Carrigaline proved far too strong for Ballinhassig in the Co-Op Superstores Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship at Riverstick on Saturday.

From the early minutes of this contest, it was very evident that Carrigaline were up for this clash as Ciaran Kearney goaled on three minutes.

Despite a brave effort by Ballinhassig, they were simply no match for Carrigaline, who were led in the second half by an outstanding performance from David Griffin and Brian Kelleher.

A Thrilling Start

The game opened at a ferocious pace as two early points from Adam and Darragh O’Sullivan was replied to by Kierney, as he hit the net on three minutes.

With both teams playing at break neck speed, two Darragh O’Sullivan scores  drew two replies from the impressive David Drake.

By the 10th minute, the sides were level at 1-2 to 0- 5.

Rhys McCarthy then nudged his side ahead, but the advantage was only momentary as Evan Cullinane had the sides level on 13 minutes.

With this game in the melting pot, Carrigaline had hit the front thanks to Brian Kelleher points as Ballinhassig were proving wasteful in front of the goal.

However, their lead was short-lived as Brian Lynch and Fintan O’Leary had the sides level again on 19 minutes.

From here to the break, Carrigaline, who were dominating the game, outscored their opponents by seven points to three to leave the half-time tally at 1-11 to 0-11.

Carrigaline Dominate in the Second Half

At the start of the second half, McCarthy and Rob O’Shea had Carrigaline ahead by four but by the 39th minute, Fintan O’Leary (2) and Darragh O’Sullivan had a goal between the sides at 1-14 to  0-14.

Carrigaline then hit a purple patch as Griffin (2), Rhys McCarthy, and David Drake all fired over points as Ballinhassig were dependent on Darragh O’Sullivan and O’Leary.

Struggling to come to terms with Carrigaline’s intensity, Hassig really had no answer, as they trailed by 1-21 to 0-18  on 51 minutes.

With the Carrigaline defence snapping shut and Ballinhassig guilty of some poor shooting, Desmond, Kelleher and Drake had no difficulty in front of the Ballinhassig posts.

A Close Call

A close in free on 56 for Ballinhassig had Pat Collins’s goal effort blocked, but Darragh O’Sullivan made amends with a similar effort on 59 minutes.

However, it was all immaterial as Kelleher landed the final score to record a famous victory for Carrigaline, who now face Ballincollig in the semi-final of the competition.

A Triumphant Display

Carrigaline’s win was a testament to their hard work and determination. Their dominance in the second half was particularly impressive, with Griffin and Kelleher leading the charge.

Ballinhassig, on the other hand, will be disappointed with their performance. The loss of Ger Collins was a significant blow, and their inability to convert chances proved costly.

This match was a thrilling contest, and it was Carrigaline who emerged victorious. Their victory sets up a tantalizing semi-final clash with Ballincollig, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue their winning ways.

Scorers:

Carrigaline: B Kelleher 0-9 (0-5 f), C Kearney 1-1, D Drake 0-4, R McCarthy, D Griffin 0-3 each, E Desmond, R O’Shea 0-2 each, K Kavanagh, R Kelleher 0-1 each.

Ballinhassig: D O’Sullivan 1-7 (1-3 f, 0-1 65), A O’Sullivan, F O’Leary 0-4 each, E Cullinane 0-2, B Lynch, J Grainger 0-1 each.

Teams:

Carrigaline: R Foster; D King, S Williamson, D Stack; K Kavanagh, D Griffin, C Vaughan; R Kelleher, C Barry; R McCarthy, E Desmond, R O’Shea; C Kearney, D Drake, B Kelleher.

Subs: F O’Connell for C Vaughan (41).

Ballinhassig: P Collin; M Desmond, K Maguire, P O’Leary; J O’Callaghan, M Collins, C Desmond; D O’Sullivan, E Lombard; C Grainger, A O’Sullivan, B Lynch; F O’Leary, J Grainger, E Cullinane.

Subs: D O’Donovan for J Grainger (41), S Lombard for B Lynch (48), S O’Neill for C Grainger (53).

Referee: Mark Maher (St Finbarr’s).