Erin's Own all but through to knockouts after goal-fest against Na Piarsaigh 

FLYING: Erin's Owns' Robbie O'Flynn racing past Na Piarsaigh's Eoin Moynihan during the Co-Op Superstores Cork PSHC at Pairc Ui Rinn. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Erin’s Own 6-17 Na Piarsaigh 4-13 

Erin’s Own all but booked their place in the knock-out stages of the Co-op Superstores Cork PSHC after they took care of Na Piarsaigh in this Group B encounter played in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday. Ultimately it was their greater efficiency in front of goal that was the difference between the sides as young Conor Lenihan struck hit 3-4 in a display he will long remember.

The Caherlag based club looked poised for a more comfortable victory when they led by 5-13 to 1-10 with twenty minutes to go, but a Shane Forde goal gave Na Piarsaigh some hope. That hope was extinguished by Lenihan’s third goal but two more late goals from Forde and Patrick Rourke kept things interesting until the end.

Manager Martin Bowen was happy with the two points, if not the performance. 

“Well, we’re thrilled to get the two points, but as one of the players said after match that it was the first time that he was involved with a team that was after winning by ten points and was disappointed. The performance wasn’t good overall. I suppose you have to make allowances for the heat and you have to make allowances for the opponents as well and they caused us a lot of problems for a lot of the match.

“We’ve four points, any team would be happy with four points after two games and we also have a break now which I think all of the teams need at this stage, it’s great to have a week or two off. We’ll re-jig the whole set-up again now, get the bodies going again and we’re happy.” The opening five minutes were highlighted by two remarkably similar goals. Firstly, Kieran Murphy burst on to a loose ball fifty yards from goal and eased his way through the Na Piarsaigh defence before offloading to Sam Guilfoyle who finished to the net from close range. Lenihan quickly added a point and Erin’s Own seemed on their way.

Then Patrick Rourke cruised through the Erin’s Own defence with similar ease before passing to Jamie Morrissey who in turn fed Kelvin Forde who blasted the ball home. Forde then added an outrageous individual point, and it was all square.

The East Cork side were playing with more fluidity, however, and Lenihan knocked home their second goal after reacting quickest to a ball he broke himself. Pádraig Guest responded with a point for Na Piarsaigh but Erin’s Own then hit the next 1-4 to take control of the game. Robbie and James O’Flynn had a point each, Eoghan Murphy tapped over his first free and Maurice O’Carroll hit 1-1, the goal coming after he pounced on more indecisiveness around the Na Piarsaigh square.

The Northsiders were in big trouble but rallied by hitting four of the next five with Guest hitting two and Eoin Moynihan and Patrick Rourke hitting the others while Robbie O’Flynn registered his second to make it 3-6 to 1-6 with twenty minutes played.

Na Piarsaigh kept themselves in contention, as Rourke traded scores with Eoghan Murphy, but disaster struck when a speculative effort from O’Carroll went all the way to the net. The O’Flynn brothers then twisted the knife, hitting three points and though Moynihan added his second score, the city side were staring down the barrel as they trailed by 4-10 to 1-8 at the break.

There was no improvement on the resumption either, as Lenihan scored his second goal and Robbie O’Flynn scored three more points while all Na Piarsaigh could muster was two frees from Guest. Then came the flurry of goals that leaves Erin’s Own top of the group with Bishopstown to play while Na Piarsaigh will be fighting for their lives against their neighbours from Glen Rovers.

Scorers for Erin’s Own: C Lenihan (3-4), M O’Carroll (2-1), R O’Flynn (0-7, 0-1 free, 0-1 ’65), S Guilfoyle (1-0), E Murphy (frees) and J O’Flynn (0-2 each), R Twomey (0-1).

Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: S Forde (2-1), P Guest (0-6, 0-3 frees), P Rourke (1-2), K Forde (1-1), E Moynihan (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 ’65).

ERIN’S OWN: S Bowen; C O’Connor, C Dooley, D Twomey; S Cronin, J O’Carroll, J O’Flynn; S Kelly, C Coakley; K Murphy, S Guilfoyle, R O’Flynn (c); C Lenihan, M O’Carroll, E Murphy. Subs: Ó O’Regan for E Murphy (h/t), B Óg Murphy for J O’Flynn (53 mins), R Twomey for K Murphy (55 mins).

NA PIARSAIGH: S Fitzgerald; P Murphy, E Gunning (c), G Healy; C Buckley, A Dennehy, C Joyce; E Moynihan, J Morrissey; K Moynihan, S Forde, P Rourke; P Guest, K Forde, E Sheehan. Subs: D Gunning for Morrissey (30 mins), K Buckley for Murphy (49 mins).

Referee: Ciarán O’Regan (Ballyhea).