Cork SAHC: Bride Rovers finally break through to decider after Carrigtwohill test

Bride Rovers got two goals in the second half to finally break their semi-final hoodoo, seeing off Carrigtwohill at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Brian Roche scored 1-3 for Bride Rovers in his side's Cork Senior A Hurling Championship semi-final victory over Carrigtwohill at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Cork SAHC semi-final: Bride Rovers 3-14 Carrigtwohill 1-14 

Bride Rovers picked a fine night to find their finish. Two second-half goals broke open a tense semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, as the Rathcormac–Bartlemy men saw off Carrigtwohill to reach the Senior A county final, for the first time in five straight attempts.

They were four up at half-time, six clear when Brian Roche struck, and uncatchable by the time Ronan O’Connell buried the third.

It was a contest shaped as much by the wind as by either team. Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s gusts dictated tempo and touch, demanding patience where panic was the easier option. Rovers coped the better with both. Even with the breeze at their backs in the first half, they didn’t exactly sprint away, 1-9 to 1-5 ahead.

Carrigtwohill were sharper after the restart, but every time they looked to stretch it, Rovers reeled them back. When Seán Walsh’s free cut the gap to three at 1-13 to 1-10 with a quarter of an hour left, it felt finely balanced. Until a minute later.

Cork senior Brian Roche cut inside from the flank, brushed past Aaron Walsh Barry’s challenge, and finished with authority to stretch it to six.

Carrig, to their credit, refused to wilt. They kept nibbling away, James Mulcahy denied a superb goal chance on 51 minutes by a brilliant Cian Hogan save, and by the 55th minute, the margin was down to three.

Then came the swing – Adam Walsh missed a free he would normally bank, Seán Walsh nailed his at the other end, and a two-point gap felt suddenly perilous.

But Rovers' first score since the goal was timely. A mistake from Shane Devlin, punished by Paddy O’Flynn put them three clear again in the 61st minute, 2-14 to 1-14.

Carrig pressed desperately for a goal, forcing passes that weren’t there. Rovers intercepted, broke quickly – Walsh to David Barry, Barry lofting over the top to Ronan O’Connell – and O’Connell buried it to seal victory.

It was a gut-wrenching end to an otherwise impressive season for Carrigtwohill, but there was no stopping Bride Rovers this time. Their moment had finally come.

The wind was the loudest voice in the first half, howling through Páirc Uí Chaoimh and carrying two outrageous efforts from Rovers’ centre-back Cillian Tobin straight over the bar. Yet for all the gale’s persuasion, Bride Rovers only turned around four ahead, 1-9 to 1-5.

Carrigtwohill had begun the better of the two, sharper in touch and cleaner in finish. Twelve minutes had passed before they even struck their first wide, by which time they led 1-4 to 0-3.

Cian O’Riordan and Patrick Walsh clipped fine scores from play, Seán Walsh added two frees, and it was the brothers who buried the game’s opening goal from the spot – Patrick Walsh having floated a teasing delivery onto Liam O’Sullivan, who was felled by Conor Hazelwood.

But the Rovers’ response was instant. Within a minute, Tobin had sprinted back the pitch to deny O’Sullivan a second Carrig goal, and immediately after, Brian Roche and Adam Walsh combined to release Conleith Ryan, who lashed home his fifth of the campaign to cut the margin to one.

Carrig still shaded it by 1-5 to 1-4 after 18 minutes, but Rovers soon found a gear. Five points without reply – two of them Tobin specials from distance – had them dictating by the break, wind and all.

Carrig were tidy and determined after the restart, but they never got closer than two. When Roche hit the net in the 46th minute, Rovers weren’t going to be stopped.

Scorers for Bride Rovers: B Roche 1-3, P O’Flynn 0-3, C Ryan, R O’Connell 1-0 each, A Walsh (2 fs), C Tobin, D Barry 0-2 each, K Kearney, J Ahern 0-1 each.

Scorers for Carrigtwohill: S Walsh 1-6 (0-4 f, 1-0 pen, 0-1 65), M Barrett 0-3 (0-2 f), L Gosnell 0-2, P Walsh, L O’Sullivan, C O’Riordan 0-1 each.

BRIDE ROVERS: C Hogan (c); J Peters, E Roche, D Cashman; C Hazelwood, C Tobin, S O’Connor; D Barry, K Kearney; P O’Flynn, B Roche, C Ryan; R O’Connell, A Walsh, J Ahern.

Subs: C O’Sullivan for Kearney (52), L Roche for Ryan (56), C Barry for O’Flynn (60+2-FT temp).

CARRIGTWOHILL: S Devlin; B Twomey, A Walsh Barry (c), P O’Sullivan; D Murnane, S de Búrca, J Horgan; M Barrett, J Oke; P Walsh, L O’Sullivan, C O’Riordan; L Gosnell, S Walsh, J Mulcahy.

Subs: S Brennan for O’Riordan (48), C Barry for P Walsh (59).

Referee: C Walsh (Nemo Rangers)