Glen Rovers survive late scare to secure Cork Premier SHC quarters place

Glen Rovers finished second in group 1, which was won by Kanturk. Fr O'Neill's face a relegation play-off against Douglas in a fortnight

Micheál Mullins ran the show for Glen Rovers from centre forward against Fr O'Neills. Pic: Jim Coughlan. 

Cork Premier SHC Group 1: Glen Rovers 1-24 Fr O’Neill’s 3-12 

For much of this contest, it was as comfortable as it could possibly have been for Glen Rovers. Then, a burst of 2-3 from Fr O’Neill’s in the final nine minutes plus stoppage saw the Glen’s lead drop from 12 to six.

Those six points did little to save Fr O’Neill’s from the relegation playoff. But they very nearly left Glen Rovers heartbroken.

News that Kanturk were comfortably ahead of Blackrock had already filtered through. But was the Glen’s scoring difference of +6 going to be enough?

The northsiders congregated around the middle of the pitch in Carrig, anxiously awaiting news from Mourneabbey.

After a lengthy delay, relief would come. Kanturk top the group, but the Glen slip through in second. Blackrock are out. Now, Glen Rovers meet Charleville in the quarter-final, while O’Neill’s put their Premier Senior status on the line with Douglas in a fortnight.

The Glen’s first-half showing was integral here. They took the lead for the second time in the third minute and were never caught again. Six different scorers from play and a Patrick Horgan free had them 0-7 to 0-2 clear after 12 minutes.

O’Neill’s would not score from play from the seventh minute until right before Wayne King’s short whistle. Billy Dunne made a stunning catch, turned and released a shot across goal to ripple the net. By that stage, though, they were well behind, 1-14 to 1-4.

The Glen tore through their opponents for the entire second quarter. Horgan and Eoin O’Leary were unmarkable any time they gathered possession, while Micheál Mullins ran the show at centre-forward.

Robert Downey harried and harassed Deccie Dalton all the way through, while brother Eoin was immense as a sweeper.

O’Neill’s had tried to use Kevin O’Sullivan in the quarter-back role, but they were constantly turned over any time they ventured into the attacking third. Seven scores in a row – including a well-taken goal from O’Leary – had the Glen 1-13 to 0-3 up after 26 minutes.

Ger Millerick and Simon Kennefick went to the air to fight for possession, and O’Leary read the break well before firing beyond Paudie O’Sullivan. Eoin Downey assisted Mullins for the next point, while Rob Downey thundered forward with pace before slotting over to take the Glen’s first-half account to 1-14.

Dunne’s goal right before the break gave O’Neill’s a sliver of hope, but the Glen kept their opponents at arm’s length for much of the third quarter. Only in the final 15 minutes did O’Neill’s begin to eat into the deficit.

A top-spin strike from a Dalton free in the 51st minute sent it dipping towards goal at a ferocious speed, and Jason Hankard was there to get a touch to the net, 1-21 to 2-9.

The Glen answered with two points. The latter of was a brilliant catch and strike from Eoin Downey – who had swapped with Mullins to play centre-forward – after Cathal Hickey’s booming delivery. Dan Harrington assisted Peter Hassett for a better point back, but Hickey’s next puckout was again superbly plucked, this time by the evergreen Horgan.

He split the posts, but O’Neill’s responded with their third green flag in the 59th minute. Hankard struck one low and powerfully, and O’Neill’s tacked on two late scores to leave the final margin at six.

It left Rovers frantically searching for any updates on the Kanturk-Blackrock contest. When the news came through, they were finally free to celebrate.

Scorers for Glen Rovers: P Horgan (0-10, 0-7 f), E O’Leary (1-2), M Mullins (0-4), E Downey, L Quilligan (0-2 each), R Downey, R Dunne, D Noonan, C McCarthy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Fr O’Neill’s: J Hankard (2-0), D Dalton (0-6, 0-5 f), B Dunne (1-1), M O’Keeffe (0-2), P Hassett, John Millerick, C O’Leary (0-1 each).

GLEN ROVERS: C Hickey; A Lynch, E Varian; E Downey; L Horgan, R Downey, L Coughlan; C McCarthy, D Noonan; R Dunne, M Mullins, L Quilligan; P Horgan, S Kennefick, E O’Leary.

Subs: B Moylan for A Lynch (43), S Lynam for O’Leary (48 inj), Z Lynch for Noonan (58), M Dooley for Kennefick (60).

FR O’NEILL’S: P O’Sullivan; D Harrington, G Millerick, M Millerick; K O’Sullivan; P Hassett, E Motherway, J Barry; Joe Millerick, John Millerick; M Wall, D Dalton, M O’Keeffe; J Hankard, B Dunne.

Subs: C O’Leary for Joe Millerick (50), R Kenneally for Barry (53), T O’Donoghue-Brosnan for O’Sullivan (58).

Referee: W King (Banteer/Lyre)