RedFM Hurling league: Great Glen Rovers fightback gives them win against Blackrock

Glen Rovers 3-20

Blackrock 2-20

A stirring late fightback from Glen Rovers gave them victory at home to Blackrock on Thursday night, creating a four-way tie at the top of Division 1 of the RedFM Hurling League.

When the visitors’ Fionn Coleman rounded off a good team move to score their second goal on 53 minutes, Blackrock led by 2-19 to 1-16, seemingly set to move closer to a top-two finish and a place in the league decider.

However, almost immediately, Diarmuid Wall set up the excellent Dean Brosnan to fire to the Rockies net, and a 65 from Wall cut the lead to two points.

With the momentum behind them, the Glen created another chance as Eoin O’Leary showed great strength to self-generate a goal chance but, while Gavin Connolly saved from him – one of four fine stops the goalkeeper made – the ensuing scramble saw Luke Horgan divert the loose ball to the net.

It put the Glen ahead for the first time since early in the opening half and, while Kevin O’Keeffe levelled for Blackrock to bring his tally to 1-5, the Glen pushed on. Impressive midfielder Adam O’Donovan had them in front again before Rhys Dunne set up Horgan for a point.

In injury time, Blackrock did have a chance to tilt the pendulum again as Coleman was fouled for a free and went for goal but Cathal Hickey saved and O’Leary made sure of the victory.

The Glen now move to eight points, level with Blackrock, Douglas and Sarsfields, with Fr O’Neills, Charleville and St Finbarr’s all on seven as the battle for the final spots remains tight.

A Glen side that was a mix of experience and more youthful operators certainly benefited from scoring efficiency – they had just two wides over the course of the hour, one of those a first-half goal attempt where Dunne went close, while the Rockies had 12.

Even so, the southsiders looked likelier victors for much of the encounter. A burst of four unanswered points between the tenth and 14th minutes had them 0-8 to 0-6 in front, with Tadhg Deasy at left half-back showing up well along with Niall Cashman at midfield.

The lead was 0-10 to 0-9 when Wall’s lovely to Dunne created an opening for the Glen but his shot went across the face of goal and Blackrock were to score five of the last six points of the half. They might have even added a goal only for a Liam Coughlan challenge that denied Michael O’Halloran, though at the other end Connolly saved well from O’Leary.

The netminder was also called into action on the restart, repelling Jake Brosnan’s effort and when a goal did arrive, on 38, it was Kevin O’Keeffe netting for the Rockies, set up by Coleman.

That made it 1-17 to 0-12 but, after Dean Brosnan’s third point, the Glen were back in it as O’Leary reacted well to score a goal when Brian Moylan’s free broke.

Into the final quarter, Dave Noonan’s introduction helped the Glen at midfield but Blackrock stayed in front and only a super Eoghan Varian challenge denied O’Keeffe another goal.

They did manage to get that second green flag when Niall Cashman and Ryan Sweney set up Coleman to open up a six-point lead, but the Glen were far from finished.

Scorers for Glen Rovers: D Wall 0-8 (0-6 f, 0-2 65), D Brosnan 1-4, E O’Leary, L Horgan 1-2 each, M Dooley, A O’Donovan 0-2 each.

Blackrock: K O’Keeffe 1-5 (0-3 f), F Coleman 1-1, R Sweeney (0-1 f), T Deasy 0-3 each, D Meaney, N Cashman 0-2 each, M O’Halloran, Ciarán Cormack, J Cashman, G Connolly (f) 0-1 each.

GLEN ROVERS: C Hickey; A Lynch, E Varian, L Coughlan; B Moylan, C McCarthy, F O’Driscoll; R Dunne, A O’Donovan; M Dooley, D Brosnan, J Brosnan; E O’Leary, L Horgan, D Wall.

Subs: D Noonan for J Brosnan, S Lynam for Dooley (both 42).

BLACKROCK: G Connolly; O McAdoo, E Cantwell, J Ryan; S Murphy, J Cashman, T Deasy; Ciarán Cormack, N Cashman; D O’Farrell, K O’Keeffe, D Meaney; M O’Halloran, F Coleman, D Sweeney.

Subs: Cathal Cormack for Meaney, J O’Sullivan for McAdoo (40), E Coughlan for O’Halloran (43), L O’Sullivan for Ciarán Cormack (54).

Referee: M Maher (St Finbarr’s).