For Mallow hurlers

denied a goal by the intervention of Mallow’s Ronan Mills, who had been switched from the left wing to full back midway through the first half in a bid to reduce the threat carried by Cahalane during the opening exchanges.

While Killian O’Connor benefited from a move to the left corner, with Dan Sheehan going from there to wing back, the reshuffle did little to galvanise the Mallow rearguard, as Bandon, with Cahalane, Sugrue, Darren Crowley and particularly Ronan Crowley to the fore up front, eased into a six-point lead, 1-6 to 0-3, with 20 minutes gone.

The picture wasn’t a whole lot brighter for Mallow elsewhere, and it’s a measure of their shortcomings in attack that Pa Herlihy, who chipped in with a couple of tasty points, was their only forward to get on the scoresheet from play before the break.

Cormac Murphy, from whom so much was expected, was unable to stamp his authority at midfield this time, while Paul Lyons made a spasmodic impact in a sector where Bandon’s pairing of Charlie Dullea and Eoin O’Donovan more than held their own in the first half.

Mallow introduced Aaron Sheehan at corner forward for the second half, and he rekindled their hopes when touching a probing delivery from Pa Herlihy to the net in the 37th minute.

Following a foul on Sheehan, Sean Hayes quickly tacked on a point, and Mallow’s prospects really took on a rosy hue seven minutes later when full forward Denis Hayes, having expertly gathered a high ball from Paul Lyons, booted in a goal that brought them back on terms, 2-7 to 1-10.

Sheehan, who was out of luck when failing to connect on a ball that broke a little too quickly at the edge of the square in the 54th minute, certainly paid his way up front in the second half when the industrious Donal Relihan also made his presence felt at wing forward.

Substitute Kevin Sheehan put in a storming last quarter at midfield, while Darragh Moynihan, who had replaced the injured Alec Luttrell before half time, stood out in a half back line that, with Fionn O’Neill also shining in the pivotal berth, provided the platform upon which Mallow’s second half dominance was largely built.

While Mallow’s profligacy prevented them from tightening the screw on the run-in, they were looking good after Aaron Sheehan, fed by a precision pass from Kevin Sheehan, eventually pushed them ahead, especially since Bandon had found it extremely difficult to make progress in attack in the second half when midfielder Eoin O’Donovan registered their only point from play.

Mark Sugrue’s goal, resulting from good work by Charlie Dullea, hauled Bandon back from the brink in a dramatic finale, however, leaving Mallow to reflect ruefully on a game that they effectively left behind them through erratic shooting after the interval. THIS Intermediate Hurling Championship round 4 replay at Riverstown on Saturday last ended on a very exciting note when Ballincollig made a last ditch effort to avoid exiting the competition. They had a mountain to climb at that stage with lethargic play particularly in the opening moiety enabling their opponents Dungourney build up a formidable lead.

The East Cork side led 1-12 to 0-3 at the interval, it was 1-14 to 0-3, four minutes into the second moiety and then the re-arranged Ballincollig side made a decent effort to turn their situation around. Alarming gaps began to appear and the mid Cork side found the net on four occasions to leave two points between the sides with four minutes of play remaining a sensational victory appeared very much on the cards until a minor from substitute Padraig Harney took the pressure off Dungourney who advanced in the championship race.

The winners got on the scoreboard early when Ray Denny who was generally in good form from placed balls was on the target with his first effort. David Bowen replied for Ballincollig as a contest similar to the drawn encounter was anticipated. A pronounced dominance by Dungourney then manifested itself however as Ballincollig had problems in the middle third and winners began to establish a significant lead. Ray Denny and Shane Hegarty were in scoring mood and it was 0-7 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter.

The East Cork side stayed on the offensive subsequently and Ballincollig position got worst when failure to get the sliotar out of the danger zone resulted in Shane Casey slipping in for a Dungourney major. The score at the interval was 1-12 to 0-3 so Ballincollig appeared likely to bow tamely out of the championship race.

Ballincollig made some changes at the interval that certainly had an effect however as they improved the midfield