Goals from Canty and Lyons send Valley Rovers into knockout stages
KNOCKOUT STAGES: David Lynch, Valley Rovers with posession against Carrigaline in the first half of play. Pic. Larry Cummins
Kevin Canty and Charlie Lyons goals sent Valley Rovers through to a Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier IHC quarter-final meeting with Kilworth at a balmy Ballygarvan last Sunday.
Relegation-battling Carrigaline were neck and neck with their opponents until the 44th minute when Kevin Canty found the net. Valleys immediately added three additional points via Canty, Charlie Lyons and Colm Butler (free) to make it 1-17 to 0-16.
Leading 1-19 to 0-19 with less than six minutes remaining, Rovers raised a second and decisive green flag when Charlie Lyons goaled at the second attempt.
From there, Valley’s kept Carrigaline at arm’s length for the remainder of a free-scoring clash to emerge deserving 7-point winners.
Rovers began knowing victory was essential to force their way into the Premier IHC knockout shakeup with Ballymartle (also on 2 points) and Éire Óg (on 4 points) playing at the same time. As for Carrigaline (on 0 points), nothing less than a win would suffice if the prospect of a relegation play-off was to be avoided.
The hot and humid conditions didn’t deter both teams from delivering a quick tempo and high scoring opening half. Level seven times during the first 30 minutes, Carrigaline went in 0-11 to 0-9 ahead thanks to a lively forward line in which David Drake floated over five superb scores Corner-forward Brian Kelleher added four (three frees) and Robert O’Shea a brace of well-taken efforts.
As for Valley Rovers, the Brinny club matched their opponents' stride for stride thanks to a direct approach that yielded five Butler points, four from placed sliotars.
Eoin Guinane, Darren Murphy and the hard-working Lyons also featured on the scoreboard despite Rovers trailing at the break 0-11 to 0-9. Butler would finish with eleven points and his free-taking accuracy proved crucial during a high-scoring second period.
Carrigaline led by two, 0-16 to 0-14 heading into the final quarter with both teams scoring from multiple angles and staying within touching distance of one another.
The first goal in such an evenly-fought game would prove crucial and Valley’s scored it via the experienced Kevin Canty. Within ten minutes, Lyons popped up to net Rovers’ second goal and Carrigaline’s resistance was finally broken.
Though they battled right up until the final whistle, Drake, Kelleher and O’Shea emptying their respective tanks, a two-goal cushion meant Valley Rovers now have everything to play for in the knockout stages of this year’s Premier IHC.
: C Butler 0-11 (0-9 frees), K Canty 1-3, C Lyons 1-2, D Murphy, A Kenneally, W Hurley 0-2 each, E Guinane 0-1.
: B Kelleher 0-8 (0-7 frees), D Drake (0-6), R O’Shea (0-5), D Griffin (0-2), K O’Reilly (0-1).
J Lynch; J O’Driscoll, C Desmond, E Delaney; D Murphy, T O’Brien (captain), W Hurley; E Guinane, R O’Sullivan; C Butler, A Kenneally, S O’Leary; K Canty, M Savic, C Lyons.
: J Cottrell for M Savic (41), J Kenneally for S O’Leary (52).
R Foster; C Vaughan, S Williamson, K Kavanagh; D Griffin, R McCarthy, R O’Shea; J McCarthy, F O’Connell; K Kavanagh (captain), D Drake, D Greene; B Kelleher; K O’Reilly, N Coleman.
: P Mellet for N Coleman (ht), R Kelleher for F O’Connell (35, inj), N O’Keefe for D Greene (49), J Maher for R Kelleher (52, inj).
: Brian Sweeney (Erin’s Own).
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