Table-toppers O’Donovan Rossa get one over local rivals Dohenys in Cork JAFC derby

O’DONOVAN ROSSA 0-15

DOHENYS 2-6

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

AN EIGHT-POINT second-half blast saw O’Donovan Rossa overcome Dohenys in a terrific Cork LGFA Junior AFC derby in Dunmanway.

The highest praise you could bestow upon both teams is the fervent hope that they will meet again in the semi-finals or final of this year’s competition. From start to finish, this was a super game full of excellent scores and superb defending.

Down 1-5 to 0-6 at the break, O’Donovan Rossa overcame a yellow card to kick eight second-half points and restrict their opponents to 1-1 en-route to a third successive county championship triumph.

Both Dohenys and O’Donovan Rossa are likely to make the last four of the championship once the round-robin section concludes. On Sunday, it was the Skibbereen side that reinforced their title credentials.

Dohenys' Mairead Crowley is tackled by O'Donovan Rossa's Emer McCarthy.

‘Composure is the word I’d use to describe that win,’ O’Donovan Rossa manager James O’Donovan told The Southern Star.

‘Our girls did really well. Dohenys are a very good defensive unit and set up really well. They were very hard to break down, but I thought our girls showed great composure to kick eight points in the second half.

‘It is important to win a battle, a tough game and that was a tough game. I told our players it doesn’t matter now though as Dohenys and ourselves will be in the semi-finals. A win like that will matter more in a couple of weeks.’

Balmy conditions greeted the teams with Cork inter-county stars Melissa Duggan and Laura O’Mahony keeping a close eye on one another throughout the first quarter.

Ruth Collins opened the scoring but O’Donovan Rossa replied instantly with Emma Hurley splitting the posts from a tight angle. Dohenys’ defence forced a number of turnovers, as did Skibbereen’s, with scores proving hard to come by until Fionnuala O’Driscoll gave Rossas their first lead after 12 minutes.

The home team found some attacking rhythm and reeled off three unanswered points during an impressive spell. Two Noelle O’Mahony (one free) efforts sandwiched a terrific Mairead Crowley score to make it 0-4 to 0-2.

Éabha O’Donovan (free) reduced the deficit before one of the game’s major turning points after 21 minutes. Melissa Duggan got on the end of a flowing move and was brought down inside the O’Donovan Rossa square. Ava O’Donovan took responsibility for the resulting penalty and found the bottom corner to increase her team’s lead, 1-4 to 0-2.

Dohenys' Melissa Dugan in action against O'Donovan Rossa's Kate O'Donovan.

Despite that commanding position, it was O’Donovan Rossa rather than the leaders who upped the tempo. Laura O’Mahony and Fionnuala O’Driscoll found their range prior to Mairead Crowley and Éabha O’Donovan exchanging frees. A slender 1-5 to 0-6 interval lead was Dohenys’ reward for an impressive start.

Éabha O’Donovan’s left-footed effort made it a one-point game immediately after the restart and the scores were level once Fionnuala O’Driscoll floated over a beauty 60 seconds later.

Tightening up at the back, Skibbereen moved ahead courtesy of Emma Hurley but that was their opponent’s cue to respond. A move that spanned the length of the pitch ended with Ruth Collins gaining possession and thundering her shot into the top corner.

2-5 to 0-9 behind, O’Donovan Rossa’s Kate O’Donovan was denied a goal by goalkeeper Nora McCarthy’s quick reflexes.

A terrific second half continued as Fionnuala O’Driscoll and Éabha O’Donovan points levelled matters. O’Donovan Rossa suffered a setback when corner-back Michelle Donnellan was yellow carded 11 minutes from the end. It mattered little as another patient build-up saw Skibbereen awarded a free that Éabha O’Donovan converted.

Next, Laura O’Mahony burst clear on another trademark run and split the posts to make it 0-13 to 2-5. Christine Fitzgerald pulled off an important save to keep Rossa’s in front prior to another sweeping Skibb attack ending with Kate O’Donovan firing over.

Noelle O’Mahony notched Dohenys’ first score in 25 minutes but it was fitting that the eventual winners had the final say. An Emma Hurley point confirmed the Skibbereen club’s 0-15 to 2-6 win.

• O’Donovan Rossa host Douglas and Dohenys travel to Midleton in the penultimate round of this year’s Cork JAFC round-robin section next Sunday.

Scorers 

O’Donovan Rossa: Éabha O’Donovan 0-5 (4f); Fionnuala O’Driscoll 0-4; Emma Hurley 0-3; Laura O’Mahony 0-2; Kate O’Donovan 0-1.

Dohenys: Ruth Collins 1-1; Ava O’Donovan 1-0; Noelle O’Mahony 0-3 (2f); Mairead Crowley 0-2 (1f).

O’Donovan Rossa: Christine Fitzgerald; Michelle Donellan, Emer McCarthy, Aoife Leonard; Fiona Leonard, Sarah Hurley, Lisa Harte; Laura O’Mahony, Triona Murphy; Jessica Beechinor, Emma Hurley, Kate O’Connell; Éabha O’Donovan, Kate O’Donovan, Fionnuala O’Driscoll.

Sub: Aoife O’Driscoll for F Leonard (56).

Dohenys: Nora McCarthy; Annie Blewitt, Alison Hayes, Michelle Duggan; Caroline O’Mahony, Aprille Duggan, Melissa Duggan; Margaret Collins, Éirinn O’Donovan; Ava O’Donovan, Mairead Crowley, Michelle Murphy; Noelle O’Mahony, Ruth Collins, Cathy O’Regan.

Subs: Claire Hurley for A Blewitt (45), Abby McCarthy for C O’Regan (48).

Referee: Conor McCarthy (Rosscarbery).