Five-goal Rosscarbery get intermediate semi-final bid back on track with big win

ROSSCARBERY and Valley Rovers registered impressive Cork LGFA intermediate county championship wins last weekend.

A 5-15 to 2-7 defeat of Araglen Desmonds Buí means Rosscarbery, barring a shock win by Araglen at home to Naomh Abán in their final Group 1 match on Friday, have cemented an intermediate county semi-final berth.

Fiona O’Callaghan top scored for Ross with 2-3 in their merited victory on Friday evening. Sandra O’Donoghue (1-4), Ciara Whooley (0-4), Megan Hayes (1-1), Maeve Kingston (1-0), Kellianne French, Hannah O’Hea and Ellen O’Hea (0-1 each) were Rosscarbery’s other scorers. Fiona O’Callaghan, Cliona Maguire, Ellen O’Hea and Gráinne Hodnett were the pick of Rosscarbery’s best players.

Another West Cork LGFA club, Valley Rovers, got off the mark in Group 2 of IFC last Sunday.

Cork senior Daire Kiely (3-1), Eve Dwyer (2-1) and Michelle O’Regan (1-3) combined for the majority of Valleys’ scores in a terrific 6-7 to 0-15 win at home to Abhainn Dalla. Kate Wall and Shona Cronin also got on Rovers’ scoresheet in a game Valleys’ goalkeeper Ella Ryan excelled.

As expected, one of this year’s IFC title favourites, Glanmire, proved too strong for Donoughmore and went top of Group 2. This weekend’s final round of group fixtures see Valleys hosting Donoughmore where another Rovers triumph could seal a county semi-final spot.

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In the Cork LGFA senior championship, a brave Kinsale effort wasn’t enough to prevent a Group 1 loss away to Éire Óg on Sunday. Playing their first senior championship match of the season, Kinsale welcomed Sadhbh O’Leary back to their starting line-up but trailed the Ovens club 3-3 to 0-5 at the break.

Eimear Scally twice found the net (one penalty) as did Orlaith Cahalane before Scally completed her hat-trick in the second period. A Shauna Cronin green flag wrapped up a deserved 5-11 to 0-8 Éire Óg win.

Despite the loss, Caoimhe Horgan scored five of Kinsale’s points on a day Sadhbh O’Leary, Aoife Keating and Sophie Collins each contributed a point apiece. Gráinne Cowhig, Kate Redmond, Sadhbh O’Leary and Amy Casey stood out for a Kinsale side hoping to bounce back at home to St Val’s this weekend. Also on Sunday, Clonakilty travel to Inch Rovers seeking their first SFC win of the campaign.

The outcome of an upcoming  senior West Cork derby between Clon and Kinsale in Ahamilla on Friday, September 15th, will have a big bearing on both team’s championship prospects.

In Group 2 of the Cork LGFA SFC, current champions Mourneabbey remain undefeated ahead of hosting newcomers Castlehaven in an eagerly-anticipated showdown next Sunday afternoon in Mourneabbey.

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A report on Dohenys and O’Donovan Rossa’s cracking Cork LGFA JAFC local derby won by the Skibbereen club is published on page 10 of this week’s edition.

In the same junior A county competition, Bantry Blues suffered a disappointing 3-8 to 2-6 loss away to Midleton last Sunday. Two Mairead Dullea goals couldn’t prevent the Blues from changing ends 2-5 to 2-2 in arrears. Amid hot and humid conditions, Midleton converted a second-half penalty before being reduced to 13 players following a spate of late yellow card offences.

The home team defended doggedly however and ran out deserving winners to dent Bantry’s hopes of making this year’s junior A semi-finals. Mairead Dullea (2-1), Sarah Bishop (0-3), Caitlin O’Mahony and Aoife Kingston (0-1 each) were Bantry’s scorers. The Blues must overcome Dohenys in both side’s final group outing on September 17th if the former are to have any chance of squeezing into the knockout stages.

Before that, Dohenys will look to get back to winning ways away to Midleton on Sunday. High-flying O’Donovan Rossa host Douglas on the same afternoon.

In the junior C county championship, despite a battling display, Beara were defeated 3-13 to 1-7 by Erin’s Own last weekend. Fiona Murphy (1-1), Áine Terry O’Sullivan (0-2), Ciara Murphy, Katie O’Sullivan, Clare O’Shea and Sinead Murphy (0-1 each) scored for a Beara team in which goalkeeper Maureen O’Sullivan played superbly.

RESULTS (selected West Cork LGFA scores) – IFC Group 1: Rosscarbery 5-15 Araglen Desmonds Buí 2-7; SFC Group 1: Éire Óg 5-11 Kinsale 0-8; IFC Group 2: Valley Rovers 6-7 Abhainn Dalla 0-15; JAFC: Dohenys 2-6 O’Donovan Rossa 0-15, Midleton 3-8 Bantry Blues 2-6; JCFC: Erin’s Own 3-13 Beara 1-7.

FIXTURES: (selected West Cork LGFA fixtures)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH

IFC Group 1: Araglen Desmonds Buí v Naomh Aban at 7pm

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH

SFC Group 1: 3pm, Inch Rovers v Clonakilty at noon, Kinsale v St Val’s.

SFC Group 2: 3pm, Mourneabbey v Castlehaven.

IFC Group 2: 3pm, Valley Rovers v Donoughmore.

JAFC: 3pm, Midleton v Dohenys; 3pm, O’Donovan Rossa v Douglas.

JCFC: 1pm, Beara v Mallow.

JDFC: 3pm, Macroom v Muintir Gabriels.

JEFC Group 2: 6.30pm, Bandon v Kilworth.