Patrick Horgan the star once again as Glen Rovers ease past Bishopstown challenge
STAR MAN: Glen Rover's Patrick Horgan wins the ball from Bishopstown's Barry Murphy during the Co-Op Superstores Cork PSHC at Pairc Ui Rinn. Picture; Eddie O'Hare
Glen Rovers roared back into the Co-op Superstores Cork PSHC as they comfortably defeated their city rivals from Bishopstown in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. After losing out to Erin’s Own last weekend, this was do or die for last year’s beaten finalists as they responded with a professional if not polished performance.
In the final analysis, the Glen offered more of a scoring threat up front, with Patrick Horgan in imperious form, hitting 1-14, while their half back line of Brian Moylan and Robert and Eoin Downey were dominant throughout.
Bishopstown still go into their final game against Erin’s Own with their destiny in their own hands and they will take much from the performances of Luke Lordan and Pa Cronin.
Glen selector Barry Hackett was happy to be back to winning ways, and with the form of their talisman.
“Conditions weren’t ideal early on last weekend and that probably had a bearing on it. Historically, we’re not great in opening round matches anyway and we knew, that once it got to knock out, that we were well capable of doing it because we’ve done it before, and these fellas know when it’s time to play.
“You get the ball into Patrick and you know what’s going to happen next, that’s the reality of it. Year in and year out he just keeps performing and we’d expect nothing else. We’re well aware that it’s not just him, we’ve other forwards in there who can do damage too.”
As in any city derby where teams from opposite sides of the river come together, the opening to the game was feisty, and the teams were level three times in the opening ten minutes with Horgan (2) and Simon Kennefick on target for the Glen while Thomas Murray, Daire Daly and Pearse Morris split the posts for the Town to make it 0-3 apiece.
The Glen seemed to be getting their scores that bit easier and they went on to hit the next five points to give themselves some breathing space. Horgan hit three of those, two of which were classy efforts off play while Brian Moylan and the excellent David Noonan pointed from distance. However, the south-siders managed to curb the Glen surge as further points from Morris, Murray and Luke Lordan were answered by a fabulous point from Kennefick to leave three between them, 0-9 to 0-6, with twenty minutes played.
Horgan then hit his third from play and his third from a free, Dean Brosnan opened his account and Brian Murray hit Bishopstown’s seventh score. The Glen then hit three of the last five of the score of the half as Brosnan, Horgan and Mark Dooley all hit the target while Pa Cronin and Brian O’Driscoll responded in kind for the Town to leave them trailing by 0-15 to 0-9 at the interval.
They extended that lead on the resumption with points from Eoin O’Leary and Noonan and though they were quickly cancelled out by Lordan and Cronin the Horgan hit the next four as his side took total control as they led by 0-21 to 0-11. It could have been more too, only for Ken O’Halloran saving brilliantly from Kennefick.
Cronin kept fighting the fight for the Town and added three more to his tally before Kennefick traded scores with Lordan. Then it was time for another moment of magic from Horgan as he plucked a long delivery from the sky before hammering it to the net. Game over.
He added two more to his tally thereafter and Moylan hit his second while Cronin, Morris and Conor Hegarty brought Bishopstown tally to 0-18.
The Glen haven’t gone away and will now need to beat their neighbours from Na Piarsaigh to ensure their progress, while Bishopstown will need to beat Erin’s Own in three weeks’ time.
P Horgan (1-14, 0-6 frees, 0-3 ’65), S Kennefick (0-3), D Brosnan, D Noonan and B Moylan (0-2 each), E O’Leary and M Dooley (0-1 each)
P Cronin (0-6, 0-5 frees), L Lordan and P Morris (0-3), T Murray (0-2), B Murray, B O’Driscoll, D Daly and C Hegarty (0-1 each).
C Hickey (c); S McDonnell, D Dooling, A Lynch; B Moylan, R Downey, E Downey; D Noonan, A O’Donovan; M Dooley, D Brosnan, L Horgan; C Healy, P Horgan, S Kennefick. Subs: E O’Leary for L Horgan (inj, 5 mins), R Dunne for Dooley and C Dorris for Healy (both 46 mins), B Murphy for O’Donovan (55 mins)
K O’Halloran; D Daly, B Murphy, S Murphy; D Lester, B Murray, S Foley; B O’Brien, B McConville; L Lordan, P Cronin, T Murray; P Moris, B O’Driscoll, C O’Hora. Subs: C Hegarty for O’Hora (41 mins), C O’Hora for Daly (51 mins)
Cathal McAllister (Aghada).
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