Chris O'Leary points the way as Valley Rovers retain Premier IHC status
Valley Rovers' Kevin Canty and William Hurley after defeating Blackrock in the Co-Op Superstores Cork PIHC relagation play-off at Pairc Ui Rinn . Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Valley Rovers were tested but managed to retain their Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier IHC status as Blackrock were held off at Páirc Uí Rinn tonight.
Neither side had won a point in the group stages and a game that was generally close throughout looked to heading the way of Valleys when they moved 0-18 to 0-13 clear in the 57th minute as Chris O’Leary sent over the 13th of his 15 points. However, Blackrock had a lifeline soon after that as Martin O’Farrell’s point attempt was repelled by goalkeeper Darragh Looney but David Cashman pounced on the loose ball and, though his first effort was stopped by the netminder, he swept a ground shot to the net to leave just two points in it.
O’Leary replied for Valleys but Blackrock midfielder Conor O’Brien landed a big score. Unfortunately for them, no chance of a game-winning goal came to pass and O’Leary rounded things off for Valleys, leaving them three ahead at the end, sending Blackrock down to intermediate A.
The victors had had a dream start with a Cormac Kilduff point inside ten seconds but Olan Kelleher replied for the Rockies and the first half was nip and tuck throughout. While points from O’Leary and Kevin Canty had Valleys 0-5 to 0-2 ahead after ten minutes, Colin O’Leary and Liam O’Sullivan were on target for Blackrock. However, while the same one-point margin pertained at the water-break, with Eoin O’Farrell’s frees answering those of O’Leary, they were unable to draw level at any stage during the opening period.
Two more from O’Leary did have Valley’s 0-9 to 0-6 clear by 24 – and Blackrock needed a good David O’Shea save to deny Jack Walsh a goal – but O’Farrell and sub Ger Regan kept the city side in it. The city side might have had the lead as Olan Kelleher’s delivery evaded everybody and would have nestled in the net but for an important clearance off the line by corner-back Tomás O’Brien.
O’Leary made the most of that let-off with his seventh point to give Valleys a 0-10 to half-time lead and he added another on the resumption. Once again, Blackrock might have pushed in front with a goal, Olan Kelleher with the chance this time, but O’Brien made a good block.
After that, Valleys had three consecutive points, one from Seán O’Regan followed by a pair of O’Leary frees and they were 0-14 to 0-9 in front, the largest lead of the game up to then.
By the time of the second-half water break, two Eoin O’Farrell frees had helped Blackrock to only slightly eat into the deficit, 0-15 to 0-11 the score, and Valleys pushed on again after action restarted with points from Jack Walsh and O’Leary (two), answered by Rockies half-backs Ross Coleman and Alan O’Callaghan.
A five-point lead looked to indicate that they would ease to victory, but Blackrock made sure that they had to earn the win.
C O’Leary 0-15 (0-12 frees), J Walsh 0-2, C Kilduff, S O’Regan, K Canty 0-1 each.
E O’Farrell 0-6 (0-4 frees, 0-1 65), D Cashman 1-0, O Kelleher 0-2, R Coleman, A O’Callaghan, C O’Brien, C O’Leary, L O’Sullivan, G Regan 0-1 each.
D Looney; T O’Brien, M O’Leary, E Delaney; C Kilduff, W Hurley, N O’Donovan; J Walsh, J Lynch; S O’Regan, K Canty, A Kenneally; E O’Reilly, C O’Leary, R O’Sullivan.
A Kenneally for O’Sullivan (37), C Butler for O’Reilly (40), C O’Sullivan for Desmond (46).
D O’Shea; A Hayes, A Hogan, D O’Brien; R Coleman, A O’Callaghan, E Smith; C O’Brien, C McCarthy; O Kelleher, I O’Keeffe, C O’Leary; E O’Farrell, P Lenighan, L O’Sullivan.
G Regan for O’Sullivan (20, injured), D Cashman for Lenighan, M O’Farrell for O’Leary (both 48).
I McCarthy (Bandon).
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