Glen Rovers 0-22
Erins Own 3-9
THE FAVOURITES GOT there in the end in tonight’s second Cork senior hurling semi-final but Glen Rovers were forced to work furiously hard to overturn a deficit before delivering a traditional pairing in the decider next Sunday.
The predicted outcome arrived with a three-point success for Glen Rovers and sets up a showdown with city rivals Blackrock in the decider. It will be the first time since 1978 that pair of Leeside powerhouses have faced off in pursuit of silverware.
Glen Rovers had to endure a rocky patch as they trailed by five points at the interval, rocked by the concession of early goals and then they were hit by a third Erins Own strike to the net on the cusp of the second-half water break.
Yet with star attacker Patrick Horgan finishing with 0-14 and some important scores registered by David Noonan, Donal Cronin and Simon Kennefick, last year’s finalists were good value for their eventual success. They outscored Erins Own 0-15 to 1-3 in the second half, reflective of their growing dominance with defenders Brian Moylan and Robert Downey providing an excellent launchpad.
Underdogs need something to settle them early in encounter. That arrived for Erins Own in the form of those opening half goals from Maurice O’Carroll and Cian O’Callaghan which had an emboldening impact. Robbie O’Flynn finished with 1-5 for his attacking showing while the likes of Cian O’Connor, James O’Carroll and Kieran ‘Hero’ Murphy ensured the Caherlag-based club never wilted.
They had their share of setbacks though. Shane Murphy was an injury withdrawal during the week while they lost James O’Flynn and Stephen Cronin for similar reasons in the first half. That’s a lot of defensive expertise for a team to have to operate without.
Still O’Carroll’s strike six minutes in, after lovely approach work from Alan Bowen and Eoghan Murphy, and then O’Callaghan’s shot in the 19th minute helped shape a 2-6 to 0-7 interval advantage. Robbie O’Flynn was in dynamic form with his trickery a problem the Glen rearguard managed to partially solve when Robert Downey went over to curb his influence.
Glen Rovers shot the first five points of the second half yet still trailed 3-7 to 0-14 when O’Flynn cracked home a third Erins Own goal. Yet with Horgan shooting nine second-half points, seven from placed balls, and the team in general winning the point-scoring battle 8-3 in the final quarter, they were good value for their end success.
A fourth final in six seasons now beckons.
Scorers for Glen Rovers: Patrick Horgan 0-14 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65), David Noonan, Donal Cronin, Simon Kennefick 0-2 each, Dale Tynan, Dean Brosnan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Erins Own: Robbie O’Flynn 1-5 (0-2f), Maurice O’Carroll 1-1, Cian O’Callaghan 1-0, Alan Bowen 0-3 (0-1f), Eoghan Murphy 0-1 (0-1f).
Glen Rovers
1. Cathal Hickey
4. Adam Lynch
2. Stephen McDonnell
3. David Dooling
7. David Noonan
6. Brian Moylan
5. Robert Downey
8. Donal Cronin
9. Adam O’Donovan
10. Dean Brosnan
11. Patrick Horgan
12. Luke Horgan
13. Conor Dorris
14. Simon Kennefick
15. Liam Coughlan
Subs
19. David Cunningham for Dorris (half-time)
21. Mark Dooley for Coughlan (half-time)
23. Dale Tynan for Luke Horgan (42)
Erins Own
1. Shay Bowen
4. Dara Twomey
3. Cormac Dooley
2. Cian O’Connor
7. James O’Carroll
6. James O’Flynn
5. Stephen Cronin
8. Sean Kelly
9. Colm Coakley
10. Kieran Murphy
11. Robbie O’Flynn
12. Maurice O’Carroll
14. Alan Bowen
13. Eoghan Murphy
15. Cian O’Callaghan
Subs
18. Barry Óg Murphy for James O’Flynn (inj) (27)
25. Stephen Horgan for Cronin (inj) (32)
24. Ronan Twomey for Eoghan Murphy (36)
22. Cathal Lenihan for O’Callaghan (38)
Referee: Simon Stokes
I was thinking the same yesterday. Can you imagine a player like Aidan O’Shea was left on the bench for a whole game. There would be a mutiny the day after their championship campaign ended.
@Ned Flanders: cheap shot. O’Shea showed he is the ultimate team player by switching to a totally new position over the last 2 games to help the team get over the line. I guess haters are always gonna hate though
@Pepper Brooks: ultimate team player? That particular tactic nearly blew up in mayos face. In the replay he was soloing around his 21 half way through second half and trying 40 yard outside of boot passes that ran out over the line. If kerry hadnt panicked and had taken points earlier rather than going for goals when 7 down it could have been a very different
@Pepper Brooks: O’Shea wouldn’t make the Dublin bench.
Juniors maybe
@johnnyA the game is also about opinions,for you it’s bitter and twisted against Dublin,while us Dublin fan’s are enjoying every minute of this great Team,so happy days for us Ha Ha ha
@alan dodrill: *fans
It’s a great achievement to show humility when you’re strolling through the championship. Fair play to the Dublin/AIG players for being such good winners. If Gavin exerts such control he must endorse or at least turn a blind eye to the playacting. Cooper at it again yesterday. McCarthy and McCaffrey at it the last day – good footballers but while their fans have brought the worst aspects of UK terrace culture to Gaelic Games the players have brought Neymar type playacting into our national sport. Great lads all the same.
@Johnny A: Why not just enjoy the football instead of always having a bitch , life is too short
@Tony Talbot: the football championship used to mean something. Now it’s completely hollow. Very few meaningful contests – certainly none when Dublin/AIG are involved. Instead of mitigating their natural advantages – population, money, home advantage – the GAA have bolstered these and set them in stone. Teams like Tyrone and Monaghan now come up to Croker with ridiculous defensive systems just to keep the score down. The GAA have to look at the population and reconsider a split – for example Dublin North/AIG & Dublin South/HSBC. There should be an equalisation process with the corporate loot – they should be allowed keep 20-30% with the rest being redistributed. And they should be kept out of Croker a lot more – why not make them play an away semi final for example. I’ll enjoy it then.
@Johnny A: have to hand it to you mate you have bitterness to a new level. Short memories like most non dubs. This golden era has more to do wirh jim gavin than anything else.Maybe he should only be allowed manage smaller counties?
@Johnny A: explain 1995 – 2011??
If you split Dublin now you’d risk an all Dublin All Ireland final and that would be worse! Did you see the bench. Dublin A Vs Dublin B would be some game!
Other counties need to stop making excuses… Kerry has the same population as Wicklow as is the most successful football county by far
Also, let’s split Kilkenny into North & South and actually while we’re at what about the most successful football county, Kerry…well over due a split!!
@Brendan Farrell: if you think a 2 way split isn’t enough and they’d still be too strong then a 4 way split would be ideal. Could be 4 Dublin zones – AIG1, AIG2, AIG3, AIG4. Have their own provincial championship. The metropolitan cup or something like that.
@paddy: I wouldn’t call it bitterness – more like constructive hate.