Na Piarsaigh deliver statement performance to down Inniscarra

POINT MERCHANT: Na Piarsaigh's Ross O'Sullivan in a tussle for possession with Inniscarra's Ciaran Lombard and Liam Ryan, during their Senior AHC clash at Ballincollig. Pic: David Keane.

Inniscarra 2-11 Na Piarsagh 1-25

If there was a way to make a statement, this was it as Seán Óg Ó hAilpín's Na Piarsaigh beat Inniscarra in the Co-Op SuperStores SAHC in Ballincollig.

The Northsiders delivered a statement performance against a newly promoted side that was reeling from last week's loss to Killeagh.

With just eight minutes played, it was 0-5 to 0-1, but Inniscarra came back into it through scores from Sean O’Donoghue and Andrew McCarthy.

The closest they got to pegging Na Piarsaigh back was making the score-line read 0-7 to 0-6, and that did very little to disrupt the rhythm of the team from the city.

Eoin Moynihan personally embodied the black and yellow cause as he scored seven points in the opening 30 minutes at Ballincollig. This made it 0-12 to 0-7 at the break and Inniscarra pushed up for a goal once played resumed.

McCarthy was denied by the Na Piarsaigh back-line during this advance and O’Donoghue fired narrowly wide.

Their attempts to get back in the game were complicated by a searing run from Shane Forde. He carved out space for himself on the left wing and hit roof of the net, and that made the scoreboard read 1-17 to 0-7.

Na Piarsaigh were in total control and the goal just padded their tally, and almost everything they hit went over the bar.

O’Sullivan got another point after this and so did Moynihan, and that was his eighth of the game. What could have been a four-point game when that chance fell to O’Donoghue, was now a commanding 16-point lead midway through the second half.

Gordon Joyce was excellent for the Northsiders as they saw the game out with the only blemish on an otherwise perfect evening for Na Piarsaigh being Padraig Holland’s two late goals.

Scorers for Na Piarsaigh: E Moynihan 0-10 (7f); R O’Sullivan 0-8 (3f), S Forde 1-2, D Connery (1f), G Joyce, P Lehane, C Flynn, P O’Rourke all 0-1.

Scorers for Inniscarra: P Holland 2-2 (2f); A McCarthy 0-4, S O’Donoghue 0-2; K Rice, S Sheehan, O McCarthy all 0-1.

Inniscarra: J O’Keeffe; D Keane, C O’Leary, C Lombard, B O’Mahony, S Sheehan, L Ryan, J Harrington, O McCarthy, S O’Donoghue, C Casey, A McCarthy, P Holland, C O’Leary.

Subs: M Nagle for Rice (40), D O’Keeffe for O’Leary (45).

Na Piarsaigh: A Horgan; P Murphy, K Forde, A Dennehy, G Joyce, D Connery, C Buckley, K Moynihan, E Moynihan, K Buckley, C Hanafin, L Sheehan, R O’Sullivan, P Rourke, S Forde.

Subs: P Lehane for Moynihan (40), E Kidney for Buckley (45), S Paul Cooke for Sheehan (50), C Hogan for P Rourke (52).

Referee: Ian McCarthy (Bandon)