Late surge secures Blackrock senior status for 2024
VICTORS: Blackrock Camogie Intermediate team after they won the Nano Nagle Cup, beating Watergrasshill in the SE Systems-sponsored Cork County Intermediate Championship final. Pic: Larry Cummins
Blackrock secured Cork senior camogie status in Castle Road today.
Highly motivated after losing last year’s thrilling intermediate final replay to Aghabullogue, they stormed to the finish line scoring 1-4 to Watergrasshill’s one point in the final 22 minutes, plus.
The Rockies were the better side all through - that said, this was a first SE Systems intermediate final for Watergrasshill since they came up to the grade five years ago, and they certainly died in their boots on a pitch in brilliant condition despite the recent heavy rain.
There was only one score separating the teams on 37 minutes, 1-7 to 1-4, but Blackrock cut loose with points from Bronagh O’Shaughnessy, Erinn Curtin and Hayley Ryan.
Cliona O’Callaghan’s 55th minute goal and Hayley Ryan’s sixth point from a placed ball ensured victory with nine to spare.
Special mention to the Blackrock defence, especially in those final stages when they battened down the hatches - only allowing Cliona Cronin a pointed free in stoppage.
Their accuracy up front was another indication of their superiority.
Blackrock led 0-3 to nil after nine minutes, but Watergrasshill with the breeze behind them deserved their break when Ruth Kaiser got in for a goal on the quarter hour mark, 1-2 to 0-4. The full-forward found the net after she got a touch to a marvellous long-range free by Edel Murphy.
The game then took a decisive turn five minutes from the interval when Erinn Curtin scored a nominee for goal of the year, to put her team back into the lead.
They took a 1-6 to 1-3 advantage to the dressing-room.
League and championship winners for 2023, there are plenty of bright days ahead for Blackrock.
Outstanding captain Hayley Ryan accepted the Nano Nagle Cup - the number 11 is one of seven Blackrock players who will have to put the celebrations on hold, as they are involved with city division Seandún in tomorrow afternoon’s senior decider against Sarsfields.
“We’ve been knocking on this door for a number of years. It is brilliant.We had over two and a half hours with Aghabullogue last year and we lost by a point.
“Then we lost seven girls - six starters - from last year to travelling, and to different reasons. We had to rebuild, I am so proud of the girls.
“We are going back to the club, A lot of us will have to mind ourselves and have an early night. We will have to recover and go again tomorrow.
“I picked up a bit of a dead leg, I’ll have to watch that and hopefully it will be alright.”
H Ryan (0-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1 45), C O’Callaghan (1-2), E Curtin (1-1), R De Faoite (free) and B O’Shaughnessy (0-1 each).
R Kaiser (1-0), M Sheehan (0-2), C Cronin (free), E Murphy (free) and C Foley (0-1 each).
C Coughlan; O Russell, M Ryan, M Cashman; A Hegarty, R De Faoite, L McKeogh; A O’Farrell, J O’Keeffe; M Coffey, H Ryan (Capt), B O’Shaughnessy; E Curtin, C O’Callaghan, K O’Sullivan.
S McCarthy for K O’Sullivan (35), L Guerin for O Russell, K O’Brien for M Cashman (both 58), T McMahon for B O’Shaughnessy, G Mulqueen for M Ryan (both 59).
C Cashman; J O’Leary, L O’Reilly (Capt), K Fitzgerald; H O’Mahoney, E Murphy, J Cotter; A Fouhy, E Fitzgerald; C Cronin, C Foley, O Lehane; E Carey, R Kaiser, M Sheehan.
C Keohane for O Lehane (half-time), Hollie O’Mahoney for J O’Leary (42), M Kennedy for E Carey (48), C Fouhy for Hannah O’Mahoney (55), S O’Mahoney for C Foley (59).
John Horgan (Gleann na Laoi).
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