Ó Duinnín points winning score for Cill na Martra

Cill na Martra 2-9   

Knocknagree 1-11

B KENNEALLY REPORTS

CILL na Martra scored the last three points of a thriller to snatch victory in the Tom Creedon Cup final in Macroom.

Cill na Martra won the intermediate championship last year and are one of the fancied sides to take the premier intermediate crown, while Knocknagree harbour ambitions of succeeding the Gaeltacht men as intermediate champions.  

The Muskerry men lined out without Tadgh Ó Corcora who was drafted into the Cork panel for the Super 8s clash with Dublin, and due to holidays they were also short at least four others considered regular starters. Knocknagree were also not at full strength, their Cork panellist Eoghan McSweeney a notable absentee.

Cill na Martra opened the scoring with a smashing goal from Damien Ó hUrdail in the seventh minute. In truth they could have had more goals at this stage, only the crossbar denying Dan Ó Duinnín on one occasion.  

Denis O’Connor pointed for Knocknagree in the ninth minute and then their scorer-in-chief Anthony O’Connor pointed two frees to level matters.  

Points were exchanged, Ó hUrdail and O’Connor, before the later put the Duhallow men in front in the 20th minute. Another O’Connor point was matched by one from Maidhcí Ó Duinnin and when Denis O’Connor kicked his second point in the 26th minute, Shane Ó Duinnín replied from a late free for Cill na Martra to leave the minimum still between the teams at the break, Knocknagree 0-7 to 1-3 for the Gaeltacht men.

Cill na Martra were level within three minutes of the resumption, Daniel Ó Duinnín the point scorer. The Muskerry men were shocked five minutes later when John F Daly and Anthony O’Connor combined to leave Geróid Looney with the pleasant task of palming the final cross to the net. O’Connor pointed another free to put his side four points clear and it looked as if the game could slip away from the Cill na Martra side.  

The game took a dramatic turn in the 42nd minute when an ill-advised pass infield from a Knocknagree defender to his goalkeeper was intercepted by an alert Shane Ó Duinnín, who ran on to slam the ball to the unguarded net. When namesake Daniel added a point, suddenly the teams were level.  

Fintan O’Connor then kicked Knocknagree in front and Anthony O’Connor doubled their advantage in the 47th minute, 1-10 to 2-5.  

Two Daniel Ó Duinnín points sandwiched a Fintan O’Connor scored as Knocknagree led by one heading into five minutes of injuey time. Ó Duinnín, Graham Ó Mocháin and former Cork hero Nollaig Ó Laoire were outstanding for the Gaeltacht men who scored two more points in injury time to clinch the win.

Damien Ó hUrdail pointed a tricky enough free to bring his side level. From the kick out Nollaig Ó Laoire won possession and parted to team captain Shane Ó Duinnín. He advanced at speed and shot the ball over the Knocknagree crossbar for what proved to be the winning point after a wonderful game of football.     

Scorers

Cill na Martra: D Ó hUrdail 1-2 (2f), S Ó Duinnín 1-2 (1f), D Ó Duinnín 0-4 (1f), M Ó Duinnín 0-1.   

Knocknagree: A O’Connor 0-7 (3f), G Looney 1-0, D O’Connor 0-2, F O’Connor 0-2.

Cill na Martra: Antóin Ó Conaill; Daire MacLochlainn, Graham Ó Mocháin, Eoin Ó Loinsigh; Seánie Ó Foirréidh, Nollaig Ó Laoire, Colm Ó Laoire; Finéin Ó Faoláin, Seán Ó Céilleachair; Máirtín Ó Conchuir, Maidhcí Ó Duinnín, Damien Ó hUrdail; Ciarán Ó Duinnín, Daniel Ó Duinnín, Shane Ó Duinnín.  

Subs: Liam Ó Loinsigh for C Ó Duinnín (40), Dean MacCarthaigh for M Ó Duinnín (43).

Knocknagree: Pa Doyle; Andrew Sheehan, Sean Daly, Gary O’Connor; Daniel O’Mahony, Killian Buckley, Karl Daly; Danny Cooper, Donagh Moynihan; James Dennehy, Daniel O’Connor, Gearóid Looney; Denis O’Connor, John F Daly, Anthony O’Connor. 

Subs: M Doyle for S Daly (inj, 15), Fintan O’Connor for D O’Connor (bc, 43), M Dilworth for D O’Mahony.

Referee: David Murnane (Macroom).    

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