Cork SAHC: Na Piarsaigh book last-eight place with win over Fermoy
DANCING IN THE DARK: Craig Hanifin of Na Piarsaigh and Fermoy's Paadraig de Roiste contest a loose ball. Picture by Noel Sweeney
Na Piarsaigh are through to the quarter-finals of the Co-op Superstores SAHC after their win over Fermoy at Lisgoold on Saturday evening.
The win was enough to see them go through on points difference over their opponents as they bounced back from losses to Killeagh and Carrigtwohill to secure a quarter-final spot, with two second-half goals proving to be the crucial scores.
Over the hour they were deserving winners, but they were made battle right to the finish by Fermoy.
It was only when the final whistle went Piarsaigh could relax and celebrate going through over a devastated Fermoy.
Ross O’Sullivan and Padraig Guest got the all-important goals as they now have a quarter-final to look forward to in a few weeks.
Na Piarsaigh got off to a blistering start and before Fermoy knew what hit they were 0-6 to no score behind, after 10 minutes play.
Padraig Guest got their first, with Ross O’Sullivan adding a second from a free inside the first two minutes.
Another free from O’Sullivan extended their lead, with DJ Coffey making it 0-4 to no score with seven minutes played.
Guest and Craig Hanafin added scores to see the city side well in front.
Credit Fermoy they worked their way into contention, with Brian O’Sullivan getting their first score from a free. Shane Aherne added a second, with O’Sullivan replying at the other end.
Fermoy then enjoyed their best spell of the first half as they hit four without reply.
Kieran Morrison made it 0-7 to 0-3, before Aherne got his second to reduce the deficit.
Two frees from Brian O’Sullivan put only a point between the sides, before Ross O’Sullivan pointed for Piarsaigh to stretch it to two again, 0-8 to 0-6.
Another Brian O’Sullivan free, followed by a magnificent point from Morrison had the sides level as the game went into injury time.
With the last shot of the half Ross O’Sullivan put Piarsaigh back in front as his side led by 0-9 to 0-8 at the break.
Brian O’Sullivan levelled early after the restart before Coffey set up Guest for Piarsaigh’s first goal, to make it 1-10 to 0-9.
Brian O’Sullivan hit back with two in a row, before Ross O’Sullivan got his side’s second goal, after 42 minutes, to make it 2-10 to 0-11.
With five minutes to go Fermoy were still in contention as points from David Lardner and Shane Coughlan, from a free, made it 2-12 to 0-15.
Piarsaigh hit back through Guest and Hanafin to put them five to the good and a safety margin of two in the scoring difference charts.
Fermoy got two late points but it wasn’t enough as Piarsaigh advanced to end Fermoy’s season.
: R O’Sullivan 1-6 (6f), P Guest 1-4 (2f), C Hanafin 0-2, DJ Coffey, O Galvin 0-1 each.
: B O’Sullivan 0-10 (8f), A Aherne, K Morrison 0-2 each, D Lardner, S Coughlan (f), J O’Brien 0-1 each.
: J Lonergan; C Meaney, C Flynn, P Murphy; G Healy, C Buckley, K Buckley; C Hogan, C Hanafin; K Moynihan, DJ Coffey, P Rourke; P Guest, R O’Sullivan, E Sheehan.
Subs: L Sheehan for C Flynn (22 inj), O Galvin for P Rourke (ht), K Sheehan for C Meaney (40 inj), E Kidney for R O’Sullivan (54).
: S Coughlan; G Lardner, L Aherne, B McGrath; P De Roiste, J O’Brien, K Morrison; M Brennan, D O’Carroll; J Molloy, B O’Sullivan, D Daly; J Carr, S Aherne, P Murphy.
Subs: T Clancy for D O’Carroll (43), D Lardner for J Molloy (50), A Aherne for D Daly (63).
: Wayne King, Banteer.
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