Kilworth survive late Ballinhassig surge to reach quarter-finals
QUARTER FINALS: Kilworth’s early three-goal blitz and a late defensive stand carried them into the Cork Premier IHC quarter-finals and knock Ballinhassig out. Pic: Kilworth GAA.
Kilworth’s early three-goal blitz and a late defensive stand carried them into the Cork Premier IHC quarter-finals and sent Ballinhassig packing.
Michael Sheehan, making his first start this campaign, was in electric form as he made his case to be one of the first names on the teamsheet from here on in. He scored 1-8 and assisted their other two goals.
They won a different game of hurling in either half, too. They edged a free-flowing, high-scoring first half by 3-7 to 1-12. Then, they restricted the Blues to 1-3 and held their forwards scoreless from play in a claustrophobic second period.
Ballinhassig, semi-finalists in the last two years, will regret their catalogue of missed chances as their aerial bombardment failed to break the tenacious Kilworth defence. The Avondhu side will now meet Valley Rovers in the last-six clash.
In a wide-open start, the teams shared 4-12 before the first pointed free in the 23rd minute.
Cork keeper Patrick Collins was one of the few at Rathcormac not enjoying the spectacle, however, as Kilworth put three goals past him inside 18 minutes.
Sheehan was doing the most damage coming in from left-wing forward and he raced through untouched to bounce the first past Collins within three minutes.
Adam O’Sullivan, one of the Blues’ U20 All-Ireland-winning brothers, was off to a fast start too. He landed two fine points before rippling the roof of the net when played in by Richard Lombard.
That was the last time Ballinhassig led. Brian Sheehan rounded the keeper to put Kilworth back ahead on 12 minutes and when Collins miscontrolled Jeremy Saich’s dropping effort, it was 3-5 to 1-7.
The Carrigdhoun side ran up five of the final six points to cut the half-time deficit to one but their shooting fell off a cliff thereafter.
They had eight different scorers in the first half but just three in the second, with Charlie Grainger and Darragh O’Sullivan combining to register their only points from play.
They ran up 12 wides and saw goal chances from Conor Desmond and Lombard denied by Killian Heggevit. All the while, Michael Sheehan slotted four frees before Noel McNamara, Jamie Sheehan, and Liam Whelan tagged on points.
The lead was six with five minutes to play but that advantage was immediately halved by Ger Collins’ forcefully struck 21-yard free.
Kilworth almost pinched a game-clinching goal when Will Condon blocked down Patrick Collins but Patrick O’Leary recovered to flick his effort off the line. Michael Sheehan’s 65 was cancelled out by a Ger Collins free as the clock ticked past 66 minutes.
Ballinhassig had drafted in injured full-back Donncha O’Donovan as an auxiliary full-forward as their keeper rained down puck-outs and long-range frees on the Kilworth square. But Dave Twomey twice cleared dangerous balls and their goal-line stand held out against a final Ger Collins close-in free.
: M Sheehan (1-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65); J Saich, B Sheehan (1-0 each); L Whelan, J Sheehan, N McNamara (0-2 each); W Condon (0-1).
: A O’Sullivan (1-3); G Collins (1-2, 1-1 frees); C Grainger, B Lynch (2 frees), Diarmuid O’Sullivan (0-2 each); M Collins, Darragh O’Sullivan, R Lombard, C Desmond (0-1 each).
: K Heggevit; D Twomey, K Lane, A O’Hara; J Saich, L Carey, M Gowen; L Whelan, E Carey; J Sheehan, N McNamara, M Sheehan; W Condon, C Donnellan, B Sheehan.
P Riordan for Donnellan (h-t), R Jordan for Gowen (57), Donnellan for J Sheehan (60).
: P Collins; E Lombard, P O’Leary, Darragh O’Sullivan; M Sheehan, Michael Collins, S McCarthy; C Grainger, C Desmond; R Lombard, G Collins, Diarmuid O’Sullivan; B Lynch, A O’Sullivan, F O’Leary.
: E Finn for McCarthy (8, inj), S Lombard for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (41), D O’Donovan for O’Leary (57).
P O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).
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