St Finbarr’s 1-13
Clonakilty 1-12
TOM LYONS REPORTS
WITH five minutes remaining in this non-stop McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC Group 2 game, Clonakilty’s Dara Ó Sé kicked the only two-pointer from a free to leave a single point between the sides.
It looked odds-on a draw at that stage, but Clon were to rue four good chances of an equalising point in those dying minutes as the Barr’s hung on to register a single-point victory on Saturday evening in Bandon.
Once again Clon had heart-breakingly failed to break the glass ceiling of narrow defeats to one of the top three in the championship. This time they had nobody to blame for the loss except themselves as their tendency to foul under pressure and the loss of composure in those dying minutes cost them dearly.
‘We knew we were going to get a fierce game from Clonakilty,’ said St Finbarr’s mentor Ian Keeler. ‘They are a top-class side, very athletic and full of running.
‘We were glad to have our Cork players back – Brian Hayes, William Buckley and Ethan Twomey. On a day like today when you’re coming down to Bandon to play Clon, you need every player you can get. This win takes the pressure off us now. We have two good teams left in the group, Carbery Rangers and Carrigaline and they won’t be easy games.’
Clonakilty's Luke Griffin is tackled by St Finbarr's Sam Ryan.
When one considers that Clon got off to a great start with a quick point from Ross Mannix and a scrambled goal from Conor Daly in the third minute, and that Cork player Maurice Shanley did a great job of containing dangerman Steven Sherlock, limiting him to a single point from play, the red and green had an opportunity to slay one of their bogey teams.
Full credit to the Barr’s, whose physical advantage played a big part in the win. They battled back from that poor start to kick five unanswered points in a row and lead by 0-5 to 1-1 at the end of a first quarter played at break-neck pace.
William Buckley, whose pacey runs caused numerous problems for the Clon defence, kicked a pair, while Conor Dennehy (mark) and Sherlock (free and 45) added the other white flags. Their springboard, however, came from a tight defence in which the full backline of Billy Hennessy, Alan O’Connor and Sam Ryan worked extremely hard.
Clonakilty's Thomas Clancy coming out with the ball from St Finbarr's Ethan Twomey.
With Thomas Clancy beginning to dominate at centre back and the midfield pairing of O’Shea and Ben Ridgeway making headway against Ian Maguire, Clon fought back with points from outstanding corner back David Lowney, Seán White and Darragh Gough to surge into a two-point lead.
In the 27th minute they were almost through for a goal but goalkeeper Darragh Newman brought off a great save from Conor Daly. The Barr’s, as they had been doing very well, worked the ball quickly upfield and a breaking ball in the Clon goalmouth was first-timed to the net by Conor Dennehy. Again, Clon responded well with a Daly point and it was all square, 1-5 each, at the break.
The pace dropped in the third quarter as the sides swapped points three times, after Clon had kicked two bad wides in the opening minutes. Seán White, Seán McEvoy and Darragh Gough found the target for Clon with John Wigginton Barrett and Steven Sherlock (two frees) answered for the city side. It was 1-8 each at the three-quarter stage, still anybody’s game.
Clonakilty's Darragh Gough scoring a point.
The Barr’s made a burst for the finish line in the last quarter and looked to have Clon in serious trouble when they kicked four points in a row.
Sherlock had two points, Dennehy fisted one and sub Fionn Crowley had a simple tap-over. With only eight minutes remaining, it looked all over but driven on by the impressive Jack O’Mahony, Clancy, White, Lowney, Mannix and O’Shea, Clon launched a late comeback.
Gough pointed a free and when O’Shea hit the two-pointer to close the gap to a point, Clon supporters were in full voice. John Wigginton Barrett looked to have sealed the win with a point in the 59th minute but Gough pointed again as the game finished in a welter of excitement.
Clon deserved a draw at that stage, but it was not to be as they squandered those final chances to salvage the game and another single-point defeat was their lot again.
OUR STAR: With teamwork of the essence for both teams it was difficult to single out any player but William Buckley for St Finbarr’s and Jack O’Mahony for Clonakilty both contributed hugely to this thriller.
Scorers
St Finbarr’s: Steven Sherlock 0-6 (4f, 1 45); Conor Dennehy 1-1 (1 mark); William Buckley 0-3; John Wigginton Barrett 0-2; Fionn Crowley 0-1.
Clonakilty: Conor Daly 1-1; Darragh Gough 0-4 (1f); Seán White and Darragh O’Shea (2ptf) 0-2 each; Ross Mannix, Seán McEvoy, David Lowney 0-1 each.
St. Finbarr’s: Darragh Newman; Billy Hennessy, Alan O’Connor, Sam Ryan; Bill O’Connell, Jamie Burns, Enda Dennehy; Ian Maguire, Ethan Twomey; Brian Hayes, Ciarán Doolan, Conor Dennehy; John Wigginton Barrett, Steven Sherlock, William Buckley.
Subs: Fionn Crowley for B O’Connell (44), Ricky Barrett for C Dennehy (50), Luke Hannigan for B Hayes (53), Colm Barrett for W Buckley (56).
Clonakilty: Mark White; Chris Kenneally, Dan Darragh, David Lowney; Maurice Shanley, Thomas Clancy, Jack O’Mahony; Ben Ridgeway, Dara Ó Sé; Seán McEvoy, Seán White, Ross Mannix; Darragh Gough, Conor Daly, Luke Griffin.
Referee: Conor Lane (Banteer).
