Slick Blarney too strong for Bandon

File pic of Mark Coleman of Blarney Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Cork SAHC: Blarney 1-21 Bandon 0-12 

Blarney cruised into the knockout stages of the Cork Senior A Hurling Championship with a very convincing victory over Bandon.

Based on this particular performance, it will take a very good side to dislodge Blarney once the knockout stages come around.

With Cork inter-county players Mark Coleman and Pádraig Power excelling, overall the Muskerry side were fully deserving winners and collectively produced a fine display.

In the early stages, Blarney opened the scoring through a crisply taken free by Power, while Bandon responded in kind from a placed ball by Aidan O’Mahony.

This was before Blarney struck for the opening goal of the game. From a Mark Coleman free which was floated in and not dealt with by the Bandon defence, Keith Costello was in the right place to knock the ball into the back of the net from a few yards out. Power added a point a few moments later.

Bandon responded through frees by O’Mahony and an Adam Murphy point, to see the score at Blarney 1-3 to Bandon’s 0-4 after 22 minutes.

Blarney had a strong period towards the latter stages of the opening half. Power got another well-taken score following a determined run, while Patrick Crowley added consecutive points.

Coleman then kept his cool to finish off a well-worked move, with Bandon getting late points on 30 minutes from O’Mahony.

At half-time Blarney held a five-point advantage, 1-8 to 0-6.

Blarney were in cruise control in the opening stages of the second half, getting seven out of the next eight scores upon the restart.

Alan McEvoy got a fine score from long distance, while Coleman continued to show the quality he has in abundance with some impressive point taking.

Blarney led at the second-half water break, 1-16 to 0-7, with Crowley getting another and Coleman getting a fine score from a sideline cut.

Although Bandon responded with scores by O’Mahony and Rory Desmond, they were second best to a slick Blarney side.

Scorers for Blarney: M Coleman (0-9, 6 frees); K Costello (1-0); P Power (1 free), P Crowley (0-3 each) S Barrett (0-2); A McEvoy, D Hannon, E Kirby, C Power (0-1 each).

Scorers for Bandon: A O’Mahony (0-10, 7 frees, 1 ‘65’); R Desmond, A Murphy (0-1 each)

BLARNEY: P Hallissey; S Crowley, P O’Leary, D Walsh; O Hegarty, P Philpott, A McEvoy; D McSweeney, M Coleman; P Crowley, P Power, M O’Leary; K Costello, D Hannon, S Barrett.

Subs: E Kirby for O’Leary, S Mulcahy for Costello (both 40), C Power for Crowley (45), D Murphy for Hegarty, R Murphy for Hannon (both 53).

BANDON: P Barry; J Walsh, P Murphy, M McNamara; J Hickey, T Twohig, E McSweeney; J Harrington, D O’Donovan; C Long, M Cahalane, C Calnan; A O’Mahony, D Crowley, A Murphy.

Subs: R Desmond for C Long (43), C McCarthy for Harrington (51).

Referee: Brian Murphy(Carrigtwohill).