Blackwater firepower is too much for Taghmon
BLACKWATER HAD too much firepower for Taghmon-Camross as they romped to a comfortable victory in Group A of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday.
Shane Curran’s side led 14-6 at the break and, when substitute Conor Sutton rattled the net four minutes into the second-half to make it 1-16 to 0-6, the result was beyond doubt.
Taghmon-Camross did battle to the ultimately bitter end, with goals from Michael Foley, Conor Murphy and Barry O’Gorman, but Ciarán Cash also raised a green flag at the other end as the St. Brigid’s men kept them at arm’s length.
The result left Blackwater in fourth place in the table, equal on points with Buffers Alley and Craanford, but behind them in the ‘ mini league’, and they now face Askamore in the preliminary quarter-final. Taghmon-Camross finished bottom of the group and they have a meeting with Horeswood to look forward to.
There was little between the sides in the early exchanges and, when goalkeeper Jack Dunne converted a long-range free in the twelfth minute, Taghmon-Camross trailed by just one (5-4).
However, Blackwater then pressed the foot firmly on the pedal and they reeled off eight points without reply. Alan Malanowski began the purple patch with a superb score, before the accurate Pad O’Connor registered five in a row.
Tomás Murphy kept the momentum going with another eye-catching effort from distance and, when Pad O’Connor converted his fifth free, they were 13-4 ahead and in complete control.
Placed balls from Jack Dunne and Michael Foley stopped the rot, but Dean Whelan chipped over a point on the stroke of half-time to give his side an eight-point buffer at the break.
The advantage was even healthier within five minutes of the restart as scores from Ciarán Cash and Alan Malanowski were followed by the opening major of the game.
Féidhlim Roche popped the ball out to Conor Sutton, and the former Wexford FC player burst forward from the right side of goal and arrowed a sweet strike to the far corner of the net (1-16 to 0-6).
Taghmon-Camross did stage a mini revival, hitting 2-1 without reply in the space of four minutes, which was kickstarted by a Michael Foley free from well out the field that crept over the line, followed by Adam Sinnott paring a point off the lead.
The deficit was down to six in the 41st minute when Conor Murphy reacted smartly to a Barry O’Gorman delivery into the danger zone and swept a shot past netminder Séamus Walsh.
Blackwater were soon back in the ascendancy though, and Conor Sutton and Brian Óg Curran pointed, before Ciarán Cash pounced for their killer second goal after a good block by Dean Wright. That three-pointer was immediately cancelled out by Barry O’Gorman, who drove the ball to the net, but Blackwater tagged on a further four points before the finish, through Alan Malanowski, Conor Sutton, Shane O’Leary and Pad O’Connor.
Blackwater: Séamus Walsh; Richard Blake, Ben Redmond, Ollie Murphy; Kealan Fikentscher, Darren Byrne (joint-capt.), Alan Malanowki (0-3); Pad O’Connor (0-9, 6 frees), Féidhlim Roche; Brian Óg Curran (0-2), Michael Lillis, Tomás Murphy (0-2); Dean Whelan (0-1), Dean Wright (0-1), Ciarán Cash (1-2). Subs. – Jake Nobbs for Blake (HT), Conor Sutton (1-2) for Lillis (HT), Adam O’Connor for Roche (39), Shane O’Leary (0-1) for Wright (56), Robert McGuinness for Whelan (57).
Taghmon-Camross: Jack Dunne (0-3, 2 frees, 1 ’65); Alan Nolan, Barry O’Gorman (capt., 1-0), Shane Lacey; Tom Banville, David O’Keeffe, Conor Foley; Conor Mernagh, Ryan Cashin; Cathal Murphy, Conor Murphy (10), Michael Foley (1-2 frees); Aaron Hanley (0-1), Darren Hayden, Adam Sinnott (0-1). Subs. – Chris Cullen for Hanley, inj. (14), Luke Sinnott for Cathal Murphy (20), Evan O’Hanlon for C. Foley, inj. (49), Dan Ruane for Hayden (55).
Referee: Stephen Burke (Na Fianna Clonard).