Blackrock power into Premier Intermediate semi-finals with ease

BLACKROCK booked their place in the Lyons of Limerick Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-finals with a 5-17 to 0-17 win over Blackrock in Bruff.

With a win or a draw required to cement a top four spot, the Rockies made sure with a fifteen point victory.

When news filtered through from across the other round seven games, Blackrock quickly knew they had done enough to finish third in a very tight table, and with it, set up a meeting with Bruff. Those sides drew in round one, back in July.

Granagh-Ballingrarry, meanwhile, were left relieved with news that Effin’s late equaliser meant that Glenroe were relegated, which meant the west Limerick men avoided a possible relegation play-off series.

In a game that was tight for virtually two thirds of the action, the result hinged on a four-minute blitz, which saw the Rockies score 3-2, to go from a point down to ten in front.

From there, wind-assisted Blackrock eased to victory. Jimmy Quilty netted 2-2, as did Fionn Heffernan, while the impressive Seán O’Neill also raised a green flag to ensure back-to-back victories.

At a breezy Bruff, it was a low scoring half that Granagh-Ballingarry would shade. They led 0-10 to 1-5 at the interval, but had been backed by that strong breeze.

Conceding 1-2 inside the opening five minutes rocked them. Heffernan, after two minutes, buried to the net before Colm O’Keeffe and Sean Flanagan arrowed over points.

Luke Flynn, to his credit, led the comeback for John O’Connor’s men and his haul of six first half-points, four from play were key. Josh Mulcaire-Quille and a brace from Jack Cagney were also important but they didn’t strike the front until 21 minutes.

The sense was that Blackrock would have been content with the scoreline in a fragmented opening half, where Granagh-Ballingarry hit eight wides. A late Heffernan point kept just two between them.

After O’Keeffe and Leahy traded points with Luke Flynn (both frees), there was still two between them.

However, the move to push Quilty from midfield to the inside line reaped plenty of dividends. O’Neill tied the game on 39 minutes, 1-9 to 0-12, before Quilty’s quickfire 1-1 gave the Kilfinane based outfit the lead.

He set up O’Neill’s goal on 43 minutes and from the next play, Quilty offloaded to Heffernan whose effort had too much power for Kieth O’Kelly.

Try as they might, Granagh-Ballingarry hunted a goal of their own. However, Dave Moloney was in inspired form in the goal, twice diving to thwart goal-bound efforts.

A fifth goal arrived on 54 minutes, again it was Quilty with the final pass from Shane Philpott.

It is a mid-table finish once again for Granagh-Ballingarry, while for Blackrock focus quickly switches to an exciting last four tie with Bruff, on October 10.

SCORERS - BLACKROCK: Jimmy Quilty 2-2; Fionn Heffernan 2-2; Colm O’Keeffe 0-4 (2f); Seán O’Neill 1-2; Sean Flanagan 0-3; Paudie Leahy, Shane Philpott 0-2 each; GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY: Luke Flynn 0-9 (5f); Eoin Horgan 0-3 (2 ‘65s); Jack Cagney, Michael Russell 0-2 each; Josh Mulcaire-Quille 0-1.

BLACKROCK: Dave Moloney; Jack Moloney, Richie McCarthy, Ian O’Brien; Callan Ensor, Killian Aherne, Marty Farrell; Jimmy Quilty, Niall Ryan; Colm O’Keeffe, Seán O’Neill; Shane Lyons, Paudie Leahy, Seán Flanagan; Subs: Conor Gilligan for Farrell (36 mins); Shane Philpot for Lyons (40 mins); Aidan Gilligan for Ryan (46 mins, inj); Nigel Horsford for Leahy (55 mins).

GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY: Kieth O’Kelly; Eoghan Casey, Ronan Mullane, Mark O’Shea; Eoin Horgan, Jack Cagney, Colm Noonan; Darragh Casey, Josh Mulcaire-Quille; Michael Russell, Luke Flynn, Brian Sheehy; Damien O’Donovan, David Condron, Paudie Murphy; Subs: Eoin Herlihy for Noonan (19 mins, inj); Darragh O’Donoghue for Mulcaire Quille (48 mins); Jack Mulqueen for O’Shea (51 mins); Tom Horgan for Condron (60 mins).

Referee: Eamonn Stapleton (Doon).