Blarney breeze past Bride Rovers to set up Glen Rovers showdown..

Cork’s second-tier hurling championship has gone to script. The final, which will serve as the curtain-raiser to the Imokilly-Sars Premier Senior decider on October 20, comprises last year’s beaten finalists and the team relegated from the top flight 12 months ago. Last year’s beaten finalists were awesome in the second period of this much anticipated semi-final. After the evenness of the opening half, the second period couldn’t have been less even. It couldn’t have been more one-sided.

The anticipation at throw-in that was still there at half-time disappeared in a flash. That flash was Blarney corner-forward Cathal McCarthy. The minutes after half-time were his and his alone.McCarthy assisted a Pádraig Power point within 52 seconds of the restart to tie proceedings for the sixth time. The corner-forward then struck his opener to push Blarney in front for only the second time. On 36 minutes, he was fouled for a converted Shane Barrett free.

And then, on 43 minutes, the coup de grace. Power returned the assist favour and McCarthy hammered the net. Blarney 1-12 to 0-11 ahead and well on their way. The goal marked the starting gun on an unanswered Blarney 2-7. McCarthy and Power raised further white flags from play. Shane Barrett and Mark Coleman threw over frees from all manner of angles and distances. The space in the Bride Rovers half was ceaseless in its expansion. Their tormented defenders were pulled here and everywhere. On 53 minutes, sub Shane Mulcahy raced into that space, offloaded to Cian Barrett, and the net shook again. 2-17 to 0-11. A 13-point swing since half-time.

The second half was a nightmare Bride Rovers will quickly want to forget. Adam Walsh’s 40th minute free was their sole score across the regulation half an hour. Their one second half score from play - an inconsequential Patrick O’Flynn green flag - arrived in the first minute of injury-time.

It had been a first half of next to no separation. Level on five occasions. No lead greater than two.

The interval gap showed Bride Rovers in front by the minimum. And rightly so. It was the men from Rathcormac and Bartlemy who kept edging ahead and forcing Blarney to answer. Bride Rovers trailed only once throughout the 30-plus minutes of action. That was after a three-in-a-row from Eoghan Kirby and Shane Barrett (0-2). The latter, although disappointed to send wide a pair of first-half frees, was so sharp when possession came into his barrow from open play.

He and fellow Cork senior Power sniped a pair from play in that opening half. But it would be wrong to say they were Blarney's standout men. Eoghan Kirby also struck a brace, while McCarthy buzzed around the place elusively and menacingly. In the Bride Rovers corner, Adam Walsh and Patrick O’Flynn, in particular, began so prominently. Ronan O’Connell was another to the fore. Centre-back Brian Roche produced a couple of big plays. Their second-half was one big non-event. Blarney back within an hour of the big time.

Scorers for Blarney: S Barrett (0-7, 0-4 frees); C McCarthy (1-2); P Power (0-4); C Barrett (1-1); M Coleman (0-1 free), E Kirby (0-2 each); P Crowley (0-1). Scorers for Bride Rovers: P O’Flynn (1-3, 0-1 free); A Walsh (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘65); R O’Connell (0-2); C Hogan (0-1 free), B Roche, C Ryan (0-1 each).

Blarney: P Hallissey; A McEvoy, C Power, S Crowley; D Hanlon, P Crowley, M Coleman; O Hegarty, C Hegarty; D McSweeney, E Kirby, S Barrett; C McCarthy, P Power, C Barrett. Subs: S Mulcahy for Kirby (50); S Mullane for S Crowley (56); M O’Leary for McCarthy (57, inj); J O’Keeffe for McSweeney, P O’Leary for Hanlon (both 58).

Bride Rovers: C Hogan; D Cashman, E Roche, J Peters; C Hazelwood, B Roche, S O’Connor; D Barry, C O’Sullivan; C Ryan, C Tobin, P O’Flynn; J Mannix, A Walsh, R O’Connell. Subs: J Ahern for Mannix, K Kearney for Barry (both 45); L Roche for O’Connell (57).

Referee: M Maher.