Hayes: 'With points crucial in a tight group this result is very important'

Carbery Rangers  2-10

Carrigaline 1-9

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

DON’T let that scoreline fool you. The final tally in this Bon Secours Premier SFC opening Group A tie at Bandon indicates a four-point victory for Carbery Rangers. To say that the result is benevolent to the South East lads is a real understatement. In truth, Carrigaline were outplayed and outwitted all over the pitch by a youthful, energetic and focussed Carbery Rangers team whose Achilles Heel was their wastefulness in front of goal. 

The wides tally in the opening half gives a clear barometer of Rangers’ dominance in the possession stages, ten to their opponent’s two, while Carrigaline scored 1-1 in the 64th and final minute of the contest.

In between, Rangers ruled the roost. There was splendid play in the middle of the park from Alan Jennings and Brian Hodnett. We saw defensive prowess, evidenced by the tigerish sallies of Jack Kevane who took time to split the posts twice with two glorious points. Jerry O’Riordan, Thomas O’Rourke and their attacking cohorts of John Hodnett, Peadar O’Rourke and the dynamic John O’Rourke were really motoring, too. 

Ironically, two Callum Barrett points had given Carrigaline an early lead by the 11th minute, at which stage Rangers had shot an incredible eight wides. Granted, Carrigaline goalkeeper Callum Dungan had denied Sam Linehan from point-blank range at the end of the first quarter. However, just when it seemed Rangers would never get their shooting boots on, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 19th minute. 

A short kickout was fielded by John Hodnett who fed John O’Rourke. When the latter was fouled, he dusted himself down and expertly slotted home the resultant penalty. There was a much more determined look about Rangers now as Peadar O’Rourke and Jack Kevane found the range in rapid succession.

Kevin O’Reilly pointed a free, but a vicious inswinger by John O’Rourke was tipped to safety as goalkeeper Paul Shanahan made the long trek upfield to successfully convert the first of his two 45s.

Darragh King, in a rare Carrigaline incursion, kept them in touch, as they trailed 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval. In truth, Rangers should have been home and hosed at this juncture. While Brian Coakley gave the losers a faint glimpse of a recovery with an early second-half score, a somewhat fortuitous Peadar O’Rourke green flag – he touched home a delivery by Jack O’Regan in the 34th minute – ended the game as a contest.

O’Reilly and Paul Shanahan swapped scores as former Cork ace John Hayes entered the fray, giving greater impetus to an already proactive Rangers forward division that was now firing on all cylinders. Kevin Kavanagh hit the post at the end of the third quarter, but bar that late scoring burst by Carrigaline, it was Rangers that romped home with plenty left in the tank.

Carbery Rangers manager Declan Hayes was well pleased with the result, accepting that while many chances were left behind, the creation and positivity was something they could work on as.

‘Apart from the shot conversion, we are delighted with our overall performance,’ Hayes said.

‘As you saw we dominated the game and we can work on our finishing. We have a very young team and they are just finding their feet while we had some injury problems consequently coming into this game as underdogs. 

‘It is an encouraging result, but we now face another major challenge in Éire Óg. They are a quality side, but with points crucial in a tight group this result is very important as it sets us up nicely.’

Scorers - Carbery Rangers: John O’Rourke 1-2 (1-0 pen); Peadar O’Rourke 1-1; Jack Kevane, Paul Shanahan 0-2 (2 45s) each; Jack O’Regan, Alan Jennings, Jerry O’Riordan 0-1 each. Carrigaline: Ian Sheerin 1-0; Kevin O’Reilly 0-3 (2f); Eanna Desmond, Callum Barrett 0-2 each; Brian Coakley, Darragh King 0-1 each. 

Carbery Rangers: Paul Shanahan; Sam Linehan, Thomas O’Rourke, Keelan Scannell; Jerry O’Riordan, Jack Kevane, Cian Daly; Brian Hodnett, Alan Jennings; Jack O’Regan, Peadar O’Rourke, John Hodnett; Brian Shanahan, John O’Rourke, Darragh Hayes. Subs: John Hayes for Darragh Hayes (40), Pa Hurley for Cian Daly (44), James Fitzpatrick for Jack Kevane (56).

Carrigaline: Callum Dungan; Cathal Murphy, Chris O’Herlihy, Luke Boyle; Kieran Cavanagh, Ian Sheerin, Niall Quirke; Kevin Cavanagh, Dan Greene; Darragh King, Jack McCarthy, Callum Barrett; Brian Coakley, Kevin O’Reilly, Eanna Desmond. Subs: David Drake for Dan Greene (51), Nathan O’Keeffe for Niall Quirke (52).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).