Comeback comes up short, but Rossas still in the hunt

Kanturk 3-14 

O’Donovan Rossa 2-14

BRENDAN KENNEALLY REPORTS

O’DONOVAN Rossa know what they need to do to stay alive in the Bon Secours Senior A FC: beat Fermoy in their final Group A game on September 10th.

While Kanturk maintained their 100 percent record with a one-goal win over the Skibbereen side at sunny Macroom on Sunday afternoon, the Rossas are still in contention for a place in the knock-out stages.

With Kanturk and Knocknagree to meet in the final round, if Rossas can beat Fermoy it puts them in with a great chance, while scoring difference could also play a role.

There was a slight breeze favouring Rossas in the opening half, and Kevin Davis opened the scoring with a second-minute point. Colin Walsh, one of four brothers on the Kanturk team, quickly equalised, and Ian Walsh pointed to put his side in front.

Brian Crowley levelled for Skibb, and points from Kevin Davis, Dylan Hourihane, Davis again and Kevin Hurley had Rossas leading by four when Kanturk were awarded a penalty after Paul Walsh was fouled in the 14th minute. Goalkeeper Ryan Price dived low to deflect Cameron Hendry’s spot kick out for a fruitless 45, but Kanturk goalkeeper Ronan Cashman did point a subsequent similar effort. Points were exchanged and Rossas led by 0-7 to 0-4 after 19 minutes.

The pace had been fairly fast up to this but became hectic in the run-up to half time. The West Cork side lost possession at midfield in the 24th minute, Colin Walsh swooped and parted to brother Alan, who buried the ball in the Skibb net to level the scores. Ian Walsh added a point from a free. Then after Colin Walsh’s goal-bound blast was blocked by Price the ball was knocked into the net off a defender.

Rossas hit back within a minute with the perfect reply, Rory Byrne finding his midfield partner Jamie Shanahan with a precision pass near to the Kanturk goal and the ball was nestling in the net. Kanturk replied with an Ian Walsh point but of more concern to Rossas was the injury sustained by Donal Óg Hodnett which forced his withdrawal. Kanturk led by 2-6 to 1-7 at the break.

The game had hardly resumed when Kanturk struck again, Ian Walsh palming an Alan Walsh cross to the net. The winners followed on with two points from the excellent Lorcan McLoughlin and two more from Colin and Ian Walsh to lead by 3-10 to 1-7, all within four minutes of the restart.

With a nine-point lead Kanturk must have felt secure but the Skibbereen men were up for the challenge and set about reducing the deficit. Points from Davis and Sean Fitzgerald gave them encouragement. Then Kanturk lost possession, Davis parted to Sean Fitzgerald and the wing back fired a marvellous shot to the Kanturk net to reduce the gap to four points in the 40th minute of a breathtaking encounter.

Kevin Davis was desperately unlucky with a ground shot a minute later but Skibb kept up the pressure and Byrne’s point in the 45th minute left only a goal between the teams, 3-10 to 2-10.

Crucially, Kanturk responded instantly with an Ian Walsh point. When Dylan Hourihane and Sean Fitzgerald subsequently had points, Kanturk matched each score to keep a four-point gap between the teams in the 53rd minute.

Rossas now lost Brian Crowley to a second yellow card and when Davis again narrowed the gap to a goal, Kanturk replied with a Colin Walsh point in the 58th minute. Ryan Price made another fine save from Paul Walsh as the game went into added time, Kanturk lost Ryan Walsh to a black card, Kevin Davis pointed a late free but when the final whistle sounded there was still a goal between the teams.

Scorers

Kanturk: C Walsh 1-6 (1m); I Walsh 1-5 (2f); A Walsh 1-0; L McLoughlin 0-2; R Cashman 0-1 (45).

O’Donovan Rossa: K Davis 0-6 (5f); S Fitzgerald 1-2; J Shanahan 1-0; D Hourihane 0-3; K Hurley, R Byrne, B Crowley 0-1 each.

Kanturk: Ronan Cashman; John McLoughlin, John Browne, Darren Browne; Chris Mullane, Tommy Walsh, Brian O’Sullivan; Paul Walsh, Alan Walsh; Mark Healy, Ian Walsh, Lorcán McLoughlin; Cameron Hendry, Ryan Walsh, Colin Walsh.

Sub: Cian Clernon for C Hendry (42).

O’Donovan Rossa: Ryan Price; Dylan O’Donovan, Darren Daly, Dylan Hourihane; Kevin Hurley, Paudie Crowley, Sean Fitzgerald; Rory Byrne, Jamie Shanahan; Brian Crowley, Donal Óg Hodnett, Niall Daly; Thomas Hegarty, Kevin Davis, Dylan Hourihane.

Subs: David Shannon for D Óg Hodnett (33, inj), Elliot Connolly for N Daly (37).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).