Youghal power past Blarney into the County Semi-Final

By Derek Kiely

Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter Final
Youghal 3-17, Blarney 1-09
YOUGHAL will fly the East Cork flag again this year in the Cork County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship after crushing Blarney in Páirc Uí Rinn last Saturday evening.
Up until the 10th minute the sides were level at 0-3 each after points from Youghal's Nigel Roche, Brendan Ring and Andrew Curtin all from play, in reply Blarney had three from play also, but Youghal went into full drive on the 14th minute when a long ball in found the excellent James O'Mahony who met the ball brilliantly and rattled the Blarney net with the games opening goal.
From here on in it was immaculate hurling from Youghal who carried on the high speed demolition job on Blarney just like they did against Tracton.
Blarney scored a point on the 15th minute and it was to be their last score for 25 minutes as Youghal swept up any sign of an attack and punished the Blarney side at will throughout the remainder of the first half.
Points started to fly over as Brendan Ring pointed from play on the 17th minute, followed by a superb point over the shoulder from Brendan Coleman seconds later.
Ring pointed on the 19th minute, Youghal first score from a placed ball in the game, then Nigel Roche who worked his socks off throughout the match had his second point on the 24th minute.
Jonathan Ormonde got in on the act on the 27th minute with a point from play, then as half time approached Brendan Ring sent over two scores from play as the Youghal Captain showed what a classy hurler he is.
The first half finished with a superb point from way out in the right corner where Alan Frahill-O'Connor sent one over from an almost impossible angle, to leave Youghal ten points clear at the short whistle and just like the Tracton match, Youghal had the game sewn up at half time.
The second half started brilliantly for Youghal.
Looking at the Youghal boys they started the second half like they were the side in arrears, driving in to the Blarney defence and just three minutes in the ball fell to Brett Moloney who slammed the ball into the Blarney net with a great goal.
Seconds later Brendan Coleman pointed beautifully which was followed by a Brendan Ring free and Youghal led by a massive 15 points.
Blarney scored from their only threat corner forward Mark Cremin, but this point was the first for the opposition since the 15th minute of the first half in this very one sided Quarter Final.
Immediately Youghal replied through Brett Moloney with a fantastic point, blocked on the left shoulder the wing forward calmly picked the ball back up and struck the sliotar over off the right shoulder to send yet another white flag up in favour of Youghal.
Cremin pointed three in a row for Blarney, but a gigantic free from deep inside the Youghal half from Damien Ring went flying over the bar to send the travelling Youghal faithful in to rapturous applause for such a well taken score.
Moloney added to that score with one of his own on the 51st minute to leave Youghal leading by 16 points, Blarney through Cremin had one back for them, but then on the 55th minute a long free in found the stick of Brett Moloney who deflected the ball goal ward, Andrew Curtin read the situation beautifully and got in behind the entire Blarney defence and scored Youghal's third goal, leaving 18 points between the sides.
Blarney did get a very late consolation gaol, but the final score of the match fell to Andrew Curtin and when Referee David Copps blew the final whistle Youghal had very comfortably booked their place in the Cork County Premier Intermediate Hurling Semi Final for the second year in a row, where the opposition will be Inniscarra.
Scorers for Youghal: Brendan Ring 0-6 (2f) Brett Moloney 1-02, Andrew Curtin 1-02, James O'Mahony 1-0, Nigel Roche 0-2, Brendan Coleman 0-2, Jonathan Ormonde 0-1, Damien Ring 0-1, Alan Frahill-O'Connor 0-1.
Scorers for Blarney: M Cremin 0-5,D McSweeney 1-0, B Hurley, O O'Connor, P O'Sullivan and P O'Driscoll 0-1 each.
YOUGHAL: Ritchie Cunningham; Barry Ring, John Grace, Stephen Twomey; Barry Goggin, Conor Spillane, Damien Ring; Nigel Roche, James O'Mahony; Andrew Curtin, Brendan Coleman, Brett Moloney; Jonathan Ormonde, Brendan Ring (Captain) Alan Frahill-O'Connor.
Substitute: Ken Dempsey for Jonathan Ormonde (56)
BLARNEY: P Hallissey; J Barrett, D McSweeney, P O'Leary; J Jordan, J Hughes, M O'Leary; D Cronin, B O'Connell; E McCarthy (Cpt) B Hurley, O O'Connor; P O'Driscoll, P O'Sullivan, M Cremin.
Subs: S Mulcahy for E McCarthy (HT) J Hurley for O O'Connor (35) D Walsh for M Cremin (57)
Referee: David Copps (Ballyhea)