Hat-trick for Ryan as Rockies cut loose

Blackrock 4-17 Blarney 1-09

Leading 3-8 to 1-5 at half-time, after Mark Ryan scored two goals and Shane O’Keeffe added another, Blackrock scored six unanswered points between the 39th and 48th minutes to open a 15-point advantage (3-16 to 1-7).

Blarney had responded well to going 1-4 to 0-1 behind, Ryan’s first goal giving Blackrock a platform. A Colin Murphy goal was followed by an Owen O’Connor point, however, as Blarney cut the gap to two. But Ryan’s second goal negated any progress by the mid-Cork champions.

Shane O’Keeffe’s goal then made it 3-6 to 1-5, and Eoin O’Mara and Ryan Dineen added further scores before half-time.

Though Darragh O’Brien kept Blarney in touch early in the second half, Blackrock then pushed clear, and late on Ryan got his hat-trick goal.

Scorers for Blackrock: M Ryan 3-1, K O’Keeffe 0-8 (0-4f), E O’Farrell 0-3, S O’Keeffe 1-0, C Crowe 0-2, E O’Mara, R Dineen, L Conway 0-1 each.

Scorers for Blarney: D O’Brien 0-6f, C Murphy 1-1, D Hyde, O O’Connor 0-1 each.

BLACKROCK: P Delaney; S Murphy, A Hayes, R Laide; E Cantwell, A Murphy, C Cormack; E O’Farrell, D O’Farrell; E O’Mara, R Dineen, S O’Keeffe; D Cremin, M Ryan, K O’Keeffe.

Subs: A Nolan for O’Mara, C Crowe for Cremin (both 41), D Stokes for Cormack (43), D O’Keeffe for Hayes (48), L Conway for E O’Farrell (54).

BLARNEY: K Costello; S Fitzgibbon, D Walsh (KO), M O’Leary; K Bradford, D Walsh (SB), B Phelan; P Hallissey, B O’Connell; D Hyde, C Sykes, O O’Connor; D Cremin, D O’Brien, C Murphy.

Sub: S Mulcahy for Fitzgibbon (24).

Referee: E Sheehy (Newcestown).