BISHOPSTOWN 1-15
DOHENYS 1-13
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
DOHENYS have work to do – the Dunmanway team is playing catch-up after suffering a disappointing defeat to Bishopstown in the opening round of the McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC in Enniskeane on Saturday evening.
‘They outworked us – you have to call that out and say it. They just completely outworked us from minute 15 to 65, whatever it was in the end,’ Dohenys manager Declan O’Dwyer told The Southern Star.
That O’Dwyer quote summed up a disappointing evening for the Dunmanway club who controlled much of the first half before capitulating to a hungrier, sharper and harder working opponent in the second period.
As ever, Dohenys threw the kitchen sink at it during the closing stages and into injury-time. Those increased efforts proved too little, too late. That’s because a young Bishopstown team, under former Cork senior manager Brian Cuthbert’s tutelage, were full value for their victory in what has now become a wide-open group that also contains Béal Átha'n Ghaorthaidh and O'Donovan Rossa.
‘It was the basics,’ O’Dwyer added.
‘We started well but probably thought we are sailing here before they outworked us from there on in. Full credit to Bishopstown but tonight’s result was down to hard work and we said that (would be the case) to the lads coming down here tonight.’
Dohenys got off to the perfect start and led 0-5 to 0-0 after Adam O’Donovan, Mark Buckley and three Fionn Herlihy (including a two-pointer) scores following ten dominant opening minutes.
A Bishopstown team happy to retain possession but struggling in the middle third needed a spark. They got it via a Darragh O’Connor two-pointer before Adam O’Donovan was hauled down and Herlihy converted the resulting penalty.
Conor Dunne replied with another two-pointer but, penalised for not having three players in their half, Bishopstown fell 1-6 to 0-4 behind after Gavin Farr fired over the resulting free.
The city side rallied through Darragh O’Connor, Conor Dunne and Simon Collins scores but it was the West Cork men who led 1-8 to 0-7 at the short whistle.
Bishopstown restarted positively through additional Dunne (two frees) and Collins scores before working the ball to Odhran Foley who palmed to the net. A flurry of late scores from Darragh O’Connor, Foley and Simon Collins were matched by Mark Buckley (free), Stephen Daly (45) and Keith White to leave the West Cork club trailing by a point with three minutes to go.
Fionn Herlihy fisted over to level matters ahead of a frantic injury-time period.
Dohenys had a shot cleared off the line in between Simon Collins and Patrick Casey kicking late scores to seal Bishopstown's win.
‘It is a busy period from here on in for us,’ Declan O’Dwyer concluded.
‘I’ve been in charge for a few years now but today was probably one of the most disappointing days, to be honest.’
Next, Dohenys face Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh in Inchigeela on August 23rd. A day later, Bishopstown take on O’Donovan Rossa in Ballinascarthy.
OUR STAR: Fionn Herlihy was one of the few Dohenys players to shine but Conor Dunne’s scoring ability and link-up play proved critical to Bishoptown’s eventual triumph.
Scorers
Bishopstown: C Dunne 0-5 (2pt, 3f); D O’Connor (2pt), S Collins 0-4 each; O Foley 1-1; P Casey 0-1.
Dohenys: F Herlihy 1-4 (2pt, 1-0 pen); M Buckley 0-3 (2f); G Farr 0-2 (2f); A O’Donovan, S Barry, S Daly (45), K White 0-1 each.
Bishopstown: C O’Driscoll; M Murphy, N Gough, H Wixted; D O’Donovan, M Power, O Foley; K Murphy, J Murphy; C Dunne, K McFadden, D O’Connor; B Cahill, P Honohan, S Collins.
Subs: L O’Driscoll for P Honohan (33, inj), P Casey for D O’Donovan (52).
Dohenys: S Daly; D Rice, D Collins, J Farrell; B O’Donovan, B Murphy, C Daly; C Barry, R Coakley; A O’Donovan, F Herlihy, S Barry; K White, M Buckley, G Farr.
Subs: A Mannix for B O’Donovan (37), K McCarthy for G Farr (38), E Lavers for R Coakley (52).
Referee: Ciarán Murphy (Glanworth).
