East Cork JAHC: Bride Rovers stun St Ita’s to reach final
Bride Rovers are aiming to win their first title since 1998. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Hardly the result on anyone’s bingo card – but Bride Rovers are heading to an East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship final with the chance at a first title since 1998.
Their three-point win over St Ita’s in Dungourney on Friday night keeps alive the prospect of an extraordinary club double, with their seniors chasing promotion to the top flight next week in the Senior A semi-final against Castlelyons.
And they were worth every bit of it. Level at the break, Rovers pressed four clear midway through the second half before it all flipped in an instant.
Imokilly hurler Ciaran O’Brien from a 65, Seamus Harnedy,oh so elegant with the next, before a long delivery broke kindly for David Collins, who fed Darragh O’Brien – making his first appearance since rupturing his ACL last year. His shot was smothered, but it fell kindly for Daniel Hickey, who pulled St Ita’s a point in front, with the green flag they so desperately needed.
The script from there should have favoured the favourites. It didn’t. Ita’s wouldn’t score again. Bride Rovers came back from the brink, and not for the first time in this championship.
Shaun Knox brought them level from a free, nudged them ahead with a 65 after Padraig O’Brien misjudged Cian O’Connor’s dropping shot, and when Ryan Prendergast set up Cormac Barry to stretch it to three, Ita’s were scrambling.
They had chances to rescue it, but Hickey missed two late frees he would normally make. Liam Collins, outstanding throughout as sweeper helped Oisin Roche curtail Harnedy’s influence in the closing stages.
Everywhere Rovers had heroes. Barrys Cormac and Cillian were immense, Daniel Dooley outstanding once again, as he was in their quarter-final win over Sars.
Ita’s led three times – early on, briefly before the break, and again midway through the second half – but could never shake Rovers off.
Their first lead came to a sharp end when Knox struck the first blow on three minutes, bursting from a ruck to bury the ball in the net. When his free left it 1-5 to 0-3 after 13 minutes, Rovers were cruising.
But Ita’s, led by the inevitable Cork star Harnedy, fought back to outscore them 0-7 to 0-1 and edge a point ahead by the 27th minute.
Cormac Barry’s free levelled it at 1-7 to 0-10, and Rovers almost nicked a half-time lead when Cillian Barry’s effort came off the upright and dropped to Knox, whose shot was saved by O’Brien out for a 65.
The second half was breathless, Cathal Deane levelling with a wonder score on 38 minutes and former Cobh Ramblers striker Jake Hegarty chipping in for Ita’s. But when the game tilted toward the wire, Rovers’ composure won out.
No stopping the Rathcormac-Bartlemy men here.
S Knox 1-7 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), Cormac Barry, (2 fs), D Dooley 0-3 each, Cillian Barry, E Cashman 0-2 each, R O’Callaghan 0-1.
D Hickey 1-4 (0-3 f), S Harnedy 0-6, C O’Brien (1 f, 1 65), C Deane 0-2 each, J Hegarty 0-1.
R O’Riordan; E O’Connor, T O’Sullivan; L Collins (c); K Cotter, A Hynes, O Roche; Cormac Barry, R Prendergast; Cillian Barry, C O’Sullivan, D Dooley; R O’Callaghan, E Cashman, S Knox.
C O’Connor for O’Callaghan (46), M Collins for Cashman (57), J Mannix for Cillian Barry (60+1 inj).
P O’Brien (c); E Hegarty, B McCarthy, G Griffin; C O’Brien; M Doherty, M Lillis, G Coleman; M O’Brien, M Coleman; S Harnedy, H Connon, D Hickey; C Deane, J Hegarty.
D Collins for Doherty (HT), D O’Brien for Lillis (43), J McCarthy for Griffin (52).
C McAllister (Aghada)
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