14 points from Mark Coleman helps Blarney past Killeagh

Both sides were looking to bounce back from  defeats in their opening games

Cork's Mark Coleman was on target from placed balls for Blarney

Cork Senior A HC: Blarney 0-19 Killeagh 0-18 

Blarney secured an important victory in Group 2 of the Cork Senior A Hurling Championship as they narrowly defeated a spirited Killeagh side 0-19 to 0-18 in Caherlag on Saturday evening.

A highly entertaining encounter was ultimately settled by the dead ball specialists and Mark Coleman’s superb total of 0-14 was just enough to surpass Eoghan Keniry’s total of 0-13 as Blarney claimed a crucial victory while Killeagh suffered their second defeat in a row.

Both sides were looking to bounce back from their respective defeats in their opening game with Blarney losing heavily against Fr O’Neills while Killeagh were narrowly beaten by Courcey Rovers on the same night last weekend.

It was Killeagh that started fastest here as they opened the scoring after just 18 seconds thanks to an excellent score from full forward Andrew Leahy.

Leahy would repeat the trick minutes later but they would then fail to register another point until the closing stages of the first half as Blarney took control.

Their pace, power, and quick balls into the channels were too much for their opponents to handle and they would claim four points without reply - the pick of the bunch being Padraig Power’s well-worked score - in between the concession of those aforementioned Leahy efforts.

Then the game became the Mark Coleman show. The Cork senior hurling captain showed his class from dead ball situations - his coaches on the line couldn’t believe when he actually put one wide - as he split the posts from two 65s and three frees to add to his early conversion from play, 0-9 to 0-2.

The frees of Eoghan Keniry helped keep Killeagh in contention at the half time break but a Sean Crowley point and another Coleman free ensured it was Blarney who led at the interval, 0-11 to 0-6.

Blarney looked to be cruising to victory as they were ahead 0-16 to 0-9 heading into the fourth quarter but Killeagh rallied and almost made their opponents rue hitting a total of 18 wides.

They would score seven of the next eight points - led by Keniry’s frees - to reduce the deficit to the minimum but Coleman remained calm at the other end when it mattered and he ensured Blarney did enough to claim the victory.

Scorers for Blarney: M Coleman 0-14 (0-11 frees, 0-2 65s), S Crowley 0-2, M O’Leary, P Power and S Barrett 0-1 each.

Killeagh: Eoghan Keniry 0-13 (0-13 frees), A Leahy 0-2, S Walsh, D Walsh and R McCarthy 0-1 each.

BLARNEY: E O’Neill; M J Shine, P O’Leary, A McEvoy; S Barrett, P Philpott, C Power; M O’Leary, P Crowley; P Power, S Crowley, M Coleman; K Costello, D McSweeney, C Barrett.

Subs: E Kirby for K Costello (44), C McCarthy for M O’Leary (47), D Kiely for S Crowley (58).

KILLEAGH: P O’Neill; A Keniry, P O’Brien, D Hogan; J Fogarty, B Barry, D Walsh; M Fitzgerald, K Budds; R McCarthy, E Keniry, A Walsh; G Leahy, A Leahy, S Long.

Subs: C Fogarty for J Fogarty (ht), S Walsh for M Fitzgerald (47), C Fitzgibbon for A Leahy (49), R Sinclair for D Walsh (49).

Referee: Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).