Canovee claim Mid Cork Junior Football Championship crown

Canovee   1 – 15     Inniscarra   2 – 6

BY BRENDAN KENNEALLY 

Canovee head the Mid Cork Junior Football Roll of Honour with 17 divisional titles to their credit but their team and supporters greeted their latest triumph at Ovens on Saturday evening last with as much emotion as if it was their first.  It is 2007 since Canovee last won the Ross Oil Mid Cork Junior Football championship, which they augmented with Cork, Munster and All Ireland crowns, and after a lengthy period in intermediate ranks they decided to regrade back to junior and build again for the future.  The past few years have brought heartaches and disappointments but memories of all those were banished on Saturday evening as a very young Canovee side overcame the severe early setback of conceding two goal to claw their way back into contention against a fine Inniscarra side who were outsiders entering the contest but who made a major contribution to a very entertaining and exciting final.  Canovee had a range of forwards who could score, Inniscarra had only two, and this ultimately decided the contest.

There was a very big attendance present, the weather was perfect and the ground conditions remarkable after so much rain in the previous days.  Jack Kelleher got Canovee off to a good start with a point in the 3rd minute, Dylan O’Sullivan equalised three minutes later as the game was being played at a hectic pace.  A Canovee attack was halted by Jack O’Dwyer on his own half back line, the ball was sent on to Liam O’Connor and the Inniscarra man made a dash of forty metres through the Canovee cover before unleashing a pile driver to the net.  This rocked Canovee but they were really dismayed when in a little over a minute later, Dan O’Connell got possession and with a sweetly judged hand pass put Dylan O’Sullivan clear, bearing down on goal and the full forward billowed the Canovee net from close range.  In arrears by 2-1 to 0-1 after only eight minutes, this was really putting it up to the young Canovee team!

Between here and half time Canovee outscored Inniscarra by 0-7 to 0-1 to be level at the interval.  The Inniscarra attack did get a reasonable supply but the Canovee rearguard tightened and the attackers could not get shots on target. Canovee began to control midfield through the hard grit of Evan Dodd and Aidan Murphy despite the presence of Cork hurling captain Seán O’Donoghue for Inniscarra in this area and the speedy movement of the Canovee attack had the ‘Scarra defence frequently stretched. Evan Dodd got the Canovee revival under way with a point in the 11th minute after Jack Kelleher’s shot was blocked down, Kelleher converted a free three minutes later and a fine score from Conor O’Neill made it 2-1 to 0-4 at the end of the opening quarter and Canovee were clearly back in contention. A well hit Evan Dodd ‘45’was followed by a Dara Cronin point before ‘Scarra interrupted the sequence with a point from a Dylan O’Sulllivan free on 24.   The Canovee mentors, worried by the threat of Dan O’Connell and Dylan O’Sullivan up front for Inniscarra, introduced Michael Dunne from the bench and re-arranged their full back line to good effect and the winners finished the half with two excellent points, one each from Conor Dodd and Darragh McMahon, to be level at the break at 0-8 to 2-2, a fine recovery from their earlier position.

The third quarter was very evenly contested as Inniscarra showed they were going to battle all the way.  Liam O’Connor put them back in front in the 35th minute, Darragh McMahon equalised for Canovee two minutes later and then Canovee took the lead from a Jack Kelleher free on 41.  William Ahern, another effective substitution in the Canovee rearguard, set up a point for Conor O’Neill but ‘Scarra replied with a point from a Dylan O’Sullivan free after Dan O’Connell was fouled.  The teams were level once again in the 48th minute when Liam O’Connor kicked over confidently for Inniscarra, who then took the lead for the last time in the 51st minute when Dylan O’Sullivan took a fine point from play, 2-6 to 0-11 the score.
The game took a dramatic turn in Canovee’s favour within minutes.  James Moynihan dashed in from the wing to kick over an equalising point and Evan Dodd had Canovee back in front with a 55th minute point.  Inniscarra made a hash of a short kick-out, Jack Kelleher pounced to get possession, advanced and buried the ball in the ‘Scarra net from close range to deal a major blow to ‘Scarra hope as Canovee now led by four points heading down the home stretch.  Canovee finished out the game in style with further points from McMahon and James Moynihan and with the final whistle the pent up emotions were let run free.  Canovee are back, and now face into the county championship campaign a battle hardened outfit after overcoming this severe test of their credentials.

Scorers: Canovee: J Kelleher 1-3 (0-2f, 0-1mark), D McMahon 0-3, E Dodd 0-3 (0-2 ‘45’),  C O’Neill and Js Moynihan 0-2 each, D Cronin and C Dodd 0-1 each.   Inniscarra: D O’Sullivan 1-4 (0-2f, 0-1mark), L O’Connor 1-2 (0-1f)

Canovee:  Cormac O’Driscoll: Cian Cronin, Eoin McNabola, Darren Moynihan: Evan Dodd, Odhran O’Driscoll, Eoghan Lehane: Conor Dodd, Aidan Murphy: James Moynihan (capt.), Dara Cronin, Conor O’Neill: Darragh McMahon, Brian McNabola, Jack Kelleher. Subs: Michael Dunne for E McNabola 25, William Ahern for C Cronin 38, Mark Healy for B McNabola 41, Paul Healy for D Cronin 59, Denis O’Sulllivan for D McMahon inj. 64.

Inniscarra: Dominick Kelleher: Danny O’Herlihy, John O’Callaghan, Jack O’Sullivan: Frank Horgan, David Coughlan (capt.), Jack O’Dwyer: Seán O’Donoghue, Tim Murphy: Mark McLoughlin, Liam O’Connor, Liam Collins: Dan O’Connell, Dylan O’Sullivan, Tadgh Lyons.  Subs: Cameron Lynch for T Murphy ht, Mark Linehan for L Collins 41, Shay Dineen for D Couglan inj. 50,   David O’Keeffe for D O’Connell 53.
Referee: David Murnane, Macroom

The Highlights
Our Star:  Evan Dodd was recipient of the Ross Oil Man of the Match Award, his all round performance at midfield further enhanced by his morale boosting conversion of two ‘45’ for Canovee when the issue was in doubt.

Star Moment: The outcome was finally decided by the opportunist 55th minute goal from Jack Kelleher after a mess up with an Inniscarra kick out, immediately after Canovee had gone back in front.

Talking point: The manner in which an inexperienced Canovee side recovered from conceding two early goals to a fine and very committed Inniscarra team was remarkable and this win, and lessons learned, will make Canovee a formidable opponent in the county campaign.

What’s next: Canovee meet Lisgoold in the County Junior Championship on Sunday November 5th next.