SPARTAK MOSSGROVE 6

MIZEN HOB 3

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

FOUR Jack Meade goals enabled Spartak Mossgrove to reach the West Cork League Championship Cup quarter-finals following a 6-3 victory over Mizen Hob in Castletownkenneigh.

Two clubs struggling at the wrong end of the table put their league woes to one side on Friday as they battled for the right to face Castlelack in the last eight of the second tier’s cup competition.

Fielding a strong starting team, the home side, having been without their GAA contingent for most of the season, were eager to get going, yet it was their opponents who struck first, opening the scoring on four minutes.

In their first serious attack, Ryan O’Neill gained possession in Spartak’s penalty area and, with his back to goal, instantly turned and curled a delicious effort into the top corner.

Following a disjointed start, Mossgrove settled and began to test the visiting back four. The revival was rewarded with an equaliser on the quarter-hour. After Jack Meade’s goal-bound attempt was tipped on to a post and behind by a diving Ronan Kennedy, Daniel Twomey fired an acrobatic volley over his shoulder and into the net from the resultant corner.

Mizen Hob re-took the lead after 31 minutes, however. Tadhg Cullinane was denied by a superb Eoin McSweeney stop but Mossgrove’s inability to clear the danger saw Padraig Reidy’s cross slid home by James Scully.

A threat from set-pieces throughout, Spartak made it 2-2 when Jack Meade headed in Aaron O’Reilly’s free kick to send the teams in level at the break.

It was one-way traffic for much of the third quarter as Spartak continued to dominate territory and possession, but they couldn’t find a way past Mizen 'keeper Ronan Kennedy.

But the pressure finally told on 57 minutes, Meade netting his second goal from a tight angle.

There was a flurry of goals amid a frantic conclusion to the game. Eddie Kenneally looked to have made sure of Spartak’s win with a late goal but Mizen refused to give up, with Ryan McSweeney’s long-range strike making it 4-3.

Pushing everybody forward, the Hob were caught out by a last-minute breakaway in which Jack Meade completed his hat trick, and there was time for Meade to net his fourth in injury time to seal a 6-3 victory.

Spartak Mossgrove: Eoin McSweeney, James Curran, Daniel Twomey, Micheal McSweeney (captain), James Kelleher, Colm O’Donovan, James O’Sullivan, Richard Bradfield, Jack Meade, Eddie Kenneally, Aaron O’Driscoll.

Substitutes: Daragh McSweeney, Mark O’Driscoll, Cormac O’Sullivan.

Mizen Hob: Ronan Kennedy, Daniel O’Callaghan, Tom Ryan Purcell, Shane O’Sullivan, Keith O’Sullivan (captain), Tadhg Cullinane, Padraig Reidy, Ryan O’Neill, Michael O’Reilly, Jamie O’Brien, James Scully.

Substitutes: Jayden Spiegel, Ryan McSweeney, Liam Dearle, Christopher Kennedy, Mark O’Reilly, Jimmy O’Regan.

Referee: Paul McDermott.