CLONAKILTY 1-12

KNOCKNAGREE 1-13

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

CLONAKILTY lost for the first time in this year’s McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 county football league, going down to Knocknagree under floodlights in Ahamilla on Saturday evening.

Two clubs that will clash in the opening round of the county premier senior championship served up an enticing starter to next July’s main course.

Ross Mannix’s 59th-minute goal looked to have won a close contest for the home side. Instead, Knocknagree kicked an equaliser and an injury-time Denis R O’Connor winner to get off the mark in Division 1, while ending Clon’s perfect league record.

‘It was physical but we are disappointed to lose it. You learn more from losing than you do from winning,’ Clonakilty coach Eoin Ryan told The Southern Star.

‘Tonight, definitely, was the toughest opposition we’ve played so far. I think we actually played better than we did in the previous two games.

‘I’d be happy enough with the performance and it is just a case of us going again.’

Knocknagree manager John Fintan Daly was thrilled to leave West Cork with a first league win.

‘Coming here to Clonakilty, of all the games in the first four rounds, before any ball was kicked this year I actually thought this was probably going to be the hardest one,’ he commented.

‘That is because they are in our county championship group and we had to go all the way down to West Cork on a Saturday night rather than a Sunday. It’s a huge boost, but look, we were fortunate enough to win it.’

Clonakilty's Jack O'Mahony is tackled by Knocknagree's David O'Connor. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Anthony O’Connor and Denis R O’Connor fired the visitors into an early lead before Ross Mannix palmed over. O’Connor quickly restored his team’s two-point advantage before Conor Daly, Sean McEvoy and Mannix points handed Clonakilty their first lead on the quarter-hour mark.

It took a marvellous Anthony O’Connor two-point free to edge Knocknagree back in front, 0-5 to 0-4.

Dara Ó Sé levelled for a second time and Clon’s Sean McEvoy had a goal ruled out prior to fisting another effort over the bar. David O’Connor blazed a goal opportunity inches wide at the opposite end as another Ó Sé free made it a two-point game.

Next, the score of the evening arrived two minutes before the interval. A flowing Knocknagree move was finished off by a superb Killian Cronin goal. There was still time for another Daly point and the sides changed ends tied 1-5 to 0-8.

Clonakilty's Sean McEvoy breaks past Knocknagree's Kealan Buckley. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The Brewery Town were the better side in the third quarter, beginning with Daly and two Ó Sé scores making it 0-11 to 1-6 after Anthony O’Connor had landed another free.

Weathering a difficult spell, Knocknagree began to dominate the middle third and, although Michael McSweeney squandered a goal chance, Denis R O’Connor and Anthony O’Connor points levelled matters for a fourth time.

After Conor Daly and Tadc O’Mahony exchanged points, it was 0-12 to 1-9 with ten minutes remaining before the Clonakilty forward was forced off with an injury.

Anthony O’Connor and Michael McSweeney's efforts made it 1-11 to 0-12 close to the end. Things were looking good for the visitors.

A cracking game delivered a late twist, as Ross Mannix punched home Dara Ó Sé’s free. 1-12 to 1-11 behind, Denis R O’Connor conjured up a leveller before the same player won it with a terrific injury-time point.

Our Star: Knocknagree's Anthony O'Connor had a terrific game and kicked seven points including the evening's only two-pointer.

Scorers

Clonakilty: R Mannix 1-2; D Ó Sé (2f), C Daly 0-4 each; S McEvoy 0-2.

Knocknagree: A O’Connor 0-7 (3f, 2ptf); D R O’Connor 0-4; K Cronin 1-0; T O’Mahony, M McSweeney 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: M White (captain); D O’Sullivan, D Peet, D Lowney; J O’Mahony, D Darragh, S White; T Clancy, K O’Driscoll; D Kenneally, D Ó Sé, A Cullinane; R Mannix, C Daly, S McEvoy.

Subs: C Kenneally for A Cullinane (41), C Ryan for S White (44, inj), N Barrett for K O’Driscoll (50), B White for S Daly (60, inj).

Knocknagree: D Murphy; N O’Connor, K Buckley, G O’Connor; G Looney, D Mahoney, T O’Connor; D O’Connor, M McSweeney; D Twomey, F O’Connor, K Cronin; D R O’Connor, T O’Mahony, A O’Connor (captain).

Subs: D Moynihan for D Twomey (47), R O’Connor for G Looney (50).

Referee: L O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).