Hawe hat-trick keeps Charleville up as Bishopstown finally make the drop

Bishopstown’s David Quaide is chased down by Charleville’s Daniel O’Flynn during the PSHC match in Grenagh on Saturday. Picture Chani Anderson

Cork Premier SHC: Charleville 3-24 Bishopstown 2-18 

Bishopstown’s 18-season stint at the top table of Cork hurling came to an end in Grenagh this afternoon after a hat trick from Tim Hawe helped Charleville secure the win in the PSHC relegation playoff. It has been a remarkable journey for them, but twelve years after reaching their one and only final, a fourth relegation playoff proved to be one too many. This was Charleville’s third appearance in this game on four years, and though they are adept at surviving them, they’ll be keen to avoid it moving forwards.

Hawe’s third goal came in the fifty-fifth minute, and it finally gave his side some space to breath, as it pushed them into a 3-21 to 0-18 lead. It was the pick of his goals, a brilliant finish to the corner after a pass from Andrew Cagney. Bishopstown, to their credit, had been game all afternoon and they went out swinging to the very end. While Jack Doyle, David Forde and Gavin Kelleher raised further white flags for Charleville, the Town struck for two majors. Mark Driscoll had been moved from goalkeeper to full forward and he doubled a floated ball from Diarmuid Lester to the net and Colm O’Driscoll got the final touch on a Driscoll free moments later, but it was too late for the city side.

Bishopstown’s Colm O’Driscoll and Charleville’s Conor Buckley compete in the air. Picture Chani Anderson

The chance that they will rue came in halfway through the second half. Hawe’s first two goals gave Charleville a 2-11 to 0-11 interval lead and they outscored the Town by 0-6 to 0-4 after the break, Darragh Fitzgibbon with three of them. The impressive Conor Hegarty then put Luke Lordan through on goals, but his rocket of a shot hit the side netting. It proved to be a terminal blow to the Town’s chances, and while they went tit for tat with Charleville after that miss, Hawe’s goal finished them off.

Bishopstown played with the wind in the opening half, and the main difference between the sides was Hawe’s first two goals. The first came in the fifth minute when Hawe picked up a nice ball in from Fitzgibbon, beat his men after possibly taking a step or two too many, before kicking the ball to the net.

Fitzgibbon and Colm O’Driscoll had exchanged scores before that, and the sides were soon level again as points from Daniel Murray, Hegarty and Thomas Murray brough the Town to 0-4. It was then Charleville’s turn for three on the spin with Fitzgibbon, Conor Buckley and Oran O’Connell on target before Thomas Murray and Buckley exchanged scores to leave Hawe’s goal between them at the end of the opening quarter, 1-5 to 0-5.

The scores were coming a bit easier for Charleville, and two placed balls from Fitzgibbon and first out did another O’Driscoll point for the Town to leave five between them. Goalkeeper Mark Driscoll then reduced the margin with a free from distance before Hawe struck again. This time he was at the end of a lovely move involving Buckley and David Forde, giving Driscoll no chance from close range.

He added a point immediately afterwards, Hegarty cancelled it out before Driscoll saved brilliantly from Andrew Cagney. Forde then clipped over his first before frees from Murray and Driscoll left two goals between them at the break, 2-11 to 0-11. Hawe’s goals were the difference then, as they were at the finish.

Scorers for Charleville: T Hawe (3-2), D Fitzgibbon (0-7, 0-5 frees), J Doyle (0-4), D O’Flynn, C Buckley, A Cagney and D Forde (0-2 each), O O’Connell, J O’Brien and G Kelleher (0-1each).

Scorers for Bishopstown: T Murray (0-9, 0-8 frees, 0-1 ’65), M Driscoll (1-2, 0-2 frees), C O’Driscoll (1-2), C Murray and D Murray (0-2 each), D O’Donovan (0-1).

CHARLEVILLE: C Collins; D Butler, J Buckley (c), J Madigan; A Dennehy, D O’Flynn, F Cagney; D Casey, D Fitzgibbon; O O’Connell, C Buckley, J Doyle; A Cagney, D Forde, T Hawe.

Subs: G Kelleher for O’Connell (41), J O’Brien for C Buckley (49), D O’Riordan for Forde (55), R Carroll for Madigan and M O’Flynn for Cagney (both 56).

BISHOPSTOWN: M Driscoll; R Foley, D Daly, S Murphy; G Murphy, P Honohan, C Dunne; C O’Hora, D Quaid; C Hegarty, C O’Driscoll, D Murray; D O’Donovan, B Murray (c), T Murray.

Subs: L Lordan for Murphy (26), K O’Halloran for Lordan (49), D Lester for Foley (55), K McFadden for Quaid and M McStay for Honohan (both 60) 

Referee: Ian McCarthy (Bandon).

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