Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas 3-24
St Oliver Plunkett’s 1-13
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
DEFENDING champions Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas sent out an emphatic statement on the opening night of the RCM Tarmacadam Carbery JAHC – this is a team that plans to hold onto its title.
They blitzed a depleted St Oliver Plunkett’s in Bandon on Friday evening, with a dominant 3-24 to 1-13 win that underlined their favourites’ tag.
Goals from Jamie Lucey and Patrick Crowley in the opening half laid the platform, while Robbie Lucey’s second-half green flag capped an assured performance from a side that racked up 15 wides and still cruised home.
This early statement of intent is a warning shot to their Group 2 rivals – Dohenys and St Mary’s – that Mathúna’s mean business once again.
Granted, Plunkett’s were without several first-team regulars and played the final 20 minutes with 14 men after Padraig Healy was sent off. But even with a full complement, they’d have struggled to match the hunger and sharpness of a Mathúna’s side determined to go back-to-back.
‘When we had the extra man, we seemed to lose our shape altogether,’ said Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s selector Pat Lucey.
‘Did we think we had the game won? Maybe. But that’s something we’ll have to look at. You’d feel sorry for Plunkett’s – they’re tight with numbers and missing players. Hopefully, they’ll regroup. We just need to kick on too, go game by game like last year and not think too far ahead.’
Mathúna’s led 0-4 to 0-2 early on before Jamie Lucey ghosted in behind the Plunkett’s defence to smash home the game’s opening goal in the eighth minute. A second goal soon followed – Ted Lordan the provider, Patrick Crowley the finisher – and with that, the holders were out of sight.
By the end of the first quarter, Mathúna’s were 2-7 to 0-3 in front. Despite wayward shooting allowing Plunkett’s to stay in touch – thanks in large part to Darragh McCarthy’s frees – the gap at the break was a healthy 2-13 to 0-6.
After the restart, Caolán O’Donovan continued to impress and finished with eight points (seven frees), but it was Robbie Lucey’s goal just two minutes in that killed the game as a contest.
Plunkett’s red card came soon after, and while the game lost its shape in the final quarter, Mathúna’s emptied their bench and kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Encouragingly for the Ahiohill men, they still managed 1-13 despite being a man down. Darragh McCarthy’s goal, a late consolation, was a reward for their persistence.
But the main headline from Charlie Hurley Park is clear: Mathúna’s are still the team to beat in this year’s Carbery JAHC.
OUR STAR: Caolan O’Donovan was accurate all evening but Jamie Lucey’s 1-5 ensured Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s victory would be a straightforward one.
Scorers
Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas: C O’Donovan 0-8 (7f); J Lucey 1-5; R Lucey 1-1; P Crowley 1-0; K O’Donovan 0-3; C O’Sullivan, G O’Donovan 0-2 each; T Lordan, W Horgan, M O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
St Oliver Plunkett’s: D McCarthy 1-9 (7f, 1 65); R O’Driscoll, F Murphy, F Moroney, E McKennedy 0-1 each.
Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas: M O’Driscoll; R McCarthy, S Crowley, E Mangan; J O’Callaghan, C O’Sullivan, J Hurley; R Lucey, T Lordan; M Draper, K O’Donovan, G O’Donovan; P Crowley, C O’Donovan, J Lucey.
Subs: M O’Sullivan for J O’Callaghan (38), W Horgan for M Draper (48), S Corcoran for C O’Donovan (50), J Fleming for J Lucey (53).
St Oliver Plunkett’s: J O’Neill; O McCarthy, C Dullea, N O’Driscoll; M Keohane, B Walsh, S White; R O’Driscoll, F Murphy; Conor McCarthy, M Collins, P Healy; D McCarthy, J Hansberry, Cian McCarthy.
Subs: A McKennedy for Conor McCarthy (24, inj), F Moroney for R O’Driscoll (ht, inj), E McKennedy for M Collins (42), H Donegan for Cian McCarthy (48), M McCarthy for O McCarthy (54, inj).
Referee: Patrick O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).
