Knocknagree 0-17
Carbery Rangers 0-11
KIERAN McCARTHY REPORTS
SEAMUS Hayes didn’t make any excuses after Carbery Rangers’ bid for Division 2 glory came up short. Knocknagree deserved the win, he admitted – and the Ross boss was right.
On a dreary Friday night borrowed from October, the Rosscarbery team – so free-scoring during the league campaign when they won nine games in a row – picked the wrong night to leave their shooting boots at home in West Cork. Their 0-11 total was their lowest return across their ten Division 2 games, and it was never going to be enough to beat an athletic and powerful Knocknagree side that carried more attacking intent in a county league final that took its time to spark into life.
‘You can’t play for 15 minutes like we did for the first 15 minutes – we played with the elements, had plenty of the ball, but our shooting and decision-making let us down. In those first 15 minutes we missed an awful lot of chances,’ Hayes remarked of the forgettable opening quarter in Ballyvourney when neither team scored.
It took 17 minutes for the opening score. Cork senior Eoghan McSweeney got the scoreboard working. Within a minute, Killian Cronin raced through to double Knocknagree’s lead.
Ciarán Santry eventually picked off Rangers' opening point after 18 minutes, but Knocknagree streaked three clear after points from Matthew Dilworth and an Anthony O’Connor free in front of the posts. That seemed to shake Rangers from their lethargy and they reeled off five points in a row to show what they could do – Darragh Hayes (2), Conor Twomey (2) and John O’Rourke (free) pushed Ross into a 0-6 to 0-4 lead. Just before the break, Dilworth pulled a point back for Knocknagree, who trailed by one at half time, 0-6 to 0-5. It was finely balanced.
‘There are positives as well – the lads showed fierce mettle after the first 15 minutes when it was going horribly wrong. They didn’t go hiding. They rattled it,’ Hayes said afterwards, but Knocknagree had the edge in the second half. The winners kicked four two-pointers, with Eoghan McSweeney landing the first in the opening moments.
After John O’Rourke levelled the game, 0-7 apiece, Knocknagree moved three ahead with the powerful Michael McSweeney and Anthony O’Connor (two frees) on target. Rangers’ response will have pleased Seamus Hayes – they kicked the next three scores to drag themselves level, 0-10 apiece, after 52 minutes. That was as good as it got. The Ross men lacked spark up front – both Darragh Hayes and Ciarán Santry were replaced midway through the second half.
Instead, it was Knocknagree that kicked on. Eoghan McSweeney landed his second two-pointer, and when Rangers had to chase the game, the winners exploited the space with man-of-the-match Michael McSweeney kicking a brace of two-pointers in succession, each one met with a louder cheer from the Knocknagree support. They now led 0-16 to 0-10. This game was played at championship pace, Seamus Hayes noted, but it was the Duhallow side that looked sharper and moved with more purpose.
Rangers sub Paul Hodnett saw a rocket rattle the crossbar late on, and Mark Hodnett pulled one back from a free, but it was fitting Knocknagree had the final say when Anthony O’Connor tagged on a late free.
For Ross, it was a missed opportunity to win silverware and get a pep in their step ahead of their crunch county premier senior championship opener against Carrigaline on July 27th. With the Barrs and Clonakilty also in this group, the opening game will determine the mood going into those tougher ties. In reality, it's a must-win for Rangers to avoid a relegation battle like last season.
‘We realise we have a lot of work to do before Carrigaline – they won this (Division 2 final) last year. It’s a huge game. If you win that first round it gives you breathing space,’ Hayes admitted. Still, Rangers can take a lot from their Division 2 campaign – they won promotion to the top tier, reeled off nine wins in a row, but go into the championship knowing they need to raise their game.
Scorers
Knocknagree: Michael McSweeney 0-5 (2 2pt); Eoghan McSweeney 0-4 (2 2pt); Anthony O’Connor 0-3 (3f); Matthew Dilworth 0-2; Killian Cronin 0-1.
Carbery Rangers: John O’Rourke 0-4 (3f); Conor Twomey, Darragh Hayes 0-2 each; Ciarán Santry, Peadar O’Rourke 0-1 each.
Knocknagree: Pa Doyle; Neil O’Connor, Kealan Buckley, Gearoid Looney; Killian Cronin, Daniel O’Mahony, T O’Connor; David O’Connor, Tadhg O’Mahony; Michael McSweeney, Denis O’Connor, Eoghan McSweeney; Paul O’Connor, Anthony O’Connor, Matthew Dilworth.
Subs: David Twomey for P O’Connor (42), Dwight Bacalso for M Dilworth (52), Richard O’Connor for T O’Connor (52), Donagh Moynihan for T O’Mahony (55).
Carbery Rangers: Paul Shanahan; Cian Daly, Tom O’Rourke, Peter Óg Hill; Sam Linehan, Jerry O’Riordan, John Hodnett; Brian Hodnett, John O’Brien; Peadar O’Rourke, John O’Rourke, Conor Twomey; Mark Hodnett, Ciarán Santry, Darragh Hayes.
Subs: Patrick Hurley for C Santry (43), Paul Hodnett for D Hayes (43), James O’Riordan for T O’Rourke (46), Ciarán McCarthy for J Hodnett (51).
Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).
