Horgan turns on the power for Glen

Glen Rovers 3-11 Blackrock 0-15

The Cork senior finished with a personal tally of 1-6, the goal a piece of superb individual brilliance. Glen were clinging to a one-point lead with three minutes to go and Blackrock were pressing strongly looking for an equalising score.

However, a massive clearance by the outstanding Paul O’Brien was controlled skilfully by Horgan on the 20 metre line. He still had a lot of work to do as he slipped past two defenders who chased after him.

Had Hogan thrown up the sliothar to strike it he would surely have been hooked, but as Frank Barry came off his line to challenge the attacker, the Glen full-forward coolly batted the ball to the empty net for a goal worthy of winning any match.

There was no way back for the Rockies after that goal and, to cap a wonderful display, Hogan knocked over a point to give his side a deserved victory and put them into the semi-final where they await the winners of the Newtownshandrum/Sarsfields tie.

Glen had many heroes apart from Horgan. David Ellis kept his goal intact with a string of excellent saves; corner backs Brian and Gavin Moylan defended magnificently. Outside them Paul O’Brien was a colossus at centre-back, with Graham Callinan equally good on the wing. Up front captain David Cunningham didn’t put a foot wrong, while Eoghan Cronin showed his worth with a brace of goals, one in each half.

Not for the first time this year, Blackrock were almost totally reliant on their long-serving players. John Browne did well at full-back, Wayne Sherlock was excellent at centre-back, Adrian Coughlan ensured his side won the midfield exchanges, while Alan Browne rolled back the years with a virtuoso display at full-forward from where he scored eight points, six of them from play.

Despite the miserable conditions both teams produced a hugely-entertaining match that was level three times until Horgan struck for that all important third Glen goal. The game got off to the best possible start when Colin O’Leary pointed for the Rockies after just 18 seconds. A minute later came one of the best goals you are likely to see this season.

Patrick Horgan made the opening before hand passing the sliothar in behind the Rockies defence to Eoghan Cronin and the latter showed superb skill by doubling it to the roof of the net for a picture goal.

However, Alan Browne was giving his marking a bit of a roasting and in a devastating 15 minute spell, Blackrock hit five points without replay, four of them by the former county captain.

The south city side were well on top at this juncture and it took a magnificent save by ‘keeper David Ellis to deny Colin O’Leary a goal, while at the other end Frank Barry brought off a similar wonderful save to deny David Cunningham as play swung one way then the other.

Blackrock’s hurling was that bit sharper, particularly around midfield where Paul Tierney and Adrian Coughlan held sway and they finished the half strongly with points by Coughlan and Alan Browne to take a 0-10 to 1-5 interval lead.

Play continued to improve in the second half despite the difficult conditions and with Sherlock a dominant figure for the Rockies at centre-back, two evenly matched sides shared four points before the Glen struck for their second goal in the 40th minute.

Eoghan Cronin, who was proving more than a handful for his marker, took off on a solo run, beat two defenders before giving Frank Barry no change from the edge of the small square.

The pressure on the Blackrock defence was enormous and they were grateful to John Browne, Gary Norberg and Sherlock for holding them together. As the tension mounted, Blackrock drew level for a third time with points by Joe Young and Alan Browne, and the small attendance would gladly have settle for a replay.

However, with five minutes remaining Horgan showed his class with the last three scores, a point from a 65, that wonder goal and a point from play, to put the seal on a tremendous individual performance which keeps the Glen on course for their first title since 1989.

Scorers for Glen Rovers: P. Horgan 1-6 (0-3 frees, 0-2 65s); E. Cronin 2-0; D. Cunningham, G. Callinan, D. Goggin, C. O’Callaghan, D. Busteed 0-1 each.

Blackrock: A. Browne 0-8 (0-2 frees); A. Coughlan 0-3 (0-2 frees); C. O’Leary 0-2; B. O’Keeffe, J. Young 0-1 each.

GLEN ROVERS: D. Ellis; B. Moylan, N. Horgan, G. Moylan; G. Callinan, P. O’Brien, J. Anderson; D. Cronin, S. McDonnell; D. Cunningham, D. Goggin, C. O’Callaghan; E. Cronin, P. Horgan, D. Busted.

Subs: D. Dorris for Goggin (41); S. Kennefick for D. Cronin (55); D. Goggin for Busteed (55).

BLACKROCK: F. Barry; C. Murphy, J. Browne, G. Norberg; B. Aherne, W. Sherlock, F. Ryan; A. Coughlan, P. Tierney; D. Gosnell, C. O’Leary, J. Young; D. Cashman, A. Browne, B. O’Keeffe.

Subs: M. Drummond for Gosnell (36); L. Meaney for Cashman (49).

Referee: C. McAlister (Aghada).