Ogie the hero as Kilmeen advance

Impressive: Kilmeen’s James Clancy was one of his side’s top performers in their extra-time win against Tadhg MacCarthaigh on Friday night.

Kilmeen 1-12

Tadhg MacCarthaigh 1-11 (aet)

COIS FARRAIGE REPORTS

KILMEEN wing back Ogie Scannell emerged as his side’s hero in their dramatic extra-time South West U21 B football championship quarter-final win against Tadhg MacCarthaigh under lights in Clonakilty on Friday evening.

Caheragh, who only had a panel of 17 for this game, actually led for most of the 80 minutes and were within inches of grabbing a well-deserved draw in the 80th minute only to see Brian O’Driscoll’s difficult free drifting just outside the post.

County player O’Driscoll emerged as man of the match, with 1-8 to his credit from midfield, some of his points being prodigious efforts, while Kilmeen had their hero in Damien O’Gorman, whose work rate up front for the winners was commendable as he kicked five points.

But it was Ogie Scannell, who had kicked a vital point at the end of ordinary time, who surged forward in the 80th minute to kick a fine winning point for Kilmeen, the only score of the second period of extra time. Then came O’Driscoll’s last-gasp unlucky free and it was all over.

A strong breeze dominated play, although both sides fared very well against it, and it was MacCarthaigh who grabbed the initiative with the wind, after the sides had been level twice in the opening ten minutes. Lively Darren Santry and James Clancy (free) scored for Kilmeen, with the O’Driscoll cousins, Brian (free) and Mark, replied for Caheragh.

The vital score of the half came in the 12th minute, a goal that will surely vie for goal-of-the-season when Brian O’Driscoll ripped open the Kilmeen defence on a searing 50-metre solo run and rifled a bullet to the net.

An O’Driscoll free stretched the lead to four before Finian Deasy had Kilmeen’s first point in 15 minutes. When Denis O’Sullivan and Brian O’Driscoll kicked two fine points for Caheragh to open a five-point gap, Kilmeen were struggling and a big surprise looked on the cards. The half ended with a vital point from Damien O’Gorman (free), as Caheragh led by 1-5 to 0-4 at the break.

With the wind Kilmeen quickly set about reducing the lead in the second half and points from Joseph O’Donovan, Shane O’Donovan and O’Gorman cut the lead to a single point, 1-5 to 0-7, by the 42nd minute.

Caheragh rallied in the last quarter and it was tit-for-tat as the game became a shoot-out between O’Driscoll and O’Gorman, swapping points and level twice by the 50th minute.

As the game seemed headed for a draw, it was Scannell, in the 61st minute, who almost pulled it off for his side when he kicked a spectacular point, their first time to lead since the second minute.

Gallant Caheragh weren’t to be denied, and in the 65th minute O’Driscoll converted a difficult free into the strong wind to salvage a well-deserved draw for his side, 1-8 to 0-11.

Twenty extra minutes were necessary then and, with the wind, Caheragh had two quick points from O’Driscoll frees but Kilmeen struck a vital blow when Joseph O’Donovan rifled to the net, the goal they had been threatening all day. Again Caheragh lifted themselves and an O’Driscoll free tied it up again at half time in extra time, 1-11 each.

Two tired teams faced the closing ten minutes and scores were at a premium until Ogie Scannell raided forward to kick an opportunist point that was to prove the winning of the game, 1-12 to 1-11.

Others to shine for Kilmeen were Joseph O’Donovan, James Clancy, Shane O’Donovan and Darren Santry, while Mícheál O’Donovan, Mark O’Driscoll, Kieran Daly and Brett Cleary did well for Caheragh.

Scorers

Kilmeen: Damien O’Gorman (3f) 0-5, Joseph O’Donovan 1-1, Ogie Scannell 0-2, Finian Deasy, Darren Santry, Shane O’Donovan, James Clancy (1f) 0-1 each.

Tadhg MacCárthaigh: Brian O’Driscoll (5f) 1-8, Micheál O’Donovan, Mark O’Driscoll, Denis O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Kilmeen: William Tyner; Sean Deasy, Liam O’Brien, Brian Keohane; Ogie Scannell, Jonathan Deasy, Kevin Keohane; Liam Daly, Shane Scannell; Cian McCarthy, James Clancy, Finian Deasy; Damien O’Gorman, Darren Santry, Joseph O’Donovan.

Subs used: Shane O’Donovan, Aidan O’Shea, Finian Deasy.

Tadhg MacCarthaigh: Brett Cleary; Gavin Barnett, Dan McCarthy, Tom Daly; Conor Hickey, Daniel Kingston, Sean McCarthy; Micheál O’Donovan, Brian O’Driscoll; Gavin O’Neill, Mark O’Driscoll, Brendan Crowley; Kieran Daly, Gavin Gilman-Burke, Denis O’Sullivan.

Subs used: Stephen Keane, Sean Cronin.

Referee: David Whyte (St Mary’s).