CASTLEHAVEN 3-6
CLONAKILTY 3-8
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
AN intense West Cork derby saw Clonakilty emerge with an important Cork Credit Unions Senior Championship Group 1 win over Castlehaven in Moneyvollahane.
The importance of this result will not become evident until the conclusion of the competition’s group phase.
In simple terms, Clonakilty picked up their first championship win following defeat to O’Donovan Rossa. Aghada and St Val’s await but three precious points collected in Moneyvollahane have, at a minimum, secured Clon’s senior status.
In contrast, things are looking bleak for Castlehaven. Having lost to St Val’s and Rossas, a third consecutive Group 1 reversal, despite a courageous effort, means the Haven are in relegation trouble.
Bottom line, the Union Hall-Castletownshend club needs a result away to county champions Aghada in their last group outing to avoid a relegation play-off.
‘Senior football is a huge step up as we have found out over the last few years,’ Castlehaven selector Finbarr Santry told The Southern Star.
‘This year, we were probably a bit late going back and have picked up a few injuries. It is only in the last game or two that we have started to pick up a bit of form.
‘We know we are in a dogfight now. Aghada is our next game and, from a positive point of view, we would be happy with tonight’s performance even though we lost.’
Clonakilty's Katie O'Driscoll hit 0-3 against the Haven.
Clonakilty’s two-point victory means David Aherne and his players can breathe a sigh of relief heading into their two remaining group matches.
‘Today was all about the result and nothing else,’ Aherne said.
‘Coming down to Castlehaven and getting a two-point win, we will take it. Up until today, we hadn’t been going well. Tonight, the girls showed massive character.
‘As I said to the players, all it takes is one win to change everything. Getting a win down here will give our players massive confidence and a massive lift.
‘We know what is ahead of us so we will put our heads down over the next two weeks and give it our best shot.’
Castlehaven were the better team in the opening half and built a merited 2-3 to 0-3 lead inside 20 minutes. Two terrific goals in as many minutes from Shelly Daly and Gráinne O’Sullivan had Haven in the driving seat of a hard-hitting game in which not one tackle was shirked.
Clonakilty fought back and finished the half strongly with Katie O’Driscoll and Millie Condon splitting the posts.
Next, a Siofra Pattwell 45 was punched to the net by Sinéad O’Donovan and a rampant Clonakilty were not finished. Pattwell was on the end of a flowing move to fire into the net and edge her side 2-5 to 2-3 ahead at the short whistle.
Things got even worse for Castlehaven when Moira Barrett’s long-range attempt ended up in the back of the net immediately after the restart.
Creditably, the hosts responded within 60 seconds as Emma Daly’s venomous strike found the top corner to make it 3-5 to 3-3.
The Haven moved up a gear with Gráinne O’Sullivan and Amy McCarthy (two frees) scores pushing them three clear with less than a quarter of an hour to go.
Tiring limbs saw a noticeable drop in the match tempo but not the intensity of a closing period that included seven minutes of injury-time.
It was Clon who emerged with the victory as Katie O’Driscoll and two terrific Siofra Pattwell scores won it for the visitors. Next up for Clon is a home clash with Aghada this Sunday (12pm).
OUR STAR: Castlehaven’s Gráinne O’Sullivan, Áine Daly and Ellen Buckley impressed as did Clon’s Ella O’Sullivan, Kate O’Donovan and Moira Barrett. Siofra Pattwell gets the award for a superb individual display.
Scorers
Castlehaven: G O’Sullivan 1-1; S Daly, E Daly 1-0 each; A McCarthy 0-2 (2f); A Daly, A O’Driscoll, N O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
Clonakilty: S Pattwell 1-3 (2f); S O’Donovan 1-1; K O’Driscoll 0-3; M Barrett 1-0; M Condon 0-1.
Castlehaven: A Salter; J McCarthy, E Maguire, A Santry; M O’Sullivan, N O’Sullivan, Á Daly; E Buckley, A O’Driscoll; E Daly, G O’Sullivan, S Daly (captain); N O’Sullivan, A McCarthy, H Sheehy.
Subs: E Connolly for E Buckley (47), E McCarthy for M O’Sullivan (55), B Sheehy for N O’Sullivan (57), L O’Donoghue for E Maguire (60, inj).
Clonakilty: M O’Brien; E O’Sullivan, S Callanan, N Kennedy; M O’Donovan, K O’Donovan (captain), C McCarthy; M Barrett, K O’Driscoll; M Condon, S Patwell, E Meade; S Crowley, C McEvoy, A O’Flynn-Meade.
Subs: A Moloney for E Meade (ht), K O’Mahony for C McEvoy (47), L Daly for S O’Donovan (58).
Referee: James Kingston (Rosscarbery).
