Dramatic injury time goal seals win for 14-man Na Piarsaigh over Courcey Rovers
Gordon Joyce of Na Piarsaigh is tackled by Sean Twomey of Courcey Rovers.
A dramatic volleyed goal from Luke Sheehan in the seventh minute of added time handed 14-man Na Piarsaigh a winning start to the championship for the first time since 2019.
The Northsiders had been reduced a man a minute earlier when full-back Gordon Joyce walked for a second yellow card.
His side were two ahead of Courcey Rovers at that juncture but Richard Sweetnam pointed that free for his 11th of the day before substitute Brendan Ryan levelled the game for a ninth time.
There was still time for two replacements to combine for the winner. Greg Healy’s long ball was allowed to bounce on the dry Brinny pitch and Sheehan was first to meet it with a cracking overhead pull which sent Piarsaigh jumping for joy.
It sets them up well in a group where Blarney and Carrigtwohill are the seeded teams. It equally absolved them of the 20 wides they sprayed across the hour.
The more decisive misses came late on at the other end.
Seán Twomey, lining out at full-forward with a heavily strapped thigh, turned ominously inside in the 56th minute but his power-packed shot cannoned back off of Luke Donovan’s hurley.
The county man produced two fine catches on the edge of the square early in added time but the resulting chances were skittled agonisingly wide of either post by Rory O’Callaghan and Tadhg O’Sullivan.
It all meant Seán Guiheen’s first match back in charge of Courceys ended in defeat to his old county-winning teammates down the sideline.
As both these sides sought to shake off relegation from the league, Piarsaigh had a crop of their injured stars back including Daire Connery. The half-back made an immediate impact, landing his first of six points from a free within 40 seconds.
Piarsaigh were able to create space with their short passing but paid the price for a huge wide tally. They struck the first 11 wides and the half-time count read 13 to one.
Courceys never led in the first half but had fine points from Twomey and O’Sullivan to level.
Piarsaigh struck the first heavy punch in the 10th minute. Pádraig Guest forced a turnover inside the opposition 21. He lost his hurley but soloed the sliotar back to himself before offloading for Ross O’Sullivan to ripple the net. 1-3 to 0-3.
There was no score from play for the subsequent 11 minutes as Sweetnam worked the scoreboard with four frees, while Guest (0-2 frees) and Connery (65) registered at the other end.
There was a goal chance apiece but Shane Forde was denied by Stephen Nyhan and Daniel O’Donovan’s bouncer was recovered by Donovan as he scrambled back between the posts.
Olan Crowley and a Sweetnam free brought them level, 1-6 to 0-9, as Piarsaigh’s wides ticked into double figures. But they regained the interval lead with a fourth point apiece from Forde and Connery; 1-8 to 0-9.
Courceys started the second half better to level again through a super Tadhg O’Sullivan point along the sideline. Twomey hit the net, too, but it was rightfully ruled out for a foul on the keeper.
A Connery 65 was cancelled out by Sweetnam’s first from play, a sweet strike from distance, before Brendan Ryan’s first-touch point gave Courceys their first and only lead; 0-13 to 1-9.
Piarsaigh struck the next three points via Connery and Guest frees and Ross O’Sullivan from play.
Donovan saved from Tadhg O’Sullivan, although play was called back for a Sweetnam free, before Craig Hanifin and Sweetnam traded stylish points.
Patrick O’Rourke had a shot bravely blocked by Kevin Collins as Courceys battled back to level but the sub and Shane Forde split the posts for a two-point lead.
That was just the start as the game was decided in a lengthy bout of stoppage time.
D Connery (2 frees, 2 65s), P Guest (6 frees) (0-6 each); R O’Sullivan (1-1); L Sheehan (1-0); C Hanifin, S Forde, P O’Rourke (0-1 each).
R Sweetnam (0-11, 8 frees, 1 65); T O’Sullivan (0-4); B Ryan (0-2); O Crowley, S Twomey (0-1 each).
L Donovan; P Murphy, G Joyce, A Dennehy; D Connery, C Buckley, K Moynihan; C Hanafin, SP Cooke; O Galvin, D Lee, K Forde; P Guest, R O’Sullivan, S Forde.
: L Sheehan for K Forde (35), C Hogan for Cooke (35), P O’Rourke for Galvin (42), G Healy for Lee (60+1, inj).
S Nyhan; K Collins, B Mulcahy, D Collins; L Collins, F Lordan, C Roche; M Collins, DJ Twomey; R O’Callaghan, T O’Sullivan, O Crowley; R Sweetnam, S Twomey, D O’Donovan.
: B Ryan for O’Donovan (38), A O’Donovan for Crowley (47), D Lordan for M Collins (55, inj).
: N O’Neill (Midleton).
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