LADIES FOOTBALL ROUND-UP: Rosscarbery too strong for Beara in intermediate football derby

WEST Cork clubs enjoyed a tremendous start to the Cork LGFA intermediate and junior county championships last weekend.

Beara and Rosscarbery met in Group A of the county intermediate championship with the visitors coming out on top 2-11 to 0-3 in Castletownbere. A more experienced Ross outfit was too strong for a Beara side transitioning to life in the junior grade.

Cork’s Áine Terry O’Sullivan, Aimee Harrington and Niamh Terry O’Sullivan scored for the home team on an evening Tara Maguire and Ciara Whooley each contributed 1-2 for the winners. Former inter-county star Laura MacMahon shone for Ross and scored 0-4 with Cáit Mennis and Fiona O’Callaghan also featuring prominently.

A battling display wasn’t enough to prevent defeat in Bantry Blues’ intermediate championship Group A opener away to Donoughmore. Little doubting the winner’s standout performer was multi All-Ireland winner Rena Buckley who contributed nine points of her side’s total. Former Cork senior Aisling Barrett also made her presence felt.

Bantry’s cause wasn’t helped by failing to score during a 20-minute second-half drought plus having two players sin-binned. Creditably, the Blues rallied during the latter stages but couldn’t prevent a 0-13 to 2-6 loss despite Amy Dineen (2-1), Rachel Murphy (0-4) and Cork senior Emma Spillane (0-1) getting on the scoresheet.

Those victories see Rosscarbery and Donoughmore sharing top spot in Group A after the first round of matches. Their upcoming meeting this week should be an occasion to savour in Ross. In Group B of the intermediate grade, Niamh McAllen racked up 5-4 as Glanmire overcame Araglen Desmond Buí. West Cork club Clonakilty are scheduled to face both of those teams in the coming weeks.

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Dohenys began life in the county junior A grade with a difficult match away to Douglas. Credit to Tony White’s side for producing a cracking performance and edging the city side 1-8 to 0-9 after a tough encounter.

Leading 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval, star forward Catriona Moloney scored the game’s only goal in a fixture Cork’s Melissa Duggan, Donna Hayes, Shauna Healy, Michelle Love and Katelyn Sheehan also impressed. In the same group, Valley Rovers registered a six-point win away to Naomh Abán.

O’Donovan Rossa and Castlehaven have been drawn in the same county junior B group and both teams made early statements of intent in the opening round of the championship. Skibbereen had seven points to spare in their 1-13 to 1-5 win away to Orlagh Farmer’s Midleton. Fionnuala O’Driscoll, Triona Murphy and Emer McCarthy scored some fine points and Kate O’Donovan added a goal during Rossa’s triumph.

Castlehaven completely overran Bishopstown by 5-13 to 1-5 on Sunday morning with Mairead O'Driscoll, Fiona O'Sullivan, Siobhan Courtney, Alice O'Driscoll and Rachel Whelton finding the net. Ellen Hurley, Maureen Keating, Rachel Leonard and Kate McCarthy played well in Tadhg MacCarthaigh’s high-scoring loss away to Mallow in the junior C championship.

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The West Cork U14 A LGFA championship got underway last weekend with Kinsale and Clonakilty playing out a thrilling 4-8 to 2-4 thriller in Dunderrow. Caoimhe Horgan and Catherine Murphy provided the bulk of Kinsale’s scores with Laura Daly, Deirdre O’Neill and Rachel Twomey finding their range for the visitors.

In the same competition, O’Donovan Rossa defeated local rivals Ilen Rovers. Bantry Blues edged Valley Rovers and Tadgh Mac Carthaigh overcame Dohenys in the U14 B championship.