Blackrock overpower the Glen to take opening-round spoils
TUSSLE: Blackrock's Niall Cashman jumping for the ball above Glen's Rovers Patrick Horgan. Pic: Denis Boyle
A larger-than-life opener to the Little All-Ireland as Blackrock had too much firepower for old rivals Glen Rovers, even without the services of Alan Connolly until the closing stages.
The big news before throw-in concerned the marquee forwards on either side, with Connolly withdrawn from the Rockies’ line-up while Patrick Horgan was cleared to start.
Still, Connolly arrived for the final five minutes to lay on Robbie Cotter’s second goal of his 2-4 contribution.
They have made a habit of negotiating such ‘groups of death’ in the past two campaigns and exhibited the sharper hurling throughout to finish with 2-17 from play. Midfielders Mark and Kevin O’Keeffe combined for 0-9 in front of a healthy Páirc Uí Rinn crowd.
It means the Glen start with a loss for the third year on the spin. They have recovered to qualify in the past two seasons but with 2021 champions Midleton up next, they’re facing an almighty scrap.
There were young championship debutants on either side with Glen corner-forward Stephen Lynam marked by fellow rookie Ollie McAdoo, while Zach Lynch and Peter Linehan were full of running around the middle for either side.
Linehan laid on three points early for his teammates as the 2022 runners-up did the front-running. Mark O’Keeffe was mopping up plenty of ball and came forward for three fine points, while his cousin Kevin slotted three more.
They led by three early on but Glen Rovers came back to level at 0-5 apiece to end the first quarter, with Lynam denied a goal by Gavin Connolly. It was the same story thereafter, with the Rockies forging three ahead again but the Glen pegging them back to level by the half.
Horgan’s frees, allied to a pair of Dean Brosnan points, helped to narrow the gap with the score of the half coming at the very end; fast hands from David Noonan and Mark Dooley freeing Hoggie to land the equaliser from the sideline.
Brosnan gave the Northsiders their first lead of the day but Blackrock hit back with the next 1-4. Michael O’Halloran snatched the sliotar to win the crucial penalty, fouled by Stephen McDonnell, and Tadhg Deasy sent it under the keeper.
Deasy added the next point before Cotter pilfered two more from turnovers.
The Glen did have a chance to hit back when Horgan burst onto a breaking ball but his shot was hampered by John Cashman throwing a hurley past him.
Cathal McAllister deemed it a yellow card and Horgan, still seething, went for goal from the free. Gavin Connolly diverted it out for a 65, which Horgan uncharacteristically mishit.
Every time the Glen pulled a point back, the Rockies found an immediate response. They sealed it on 50 minutes, Linehan winning the breaking ball and feeding Cotter to finish.
Cotter flicked home another on the hour mark but the Glen helped their score difference with a late Simon Kennefick goal before Cathal Hickey denied Linehan at the other end.
R Cotter (2-4); T Deasy (1-2, 1-0 penalty); K O’Keeffe (0-5, 2 frees); M O’Keeffe (0-4); D Meaney (0-3); M O’Halloran (free), A Connolly (0-1 each).
P Horgan (0-10, 7 frees); S Kennefick (1-2); D Brosnan (0-4); B Moylan, M Dooley (0-1 each).
G Connolly; O McAdoo, J Cashman, A O’Callaghan; Cathal Cormack, Ciarán Cormack, N Cashman; M O’Keeffe, K O’Keeffe; S O’Keeffe, M O’Halloran, P Linehan; D Meaney, T Deasy, R Cotter.
A Connolly for S O’Keeffe (55).
C Hickey; A Lynch, S McDonnell, D Dooling; B Moylan, R Downey, E Downey; Z Lynch, D Noonan; P Horgan, S Kennefick, D Brosnan; E O’Leary, M Dooley, S Lynam.
L Coughlan for Dooley (47), C Maguire for Z Lynch (47).
C McAllister (Aghada).
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