History: The Senior Years

Cork Senior Hurling Championship 2001 – 1st Round.

Superior strength and attacking flair take Castlelyons to victory.

Castlelyons:  3 – 14

Ballincollig:  1 – 6

It was all so easy for Castlelyons in the TSB Cork SHC at Riverstown on Saturday as Ballincollig wilted after a bright start.

The teams were level after 11 minutes with a goal for either side – John Molloy (Castlelyons) and Terence O Leary (Ballincollig) and there were real expectations that the game would be a close one.

But this wasn’t the case.  Ballincollig did not score again until eight minutes into the second half, being in the main unable to cope with the attacking expertise of inter-county players Timmy McCarthy and the sweet striking Eoin Fitzgerald.

With Barry Fitzgerald in fine form at centre back, this pair received a great supply of ball and, time after time, caused a variety of problems for the Ballincollig defence.

Fitzgerald, in particular, was in inspired form and his excellent distribution, allied to excellently taken points from play and frees, was a delight to watch.

With the game going against them Ballincollig rung the changes, drafting in inter-county footballer Podsie O Mahony to the attack and switching Rory O Doherty from another defensive role to mark Fitzgerald.

And while O Doherty was to curtail Fitzgerald’s influence to some extent, he was unable to stop him supplying a great ball to the square in the 26th Minute and Sylvester McAuliffe, with a one handed grip on the hurley, flashed the ball to the net past Brendan Kelly.

The score gave Castlelyons a 2-6 to 1-3lead and, although O Mahony hit the post with a great 50-yards sideline cut, it was Fitzgerald who had the final say on the half time whistle with another spectacular point.

The contest was as good as over seven minutes into the second half when Declan Wallace scored Castlelyons third goal.

Dan Murphy and Terence O’Leary did their best for the losers but the team overall did not have the strength or depth to match the opposition.

Castlelyons continued to add to Ballincollig’s woes scoring six unanswered points and the tally could have been greater only that a few goal opportunities went abegging.

Still, coach John Horgan can feel well pleased with his charges who now await news of the next round championship draw.  As for Ballincollig, they will be afforded another chance to produce the form their fans expected of them when they tackle Avondhu.

Scorers:  Castlelyons: - E Fitzgerald 0-7, T McCarthy 0-4, S Mc Auliffe 1-1, J Molloy 1-0, D Wallace 1-0, J Mackessy 0-1, P Murphy 0-1.  Ballincollig: - D Murphy 0-5, T O Leary 1-1  

Castlelyons: - A Barry, W O Riordan, B O Connell, A Meade, S Cotter, B Fitzgerald, C McGann, M O Connell, P Murphy, D Sheedy, T McCarthy, E Fitzgerald, J Molloy, D Wallace, S McAuliffe. Sub: - J Mackessy for Molloy.

Ballincollig: - B Kelly, C Dwyer, E Barry, D Dwyer, D Twomey, D Twomey, S O Keeffe, R O Doherty, D Murphy, P Twomey, P Ryan, F Kelly, J O Brien, T O Leary, A Beale, G O Connell. Subs: - P O Mahony for Ryan, E Dineen for O Brien.

Referee: - S O Brien, Ballygiblin.

*(Report photocopied City Library & courtesy Irish Examiner & retyped by KTMcG)


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