Carbery Rangers 0-16
Knocknagree 1-12
TOM LYONS REPORTS
CARBERY Rangers finished their Division 2 county league programme with a 100 percent record thanks to John Hodnett's injury-time winner.
This tie in Rosscarbery on Sunday was a dead rubber as both teams had already qualified for the league final but with Rangers endeavouring to maintain their unbeaten record and Knocknagree anxious to take the scalp of the league leaders, there was no lack of intensity.
The home side didn’t lead until the very last kick of the ball when wingback Hodnett, four minutes into injury time, kicked an amazing winning point from close to the corner flag.
‘Let me pay tribute to Knocknagree first, they really put it up to us. It might have been a last-kick win for us but you can’t beat winning, that winning feeling is vital. We ground it out,’ said Rangers’ manager Seamus Hayes.
‘We were 1-6 to a point behind at one stage but we just kept going. We put the challenge to the lads at half time and, fair play, they responded very well. Our conversion rate improved greatly in the second half.’
Carbery Rangers manager Seamus Hayes.
It was the visitors who got off to a flyer. With Anthony O’Connor in rampant form in attack, they had 1-5 on the scoreboard in the first quarter before Rangers managed their first point. O’Connor’s four points were superbly taken, one from a mark and two from the only two-pointer in the first half. With four O’Connors in the forward line, it was Denis who struck for their goal in the fifth minute.
The first Ross point arrived in the 13th minute from the boot of hard-working midfielder Brian Hodnett, and Paul Hodnett followed with a second to leave the visitors in front by 1-5 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter.
Anthony O’Connor had the first point in the second quarter, but Rangers were now getting to the pace of the game following their slow start, with Cian Daly, Peter Óg Hill, John Hodnett and Tom O’Rourke driving them on from the back. The next four points fell to the Ross side with John Hodnett, Cian Daly, Peadar O’Rourke and the exciting Darragh Hayes finding the target. Fittingly, it was Anthony O’Connor who finished the first-half scoring with his sixth point.
Trailing by four points, 1-7 to 0-6, at the break, Rangers had it all to do in the second half, but they had a slight breeze to aid them and there was a definite uplift in the attitude and intensity in the second half hour.
Brian Hodnett became much more influential at midfield and John O’Rourke began to show his class up front. O’Rourke and Anthony O’Connor swapped points before Paul Shanahan brought off a great save from O’Connor. However, Shanahan injured his knee in the process and his loss was felt, especially on the kickouts.
When sub Mark Hodnett kicked a fine two-pointer with his first touch, the lead was down to two but Denis O’Connor responded with a like effort for Knocknagree. Another Anthony O’Connor point had Knocknagree five points to the good, 1-11 to 0-9, at the end of the third quarter and Rangers’ unbeaten record was under serious threat.
It was in the final quarter that we finally saw the best of Rangers as they took a firm grip on the game and went in search of saving scores. The high fielding of John O’Brien was a feature, as the inaccuracy of the first half was replaced with accurate finishing, resulting in five unanswered points in a row from Darragh Hayes (2), John Hodnett, Brian Hodnett and John O’Rourke. All square and all to play for with five minutes remaining, both sides went in search of a winner.
Advantage Knocknagree when Anthony O’Connor pointed a free but back came Rangers and Brian Hodnett levelled. Knocknagree came within a foot of a great two-pointer in injury time to snatch the win and it was Rangers who took the victory and the league points with John Hodnett’s last-gasp winner.
Scorers
Carbery Rangers: John Hodnett, Brian Hayes, Darragh Hayes 0-3 each; John O’Rourke (1f), Mark Hodnett (tp) 0-2 each; Peadar O’Rourke, Paul Hodnett, Cian Daly 0-1 each.
Knocknagree: Anthony O’Connor 0-9 (1m, 1f, tp); Denis O’Connor 1-2 (tp) 1-2; Paul O’Connor 0-1.
Carbery Rangers: Paul Shanahan; Caolann Hayes, Cian Daly, Peter Óg Hill; Sam Linehan, Tom O’Rourke, John Hodnett; Brian Hodnett, Conor Twomey; John O’Brien, Paul Hodnett, Pa Hurley; John O’Rourke, Darragh Hayes, Peadar O’Rourke.
Subs: Mark Hodnett for P Shanahan (40), Ciarán McCarthy for C Hayes (46), Brian Shanahan for P Hurley (48), Michael Maguire for C Twomey (58).
Knocknagree: Daniel Murphy; Neil O’Conor, Kealan Buckley, Gary O’Connor; Seán Daly, Gearóid Looney, Cathal O’Connor; Tadhg O’Mahony, Donagh Moynihan; Michael McSweeney, Richard O’Connor, Anthony O’Connor; Denis O’Connor, Paul O’Connor, Matthew Dilworth.
Subs: James Dennehy for G O’Leary (40), Gearóid O’Leary for P O’Connor (60).
Referee: C Dineen (Douglas).
