Aaron Mulcahy finds the range for impressive Midleton

Midleton outscored Glen Rovers by nine points to three in the final 20 minutes

File photo of Midleton's Aaron Mulcahy. Picture: David Keane

Cork IAHC: Glen Rovers 1-11 Midleton 0-19

Midleton made an impressive start to Group C of the Co-Op Superstores Cork Intermediate A Hurling Championship as they beat Glen Rovers by five points in Cobh on Sunday afternoon.

Despite finishing with 14 men following Ian Kennefick’s sending off, the East Cork club, inspired by a 12-point haul from midfielder Aaron Mulcahy — 11 from frees — rallied to open their campaign with a significant triumph.

The sides started evenly and by the time the first water break was enforced, they were locked at 0-3 apiece, while they both also hit three wides in that first quarter.

Midleton almost grabbed the opening goal shortly after the break but full forward Ian Kennefick was desperately unlucky to see his powerful drive cannon off the near post.

The Glen made the most of that let-off and notched three well-taken scores moments later with their lively number 10 Evan O’Connell getting two more to make it 0-6 to 0-3.

They would add two more points before the break but Aaron Mulcahy remained lethal and his three points — two from frees — helped Midleton trail by the minimum early in the second half.

The black and whites grabbed three without reply after the restart but that was quickly whipped out as Rovers’ Evan O’Connell soon blasted the loose sliotar into the roof of the net, 1-8 to 0-10.

The Glen though would only score three more points in the remaining 20 minutes or so. Midleton, despite Kennefick’s dismissal for an off-the-ball incident, would score nine in that time — Mulcahy scoring five more set pieces — to complete a memorable win.

Scorers for Glen Rovers: E O’Connell 1-5 (3f, 1 65), P Virgo 0-3, D Browne, D Cunningham, and G Kennefick 0-1 each.

Midleton: A Mulcahy 0-12 (11f), J Hegarty, P O’Brien, C Crowley 0-2 each, R O’Regan 0-1.

GLEN ROVERS: C McCarthy; D Morris, K McCarthy Coade, G Moylan; J Mulcahy, G Mulcahy, C McGuckin; K McCarthy, C O’Sullivan; E O’Connell, A Evans, D Browne; P Virgo, D Cunningham, G Kennefick.

Subs: C O’Brien for A Evans (41), R Virgo for J Mulcahy (54), D Kennefick for K McCarthy (58)

MIDLETON: A Power; C O’Brien, C Murphy, C Gunning; A Daly, L Dineen, E Mithcel; K Finn, A Mulcahy; J Hegerty, P O’Brien, R O’Regan; C Farmer, I Kennefick, C Crowley.

Subs: M Abernathy for C Farmer (ht), D Scanlon for K Finn (58).

Referee: Aidan Hyland (Kilworth).