Cork 2-12 Clare 1-9
Two goals by attacker Colm Casey propelled Cork to success against Clare in Sunday's Munster intermediate hurling semi-final clash at the Gaelic Grounds.
Casey found the net in both halves as the Rebels saw off a Banner side who had entered the game on the back of a quarter-final victory over Waterford.
Cork enjoyed a commanding 1-10 to 1-3 lead at the interval with Casey rattling the net in the opening stages to see them move ahead by 1-2 to 0-0.
Clare fought back courtesy of centre-back Alan O’Neill’s accuracy from placed balls and then full-forward Aidan Lynch bundled the ball to the net past former Cork senior goalkeeper Martin Coleman, the captain of the current intermediate side, midway through the half.
That cut the gap to 1-6 to 1-2 but Cork, helped by the accuracy of Peter O’Brien from placed balls, powered clear before the interval with Mark Kennefick also impressing up front in the opening period.
Clare opened brightly in the second-half with Niall Arthur, a member of last year’s All-Ireland U21 winning setup, on the mark while Cathal O’Connell, another 2012 U21 star, also caught the eye in attack.
But Casey fired home his second goal of the game to see Cork go in front by 2-10 to 1-5 and they held on for victory by six points at the finish.

Scorers for Cork: Colm Casey 2-0, Peter O’Brien 0-6 (0-5f), Mark Kennefick 0-3, Martin Coleman (0-1f), Brian Lawton, Anthony Watson 0-1 each.

CORK: Martin Coleman (Ballinhassig); John O’Callaghan
(Inniscarra), Eoin Dillon (Milford), Ed Finn (Ballinhassig); Tadhg Healy (Buttevant), Ross Cashman (Kilbrittain), Michael Walsh (Kildorrery); John Cronin (Lisgoold), Shane McCarthy (Ballinhassig); Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr), Peter
O’Brien (Kildorrery), Stephen Dineen (Ballinhassig); Colm Casey (Inniscarra), Kevin Canty (Valley Rovers), Mark Kennefick (Ballygarvan).
Subs: Barry Lawton (Castlemartyr) for Canty (25), Anthony Watson (Milford) for Dineen (43), Brian O’Sullivan (Fermoy)
for O’Callaghan (47), Nicky Kelly (Mayfield) for McCarthy(59).

Best of luck to Ross Cashman who will line out with the Cork Intermediate hurlers on Sunday against Clare at 1:45pm. Ross is named at centre back.   The team lines out as follows:
 
1. Martin Coleman Ballinhassig
2. John O'Callaghan Inniscara
3. Eoin Dillon Milford
4. Ed Finn Ballinhassig
5. Tadhg Healy Buttevant
6. Ross Cashman Kilbrittain
7. Michael Walsh Kildorrery
8. John Cronin Lisgoold
9. Shane McCarthy Ballinhassig
10. Brian Lawton Castlemartyr 
11. Peter O'Brien Kildorrery
12. Stephen Dineen Ballinhassig
13. Colm Casey  Inniscarra
14. Kevin Canty   Valley Rovers
15. Adrian Mannix Kilworth

16 James Mc Sweeney Bandon
17 Brian O Sullivan Fermoy
18 John Carey Dripsey
19 Colm Barry Castlelyons
20 Nicky Kelly Mayfield
21 Mark Kennifick Ballygarvan
22 Barry Lawton Castlemartyr
23 Mark Sugrue Bandon
24 Anthony Watson Milford

Martin Coleman will captain the side. 

The club lotto jackpot has reached €17,000 for the upcoming weekend. The draw takes place in Cashman's Amber Bar on Sunday night.
The club would like to express gratitude to all the ticket sellers especially those who have sold tickets for many years. Tickets cost €2 each or 3 for €5. there is also an option of a yearly ticket and also tickets can be purchased online through the fundraising, lotto, page for any number of weeks at a time.
The lotto is the main weekly fundraiser primarily for club running costs.

The U14 hurlers played Bandon in the championship last Sunday evening in Barryroe in terrible wet conditions.
Winning on a score of 6-4 to 3 points.
Team; Aaron Holland, Jack O'Donavon , Oisin Dewey, Padraig Galvin, James O'Donavon , Eoghan Byrne , Gavin Hodge , Bertie Butler , Tomàs Sheehan 1-3 , Mark Hickey, Sam Dewey 1-0 , Kieran Murphy 1-0 , Philip Wall 2-1 , Kynan O'Hara 1-0 , Shane Taplin , Eoin Galvin , Jason Harrington , Aaron Fehily. The team now go on to play either Carbery Rangers or Kilbree in the semi-final.

KILBRITTAIN 3-10
KILBREE 1-13

WEST CORK GAEL REPORTS

UNLIKE its counterpart in the double-decker programme at Enniskeane on Monday afternoon, this Kinetica South West junior A hurling championship first-round tussle between Kilbrittain’s second team and Kilbree was in doubt until the dying moments of an exciting game.
Ironically, it was two substitutes, James Hurley and Eamon Lyons, who teamed up superbly, as Declan Harrington powered home the crucial third Kilbrittain goal in the 58th minute. Even then the Seasiders could not relax as gallant Kilbree surged forward from the puckout, in one last desperate foray. However, a pointed free by one of their long-serving stalwart Kevin O’Donovan was their only reward, as fine defending by the Kilbrittain defence, in particular Nick O’Donovan and Dave Hayes, thwarted the Blues for a final time.
It was that kind of game, close, reasonably exciting, honest endeavour from both teams, but on mature reflection the knowhow sprinkled amongst the Kilbrittain team, in the shape of several players who had intermediate experience under their belts, stood them in good stead and was of paramount importance to the result.Another factor to be considered is that on glancing at the scoreboard, the spread of scores by the Kilbrittain personnel was much more comprehensive than that of Kilbree, who had Kevin
O’Donovan accounting for 0-9, while Liam Daly had 0-3 and Darragh Coakley scored 1-1.

Sharing In marked contrast, the Black and Amber had five players sharing the spoils, with the scoring return of Des Deasy, a personal tally of 0-7, being particularly noteworthy.
The octane scoring, in an overall context, ensured that the interest level never waned at any stage, with the sides being level on four occasions in an exciting opening 20 minutes. Liam Daly, who worked very hard in the Kilbree cause, opened proceedings in the very first minute, before Des Deasy began his scoring crusade with points from play and a dead ball.
Then in a whirlwind of frenetic action, both sides raised green flags inside a minute. A Nigel Quinlan free was touched home by Kilbrittain’s Seamus O’Brien. Almost from
the restart, Kilbree broke downfield, Daniel O’Leary found the impressive Darragh Coakley and from close range he flicked the ball high into the Kilbrittain rigging past Terry O’Regan.It set the tone for a flurry of activity with Quinlan, Deasy, Paudie Hurley, Fintan O’Connell, Declan Harrington and Owen Sexton motoring well for the winners. While Damien Bennett, Dave O’Donovan, Ray Collins, Daly, Kevin O’Donovan and Coakley were prominent for Kilbree at this stage as first one team, then the other, had periods of supremacy.
Then just on the blow of half time with the match poised on a knife’s edge, 1-8 to 1-7, and Kilbree just in the ascendancy, Kilbrittain struck for a crucial second major. Declan Harrington won possession, parted to captain Denis Murphy and when alert Kilbree keeper Denis Dullea parried his drive, the lurking Paudie Hurley swept the rebound home. A cruel blow to Kilbree, it was to get worse before it improved as Declan Harrington rattled over another point on the second half resumption, 2-8 to 1-8.
However, Kilbree refused to go away and with Kevin O’- Donovan faultless from frees and Liam Daly, Coakley and Shane O’Donovan still battling away, they chipped at the Kilbrittain lead. But the ability of the Black and Amber to match like-with-like, and with Deasy proving an ace in the scoring pack, it was nip and tuck until Harrington sealed it at the death.
Kilbrittain have jumped a tricky obstacle, while Kilbree have possible redemption against Bandon in round two.
Scorers Kilbrittain: Des Deasy 0-7 (4f), Declan Harrington 1-2, Paudie Hurley 1-0, Seamus O’Brien 1-0, Nigel
Quinlan 0-1f.
Kilbree:Kevin O’Donovan 0-9 (6f, 1 65), Darragh Coakley 1-1, Liam Daly 0-3.

Kilbrittain; Terry O’Regan; Seán Crowley, Ivan Burke, Seán Mc-Carthy; John Kearney, Nick O’Donovan, Dave Hayes; Owen Sexton,Nigel Quinlan; Fintan O’Connell,
Paudie Hurley, Des Deasy; Declan Harrington, Seamus O’Brien, Denis Murphy.
Subs used: Eamon Lyons, JamesHurley.

Kilbree: Denis Dullea; Dave O’Donovan, Brian O’Donovan, Liam O’Brien; Damien Bennett, Danny Kelly, Timmy
O’Donovan; Ray Collins, Shane O’Donovan; Daniel O’Leary, John Clancy, Darragh Coakley; Thomas McCarthy, Liam Daly, Kevin O’Donovan.

By Brian Canty, Cork PIHC

Monday, June 03, 2013
Kilbrittain 0-17 Cloyne 1-12
A first round win it may have been but to witness Kilbrittain whooping and hollering at the final whistle would have the
neutral believing it was something wholly more significant.
But that would be to miss the point because the West Cork men have been well below the radar — with good reason, ever since they won the Intermediate A grade in 2010.
And the manner in which they dug this out against a most dogged opponent at Páirc Uí Rinn suggests they are ripe for a cut off the county this year having been stagnant since their elevation to the top grade three seasons ago. But how
close they were to losing this.
Cork legend Diarmuid O’Sullivan stood over a free with the last puck of the game, 21 yards out with a goal the only option as his side trailed by two.
He drilled one in 10 minutes previously to haul his side back into contention after a 10-minute scoring drought and the smart money would have been on him repeating the act and rescuing the match.
But the Kilbrittain rearguard flung themselves square in front of it to thwart his effort and held on as Nathan Wall’s final whistle sparked scenes of euphoria.
Cloyne came into this as warm favourites and even though they were hampered by the loss of marquee forward Paudie O’Sullivan, they would still have been expected to advance. It is, after all, just 12 months since they narrowly lost to reigning senior hurling champions Sarsfields — before being relegated four harrowing months later.
However, they shipped a massive blow — self-inflicted, mind — after just four minutes when Colm O’Sullivan inexplicably floored a Kilbrittain defender off the ball and was promptly sent off.
That forced Cloyne into a reshuffle, with O’Sullivan and fellow veteran Conor Cusack isolated inside. The tactic worked perfectly for as long as they had legs — but coming down the stretch Kilbrittain’s young guns found theirs, stretched them, and in a crucial 10-minute spell (45-55) knocked over six unanswered points to leave Cloyne gasping for breath. On hindsight, it was the winning of the match. but just after they knocked over their penultimate score — a Ross Cashman 65, O’Sullivan walloped home a
Cloyne goal at the other end to make it 1-12 to 0-16. 
A weaker team would have folded as the East Cork men came searching for an equaliser, but it was then that Kilbrittain’s outstanding performers stood up. 
Centre-back Cashman fed the outstanding Vince O’Brien on his right, who arrowed a perfect pass to man of the match Jamie Wall, who in turn fed Maurice Sexton for his fourth of the afternoon and his side’s 17th score, 11th from play. 
It was a fluid move — not their first, but they struggled for that off-the-cuff style in the opening period as Cloyne smothered them with voracious hunger and tenacious tackling. 
Jordan Sherlock and Brian Fleming were immense for Cloyne and stifled the threat of Wall — who was having enough trouble trying to beat Killian Cronin. 
 In midfield, Donal O’Sullivan walloped over two brilliant scores from distance while Keith Dennehy — now deployed as a lone ranger to occupy the spaces vacated by Colm O’Sullivan, popped up with some sweet points. 
But Kilbrittain answered them each time, Wall with a brace of points while O’Brien and Sexton were also prominent. 
Cloyne will rue a couple of missed goal chances in that first half, but a stalemate at the break would have pleased both managers. On a sweltering day, Cloyne’s patched up — and ageing side began to wilt as Wall, sub Pat O’Mahony, Cashman and Sexton all began finding space. 
That six-point scoring spree sandwiched a couple of Cloyne wides and Wall could have sealed it on 52 minutes when he skinned his marker but had his ground shot turned round the post by Cusack. 
But they weren’t to be denied a famous win. 
Scorers for Kilbrittain: J Wall 0-9 (6f), M Sexton 0-4, C O’Leary, V Hickey, P O’Mahony, R Cashman (65) 0-1 each. 
Scorers for Cloyne: Diarmuid O’Sullivan 1-5 (1-3f), K Dennehy 0-3 (2f), Donal O’Sullivan 0-2, L Cahill, C Cusack 0-1 each. 
KILBRITTAIN: R Hayes; Damien Desmond, J Murphy, C McCarthy; V O’Brien, R Cashman, D Hickey, J Deasy, C Hickey; M Sexton, C Moloney, C O’Leary; A Hayes, J Wall, T Harrington. 
Subs: P O’Mahony for T Harrington inj. (12), David Desmond for D Hickey (34). 
 
CLOYNE: D Óg Cusack; J Sherlock, K Cronin, B McCarthy; B Fleming, J Nyhan, S Beausang; Donal O’Sullivan, D Cahill; P O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan, K Dennehy; L Cahill, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, C Cusack. 
Subs: C Smith for S Beausang (48), P Considine for P O’Sullivan (52). 

Referee: Nathan Wall (Carrigaline)

Best of luck to the Premier Intermediate hurlers who take on Cloyne in the championship first round tomorrow at 2;30pm in Pairc ui Rinn.

Best of luck also to the Junior A hurlers who meet Kilbree in the first round on Monday afternoon at 2pm in Enniskeane.