Glen Rovers 0-15
Ballincollig 0-19
Ballincollig never trailed as they managed to finish their Rebel Óg Premier 1 MHC Section 2 campaign with a win away to Glen Rovers on Wednesday night.
While defeats to both Douglas and Sarsfields meant that neither side retained hope of semi-final qualification ahead of this game, there was still pride, and third place in the group to play for. They also both go into the Challenge Cup competition, alongside Youghal and Inniscarra from the other group.
Leading by five points in the first half, Ballincollig saw that reduced to three by half-time but the deficit was never less than that in the second half. The visitors had pushed seven points clear again with five minutes of normal time left and, though the Glen pressed in the closing stages, some excellent defending ensured that the ever-more-essential goal could never materialise.
Cian O’Connor, Ballincollig, and Robert Buckley, Glen Rovers clash in a tussle for possession. Picture: Larry Cummins
Tadhg Murphy lit up the first half for Ballincollig as he landed four points from play, the first two coming as they led by 0-8 to 0-3 after the first quarter – it could even have been more but Glen goalkeeper Josh Goulding saved from Brian Cronin and Danny Miskella.
Michael Tadhg Brosnan was to the fore as the Glen came back in the second quarter but Ballincollig retained a threat and Éanna Hurney was unlucky to flash a goal effort wide after he had brilliantly caught a Murphy delivery.
Two Josh Brosnan just before the whistle left the Glen with a manageable 0-11 to 0-8 half-time deficit. However, they would score just one of the first five points of the second half, with Bobby Power’s free-taking – and that of Murphy when Power was nursing a knock after a foul – edged Ballincollig further clear.
Éanna Hurney pops a pass for Ballincollig against Glen Rovers. Picture: Larry Cummins
It was 0-15 to 0-9 after Power’s seventh, with Danny Miskella prominent at midfield while Peter Rose was a stand-out at full-back. They were never able to rest on their laurels though and a pair of Gavin O’Callaghan frees – the latter leaving Ballincollig incensed, as they felt it should have been a free out – left four in it with seven minutes left.
However, from the puckout, Murphy set up Patrick McCarthy for a point and then centre-back Kevin O’Leary sent over a free from his own 65 before Brian Cronin assisted Power.
O’Callaghan and Kyle Foley replied for the Glen and then Josh Brosnan caught a Ballincollig puckout in his own half-back line and ran. Avoiding challenges, he made it goal-shooting range but Kaden Coomey kept his effort out and Ethan Donovan blocked O’Callaghan’s follow-up.
While Ballincollig began to sit deeper and invited pressure, they had done enough and withstood the Glen barrage in injury time. They took the two points home with them – a journey back that began on the almost-perfectly-named Ballincollie Road.
Scorers for Glen Rovers: G O’Callaghan 0-8 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), MT Brosnan, J Brosnan, K Foley 0-2 each, C Connolly 0-1.
Ballincollig: B Power 0-9 (0-7 f), T Murphy 0-5 (0-1 f), K O’Leary 0-2 (0-1 f), C Ahern, D Crowley, P McCarthy 0-1 each.
GLEN ROVERS: J Goulding; C O’Brien, R O’Callaghan, C Harte; C Connolly, J Brosnan, L Woods; C Cunningham, R Buckley; C Barrett, MT Brosnan, G O’Callaghan; E McGuckin, D Heffernan, K Foley.
Subs: K Cronin for McGuckin (35), S McCarthy for Heffernan (42), J Hackett for O’Brien (60, injured).
BALLINCOLLIG: K Coomey; P Rose, C Ward, D Crowley; C Ahern, K O’Leary, E Donovan; D Miskella, C O’Connor; L O’Mahony, T Murphy, P McCarthy; É Hurney, B Cronin, B Power.
Sub: K Walsh for Hurney (38).
Referee: F O’Dwyer (St Finbarr’s).