Injury-time Cian Ryan winner points Clonakilty into last four of Carbery U21A Football Championship

Clonakilty 1-13   

Dohenys 2-9 

THE championship that keeps on giving provided another outstanding chapter on Sunday morning in Dunmanway when the visitors, Clonakilty, snatched a late, late win with a Cian Ryan point in the 66th minute. 

In a thriller, Clon actually trailed by two points entering injury time but a final late surge, aided by the breeze, saw them scoring three unanswered points to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 

Clon’s two senior forwards, Conor Daly (free) and Daragh Gough kicked points to level the scores and just as everybody was settling for extra time, up popped Ryan with the winner. 

Tough on a game Dohenys’ outfit who had looked in trouble when they retired level at half time, having played with the breeze. However, a battling second half, which saw them scoring a vital goal in the 52nd minute, had them on the cusp of victory until Clon came with their winning surge at the very end. 

Clonakilty's Oran Blackburn battling with Dohenys' Matthew O'Mahony during the Clona Milk U21A FC quarter-final at Dunmanway.
(Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘We made it very hard for ourselves,’ said a relieved Clonakilty mentor Diarmuid Cahill. ‘It was a game of two halves because of the wind, which actually seemed to get stronger in the second half.  

‘We threw away a lot of scores there in the second half, a few sitters we should have got, but we pulled it out in the end. There was a get-out-of-jail element to it but the lads never threw in the towel.’

There was nothing between the sides in the opening quarter as Clon, against the breeze, kicked four points, three from the talented Conor Daly and one from the accurate Daragh Gough. Dohenys, with former Cork minor Keith McCarthy orchestrating their play, answered with scores from the strong Gavin Farr (2) and the lively Ewan Lehane. 

The second quarter saw Dohenys up the pressure, with McCarthy, Farr, Lehane, Ian O’Brien, Josh Burke, Matthew O’Mahony, Aaron Mannix and Seán Murphy to the fore. When Murphy shot a bullet of a goal from 30 metres in the 18th minute, followed by points from Lehane and Murphy, the home side was four points to the good and threatening to open up a gap. Clon hauled themselves back from the brink just before the break when Gough pointed and the industrious Fergal Murphy followed up on a blocked shot by Daly to finish to the net. It was all square at the break, 1-5 each, the advantage with Clon in the second half. 

Dohenys' Sean Murphy is tackled by Clonakilty's Chris Kenneally during the thriller in Dunmanway.

As expected with the strengthening breeze, Clon restarted well. Points from impressive centre back Chris Kenneally, and Gough had them two in front and seemingly in control with Sean Óg O’Flynn, Liam Knowles, Fionn McCarthy, Liam Coffey and Des Kenneally, supplementing the strong play of Daly, Gough and Murphy. Dohenys weren’t caving in and points from Farr (free) and Shane Barry had the scores level for the fourth time at the end of the third quarter. 

Again Clon asserted themselves with points from Murphy and Gough but were guilty of missing a number of chances, including goal opportunities. They were hit for six in the 50th minute when Dohenys’ wing back Matthew Murphy lashed a breaking ball to the Clon net. Farr followed with a pointed free in the 55th minute to put the Dunmanway lads two in front again. 

The heavy conditions were beginning to tell on the players now and the strong breeze played a vital part as Clon resurrected themselves in the closing minutes. Daly and Farr (free) swapped points before Daly’s superb free levelled it up in the 63rd minute and Cian Ryan landed the winning score in the 66th minute.

Scorers 

Clonakilty: Conor Daly (2f), Daragh Gough 0-5 each; Fergal Murphy 1-1; Chris Kenneally, Cian Ryan 0-1 each. 

Dohenys: Gavin Farr 0-5 (3f); Seán Murphy 1-1; Matt O’Mahony 1-0; Ewan Lehane 0-2; Shane Barry 0-1. 

Clonakilty: Killian White; Odhran Blackburn, Liam Coffey, Seán Óg O’Flynn; Matthew Murphy, Chris Kenneally, Liam Knowles; Aaron Cullinane, Des Kenneally; Daragh Gough, Cian Ryan, Conor Daly; Fionn McCarthy, Gearóid Coleman, Fergal Murphy. 

Subs: Aaron Griffin for M Murphy (40), Ciarán Coakley for G Coleman (46). 

Dohenys: Killian Vassallo; Jack McCarthy, Josh Burke, Caolan O’Driscoll; Matthew O’Mahony, Odhran McCarthy, Adam O’Donovan; Aaron Mannix, Ian O’Brien; Shane Barry, Gavin Farr, Gavin Dullea; Keith McCarthy, Seán Murphy, Ewan Lehane. 

Sub: Owen Buckley for S Barry (45). 

Referee: Niall Hayes (Carbery Rangers).