Na Piarsaigh maintain Premier IFC status
Na Piarsaigh club crest, Cork
A much improves second-half saw Na Piarsaigh retained their Cork Premier IFC status after defeating Gabriel Rangers in the relegation play-off at Ballinacarriga.
This won't go down as a classic but that matters little as a superb second-half from the northside club ensured they came from a point down at the break to win easily in the end. Gabriel Rangers will play in the Intermediate A grade next season.
The second-half saw the likes of Alan Hogan, Piarsaigh's best player in the first-half, come even more into the game, along with Padraig Guest and Gordan Joyce.
Defensively Kyle Power and Eoin Moynihan led by example as Gabriel Rangers were finding it difficult to break through. Joyce lined out at half-forward, but dropped back and he started to play some quality passes into the forward line, with Hogan and Guest, in particular, benefiting from them.
Rangers led 0-3 to 0-2 at the break but Na Piarsaigh visibly upped their game after the interval, with Hogan equalising from a free and he put them in front from another. Guest hit two in-a-row to make it 0-6 to 0-3 as Piarsaigh were dominating at this stage.
Cian O'Mahony got in on the scoring act, with Hogan getting his fifth, from another free to keep his side well in control. Guest got his third as Piarsaigh led 0-9 to 0-3 at the second-half water break.
James O'Regan pulled a point back for Gabriel's with Danny Maguire replying for Piarsaigh.
With five minutes to go Gabriel's were down to 14 when O'Regan was black carded, but really it mattered little at that point.
A Hogan (0-5, 3f, 0-1m), P Guest (0-4), C O'Mahony (0-2), D Maguire, A Higgins (0-1 each).
: M Cronin (0-4, 3f), G O'Callaghan (free), J O'Regan (free), K O'Driscoll (0-1 each).
A O'Sullivan; E Moynihan, T Lawton, A Dennehy; A Higgins, K Power, D Maguire; E Sheehan, S Forde; K Buckley, C O'Mahony, G Joyce; K Forde, A Hogan, P Guest.
L Murphy for T Lawton (47m inj), D Gunning for K Forde (49m), P Gould for D Maguire (56m).
D O'Mahony, K O'Callaghan, L Hodnett, D Roycroft; D McSweeney, L Hegarty, R Moynihan; K Roycroft, K O'Brien; G O'Callaghan, C Moynihan, S Walden; M Cronin, J O'Regan, K O'Driscoll.
K O'Sullivan for C Moynihan (38), F Hurley for D McSweeney (43), J O'Brien for S Walden (44).
: Ted Hayes (Éire Óg).
