Mid Cork title.
The rains poured down at Ovens, the wind blew strongly from goal to goal, Dripsey had the advantage of the elements in the first half and they made use of them.
Points from Ronan Canavan and Mark O’Sullivan got Dripsey off to a good start and they were boosted in the third minute when the evergreen Mark O’Sullivan banged in a goal.
Five more points followed with no score yet for Ballinora. Dripsey led 1-7 to nil before the champions eventually got their opening point in the 13th minute. Within a minute they were hammered by a second Dripsey goal, Michael O’Riordan the scorer. He followed up with a point. As the opening quarter ended it was 2-8 to 0-1 for Dripsey, a deficit of 13 points for the champions to make up.
Ben Mayer, scorer of the lone Ballinora point, added another and Liam Lyons also got on target but the Dripsey defence – with David O’Sullivan, John Carey and Shane O’Riordan magnificent – were simply unyielding. With Mark O’Connell powerful at midfield, the Dripsey attack continued to get a good supply and continued to make use of it.
Further goals from Michael O’Riordan and Mark O’Sullivan were bookended by a brace of points from Canavan. When Diarmuid Kirwan blew the half-time whistle Dripsey were leading by 4-10 to 0-3.
Ballinora introduced four substitutes at the start of the second half in an effort to get their side moving. Shane Kingston with three points and Alan O‘Shea with two more improved their situation. But Dripsey, with points from Canavan and Eoghan Maher, kept the situation under control – they led 4-13 to 0-8 at the three-quarter mark. Kevin Murphy got the badly-needed Ballinora goal in the 51st minute but the resolute Dripsey defenders were not conceding anymore. Ballinora could only manage points from Kevin Murphy and Alan O’Shea frees before the final whistle.
Scorers
Dripsey: Mark O’Sullivan 2-3; Michael O’Riordan 2-1; Ronan Canavan 0-7; Eoghan Maher 0-2.
Ballinora: Alan O’Shea 0-4; Kevin Murphy 1-0; Shane Kingston 0-3; Ben Mayer 0-2; Liam Lyons 0-1.
Dripsey: Diarmuid O’Riordan; Cathal O’Connell, David O’Sulllivan, John Carey; Dean O’Sullivan, Shane O’Riordan, James Cotter; Colm O’Connell, Mark O’Connell; Shane Burke, Eoghan Maher, George Feeney; Michael O’Riordan, Mark O’Sullivan, Ronan Canavan. Subs: Kevin Rock, Sam Manley, Adam Casey.
Ballinora: Barry Crowley; Pat Fitton, Colin O’Flynn, Tim Forde; Mark O’Brien, Neil Lordan, James Byrne; Shane Kingston, Conor Quirke; Danny Dineen, James Keohane, Liam Lyons; Darragh Corkery, Darragh Holmes, Ben Mayer.
Subs: James Lordan, Kevin Murphy, Robert Quirke, Alan O’Shea, Seán Lyons.
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Éire Óg).
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Grenagh 2-14
Kilmichael 1-11
On a Saturday afternoon of shocks, much fancied Grenagh survived a very strong Kilmichael challenge at Cloughduv to remain unbeaten before they play Ballinora in the final Group 2 round.
Kilmichael have been desperately unlucky in this year’s competition but they went down battling here and had Grenagh under pressure to the very end. The decisive second Grenagh goal came very late.
The sides were level at 0-2 each before Kilmichael hit the front with three points. Each side then exchanged three points before a goal from Conor McCarthy minutes before the break gave Kilmichael a six-point lead at half time, 1-8 to 0-5.
Grenagh were worried and had reason to be, and emerged with renewed determination for the restart. They fired over three points in quick succession and drew level in the 36th minute with a Darragh Kenny goal, 1-8 apiece. Kilmichael did not die, and only two points separated the sides when Grenagh had the goal in the 56th which settled the issue, Brian Walsh the scorer.
Conor Cotter had 0-7 for Kilmichael, Brian Cronin 0-3 and Andrew Kelleher 0-1.
