Recovery drive not enough for battling Kanturk outfit
Bishopstown 1-19 Kanturk 1-12
THE hurlers of Bishopstown and Kanturk knew they were fighting for survival on Saturday evening last at Cloughduv when they faced each other in the second round of the senior hurling championship.
They both tasted first round defeats so they knew that defeat would end their championship ambitions for another year. An all out effort was consequently needed and it was certainly forthcoming from the more experienced side Bishopstown.
Their opponents, babes of Cork’s premier hurling championship Kanturk found the going hard as they had some injury problems with their usually staring mid fielder Lorcan McLoughlin having to spend the night before the game in hospital with an infection.
There was no doubting Bishopstown’s superiority overall, however, and led by former Cork seniors Patrick Cronin and Shane O’Neill they were quick to stamp their authority on the game.
An early goal from Michael Power was the start they needed and Patrick Cronin and Tomas Murray were accurate with their goal scoring efforts as they raced into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead.
Kanturk were finding it hard to stay in contention, with their scoring efforts being driven wide of the uprights and they were relieved when a Liam O’Keeffe major at the end of the first quarter kept them in touch to a degree.
Bishopstown dominated the second quarter, however, and Conor Hegarty, Paul Honohan and Thomas Murray all displayed the ability to send the sliotar between the uprights.
The winners consequently led at the short whistle on a 1-13 to 1-4 score line and even at that stage the issue looked decided. Bishopstown were clearly letting nothing to chance when the action resumed and Cronin raised two white flags in quick succession.
They were followed by one each from Colm O’Driscoll, Paul Honohan and Eoin McCarthy and the Town were comfortable at the end of the third quarter leading 1-19 to 1-7.
Kanturk’s position improved during the remaining playing time as Bishopstown were off target on a few occasions and they did not score again. The Duhallow side managed to get five points back as Lorcan O’Neill continued to make an impression in attack.
It was Bishopstown’s day however and they will now be hoping to make further progress in senior hurling. They contested a final in 2012 when they lost narrowly to Sarsfields but they have been a disappointment subsequently so last Saturday’s victory was satisfying.
BISHOPSTOWN: K O’Halloran (0-1f), S O’Rourke, M O’Driscoll, D Lester, B Murray, S O’Neill, C Walsh, J O’Sullivan, C Hegarty, M Power (1-1), D Hickey, T Murray (0-4), P Honohan (0-2), P Cronin (0-5, 1f), C O’Driscoll (0-2) Subs: E McCarthy (0-1) for P Honohan, 44, B Lane for D Hickey, 47, D Crowley for J O’Sullivan 54, A O’Sullivan for M Power, 60
KANTURK: A Nash, J McLoughlin, J Browne, B O’Keeffe, P Walsh, D Browne, M Healy, L McLoughlin, R Walsh (0-1), I Walsh (0-1), L O’Neill (0-4), J Fitzpatrick, L O’Keeffe (1-3, 2f), A Walsh, D O’Connell (0-1) A O’Keeffe (0-2, 65s) for B O’Keeffe, half-time, C Clernon for J Fitzpatrick, 50, J Fullerton for I Walsh, 55
REFEREE: C McAllister (Aghada)