Muskerry 3-16
Carbery 0-15
TOM LYONS REPORTS
CARBERY hurlers’ season is over after a second defeat in two matches ended their hopes of advancing from the unseeded section of the Co-Op Superstores Divisions/Colleges Hurling Championship.
It all looked good for Carbery in their second-round clash against Muskerry on Tuesday evening in Ovens. They matched their fancied opponents score for score despite conceding a goal in the very first minute.
However, the wheels came off their wagon midway through the second half when Muskerry struck for two goals in the space of a minute to increase the lead to 12 points. The game was over as a contest then.
‘We were well in it until half time, and we were happy enough. The spirit they showed and the hurling they played in that half was very good,’ explained manager David Whyte, also Carbery GAA Chairman.
‘We were probably relying too much on Caolan (O’Donovan) for scores from frees, we lacked a bit of penetration up front. The lads will learn from it; you don’t have that four or five seconds on the ball that they’re used to in junior games. You have to make faster decisions. They’ve learned that in these two games they had.
‘You can’t fault them, they wore the jersey with pride, fought to the end. Of course, we were missing some vital players tonight, and injuries cost us the lads from Bandon. We’re a divisional team, you just have to work with what you have.’
Muskerry's Cillian Timmons clears the ball past Carbery's Paudie Crowley.
Carbery responded very well to David Casey’s first-minute goal and registered four of the next six points to cut the gap to a single point. Jamie Lucey, Liam Hourihane and Caolan O’Donovan (play and free) all raised white flags, with James Foley and Shane Tarrant answering for the mid-Cork men.
Muskerry began the second quarter well with three in a row from Matthew Bradley (two frees) and Mark O’Connell but back came Carbery again with three of their own, from O’Donovan (play and free) and Shane Crowley. Points from Adam Dinan and Shane Tarrant finished an entertaining half with Muskerry leading by 1-7 to 0-7 at the interval.
Muskerry again started in determined mood and strong play from Tarrant, Bradley, Conor McGoldrick, Mark Lucey and Adam Dinan saw them outscoring Carbery by four points to one in the early stages. Casey, Tarrant (2) and Bradley (free) split the posts with Carbery’s sole reply coming from Chris Cronin.
Muskerry's Mark O'Connell cuts inside Carbery's Caolan O'Donovan.
Again, Carbery began to show improvement as O’Donovan (play and free) swapped scores with Dinan and Bradley (free). The roof caved in on Carbery as the third quarter ended, trailing by six points, when Muskerry struck for two goals in a minute. The hard-working Bradley found the net first, set up by James Lane. Casey followed quickly with his second major, following more good work from Bradley.
Although the game was over as a contest at that stage, Muskerry guaranteed their progress to a semi-final meeting with UCC. Carbery, with a few subs doing well, never stopped trying and were rewarded by outscoring the winners by five points to three in the closing stages.
Seán O’Riordan, Caolan O’Donovan, Michael O’Driscoll, Jamie Lucey, Shane Crowley, Paudie Crowley and Donncha Collins were to the fore as O’Donovan (two frees), Collins, Crowley and Ciarán Dulea all pointed. Matthew Bradley (3) closed the scoring for the winners.
Our Star: Laudable performances on both sides but the work rate and accuracy of Matthew Bradley, with 1-7, for the winners, stood out.
Scorers
Muskerry: Matthew Bradley 1-7 (5f); David Casey 2-1; Shane Tarrant 0-4; Adam Dinan 0-2; Mark O’Connell, James Foley 0-1 each.
Carbery: Caolan O’Donovan 0-8 (5f); Jamie Lucey, Shane Crowley, Liam Hourihane, Donncha Collins, Paudie Crowley, Ciarán Dulea, Chris Cronin 0-1 each.
Muskerry: Cathal Sheehan (Éire Óg); Padraic O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue), Cillian Timmons (do.), Luke Hennigan (Kilmichael); Mark Lucey (Donoughmore), Conor McGoldrick (Éire Óg), Odhran O’Driscoll (Cloughduv); Shane Tarrant (Aghabullogue), Mark O’Connell (Dripsey); Jack Devine (Cloughduv), James Foley (Aghabullogue), David Casey (Éire Óg); Matthew Bradley (Aghabullogue), James Lane (do.), Adam Dinan (Donoughmore).
Subs: Brian Hurley (Éire Óg) for J Devine (37), Brian Horgan (Kilmichael) for M Lucey (51), Mark O’Sullivan (Dripsey) for J Foley (53), Shane Sexton (Donoughmore) for C Sheehan (57).
Carbery: Michael O’Driscoll (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna); David Curtin (St Mary’s), Seán O’Riordan (Barryroe), Robbie Lucey (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna); Ryan Scannell (St Mary’s), Conor O’Sullivan (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna), Michael O’Driscoll (St. Mary’s); Jamie Lucey (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna), Shane Crowley (Randal Óg); Caolan O’Donovan (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna), Niall O’Driscoll (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Liam Hourihan (St. Colum’s); Donncha Collins (Randal Óg), Paudie Crowley (Dohenys), Padraig O’Sullivan (Randal Óg).
Subs: Chris Cronin (Dohenys) for P O’Sullivan (25), Declan Collins (Dohenys) for D Curtin (ht), Ciarán Dulea (St Oliver Plunkett’s) for S Crowley (46).
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Valley Rovers).
