Joe Cooper's goal secures league title for Éire Óg against Carrigaline
Eire Og's Joe Cooper hammers the ball to the Carrigaline net, during their Red FM Hurling League Division 3 final, at Ballincollig. Picture: David Keane.
Éire Óg 1-17 Carrigaline 0-17
A GOAL from Joe Cooper after 19 minutes proved crucial as Éire Óg came out on top against Carrigaline in the RedFM Division 3 Hurling League final at Ballincollig.
Both sides will meet each other again in five weeks in the second game of the PIHC group stage and also clashed last summer.
Éire Óg had a more balanced team with Carrigaline too reliant on David Drake converting frees. The Ovens team defended magnificently in the second half led by John Kelleher and John Mullins.
In a keenly contested encounter, both teams were deadlocked at 0-6 apiece in a very lively opening quarter. Carrigaline led 0-4 to 0-2 after six minutes despite playing against the wind but points from Cooper and Kevin Hallissey levelled the game. The teams exchanged the next four scores with some splendid points from both sides.
Carrigaline tacked on two quick-fire points through Kevin O’Reilly and James Maher before Cooper scored a well-taken goal for the Ovens team following a neat team move. Éire Óg pushed three points clear when Brian Hurley and Hallissey raised white flags.
The teams traded points with the team in red and yellow leading 1-9 to 0-9 after 26 minutes. Éire Óg scored the last three points of the half as they led by six points at the interval, 1-12 to 0-9.
On the resumption, Carrigaline, now aided by a strong wind, hit three points on the trot, all from Drake frees. Jerome Kelleher split the posts for Éire Óg after 39 minutes, their first score of the new half. Éire Óg were very close to a second green flag, Cooper hit a well-struck shot but the ball went narrowly wide.
Carrigaline reduced the deficit down to two points when youngster Finn O’Connell and Nathan Coleman raised white flags, 1-13 to 0-14 with 15 minutes remaining. Goalkeeper Dylan Desmond landed a brilliant free from his own half, against the wind, an inspirational score.
Drake converted a close-range free before the beaten team on a couple of occasions tried to work a goal but each time the Éire Óg defence stood strong. The influential Oisín O’Shea split the posts followed by a Hallissey free, as the winners led by four points with seven minutes remaining.
The aforementioned Drake pointed once again from a free until Éire Óg netminder Desmond sent over another outstanding point from a free as Éire Óg led by four points going into injury time. The time was against Carrigaline and a Chris Vaughan free from long-range left just a goal between the teams but the final whistle sounded from the resulting puck out.
The rematch next month should be worth watching.
Scorers for Éire Óg: K Hallissey 0-5 (0-3 f), O O’Shea 0-4, J Cooper 1-1, D Casey, D Desmond (f), B Hurley 0-2 each, Jerome Kelleher 0-1.
Carrigaline: D Drake 0-10 f, R Kelleher 0-2, F O’Connell, C Vaughan (f), N Coleman, K O’Reilly, J Maher 0-1 each.
ÉIRE ÓG: D Desmond; J Mullins, John Kelleher, K Cooper; D Dineen, C McGoldrick, D Kirwan; E Kelleher, K Hallissey; O O’Shea, B Hurley, J Cooper; D Casey, Jerome Kelleher, C Sheehan.
Subs: E O’Shea (c) for C Sheehan (47), C Murphy for E Kelleher (61).
CARRIGALINE: R Foster; D King, S Williamson, C Vaughan; N Coleman, K O’Reilly, Kieran Kavanagh; F O’Connell, R O’Shea (j-c); Kevin Kavanagh (j-c), J Maher, H Andrews; R Kelleher, D Drake, E Desmond.
Subs: K McIntyre for H Andrews (43), D Greene for J Maher (53).
Referee: Ian McCarthy (Bandon).
