Adrigole 2-13
St Finbarr’s 1-8
TOM LYONS REPORTS
ADRIGOLE are through to the knockout stages of the McCarthy Insurance Group Intermediate A Football Championship with a game to spare.
A blistering start that produced two goals in the opening six minutes laid the foundation for a well-earned second Group 1 win in sun-splashed Skibbereen on Saturday afternoon.
Having beaten Glanworth in the first round, Adrigole hit the ground running here when Charlie O’Sullivan billowed the Barrs’ net in the fourth minute following a searing 60-metre solo run.
Two minutes later, they were in again with Ben O’Sullivan raising a green flag.
A Gerard O’Shea point had them in front by seven after only seven minutes and it was looking all too easy against a floundering Barrs’ outfit. The city men did manage a single point from Seán Kirby in the first quarter but that was answered by scores from Ben O’Sullivan and Cian O’Shea.
Eight points to the good, Adrigole seemed to ease off in the middle of the half, allowing the Barr’s to finally get a foot in the game. Adrigole were to go 12 minutes without a score while a limited Barr’s managed two points from Matthew Ahern and Cian O’Sullivan. Adrigole upping their game again before half time and three unanswered points by David Harrington and Tom O’Connor (two frees) saw them nine to the good at the break, 2-6 to 0-3.
The second half failed to produce the quality of football we had seen from Adrigole early on, the result being that five of the six scores in the third quarter came from placed balls. Tom O’Connor for Adrigole and Jamie Lenihan for the Barr’s were entrusted with the free duties, both producing three points, one of Lenihan’s efforts being a two-pointer. The only point from play came from Adrigole’s Cian O’Shea.
Adrigole’s lead was up to ten points as the last quarter began and the Barr’s were forced to go for goals to try to rescue a result. The Barr’s pressed but all they could manage was a pair of points from Kelly and Lenihan as Adrigole replied with a pair of scores from the flying Tom O’Connor, a single and a two-pointer.
The Barr’s had the satisfaction of kicking the last score when a high ball broke in the Adrigole goalmouth and Denis O’Brien lashed it to the net to put a better look on the scoreboard.
OUR STAR: Tom O’Connor burst onto the scene in the second half, his scores from frees and play keeping Adrigole well in control.
Scorers
Adrigole: Tom O’Connor 0-8 (5f, 1 2-pt); Ben O’Sullivan 1-1; Cian O’Shea 0-2; Gerard O’Shea, David Harrington 0-1 each.
St Finbarr’s: Jamie Lenihan 0-4 (1f, 2ptf); Denis O’Brien 1-0; Matthew Ahern, Thomas O’Keeffe, Seán Kirby, Cian O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
Adrigole: William O’Sullivan; Daniel Harrington, Fergal Carey, Liam Harrington; Mark Downing, Connie O’Shea, Cathal O’Sullivan; Neil O’Sullivan, Cian O’Shea; Denis Collins, Tom O’Connor, Charlie O’Sullivan; Ben O’Sullivan, Gerard O’Shea, David Harrington.
Subs: Diarmuid O’Sullivan for L Harrington (25), Tiernan Sullivan for C O’Shea (44), Darragh O’Sullivan for G O’Shea (55), Oran Sullivan for C O’Shea (57).
St Finbarr’s: Cian Haines; James Kennefick, Dylan Byrne, Eoin Hurley; Colin Lyons, Dylan Quinn, Matthew Ahern; Thomas O’Keeffe, Ruairí Fitzpatrick; Denis O’Brien, Adam Lyne, Thomas Egan; Seán Kirby, Jamie Lenihan, Cian O’Sullivan.
Subs: David O’Kelly for D Byrne (36), Alan McCarthy for T Egan (41), Adrian Murphy for R Fitzpatrick (41), David Scannell for C O’Sullivan (50), Domhnail Conroy for D Quinn (blood).
Referee: Niall Hayes (Carbery Rangers).
