Super sub Ben scores a late Colum's winner

St Colum’s 1-9                                 

Carbery Rangers 0-11

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

SUPER SUB Ben Murphy was St Colum’s hero at Castletownkenneigh when he scored a dramatic 64th-minute winning point.

It was the crucial score as Colum’s beat Carbery Rangers in this Rowa/Rowex Pharma South West JAFC round three tie.

When the Saints won a penalty with five minutes remaining, and Rangers a point to the good (0-10 to 1-6), it looked like a golden opportunity to close out the match. 

But Cormac O’Connor’s spot-kick flashed just wide of the target. 

Refusing to accept defeat, St Colum’s took the game by the scruff of the neck and a brace of points by the impressive Eoghan O’Sullivan and that winning score by Murphy finally put Rangers to the sword, despite a Cathal O’Rourke free in the 60th minute.

‘We started the game very nervously and showed a lot of respect to Carbery Rangers. They had a strong team and our plan was to reduce their scoring threat and stay in touch’, Colum’s manager Dan Hurley said.

‘Our second-half performance was much better and while the disappointment of the penalty miss was a blow, overall the lads turned in a marvellous last quarter.

‘Eoghan O’Sullivan who commutes regularly from England got better as the game progressed and struck some outstanding and vital points.’

Certainly, Carbery Rangers and their side containing plenty of youthful exuberance – four minors and eight U21s in the starting lineout – had by far the better of the opening half exchanges.

With ex-senior Kevin MacMahon and partner Stephen O’Donoghue calling the midfield shots and Cathal O’Rourke, John Hodnett and John O’Brien to the fore up front, they took a deserved 0-6 to 0-2 lead into the interval, points by Mark Ronan, O’Donoghue, O’Rourke, John O’Brien and John Hodnett collectively accounting for their tally.

Colum’s were living on crumbs, progressive to the final third, but despite the attempts of Wesley O’Connor, Michael Casey, Shane McSweeney, Eddie O’Sullivan, Cormac O’Connor and Eoghan O’Sullivan, they were unable to crack the Rangers defence where Anthony Roche and Stephen Murray played starring roles.

But it was a much-improved Saints that resumed and with JP O’Sullivan, Denis McSweeney and Tony Harrington to fore, the latter finally cracked Rangers’ defence in the 45th minute, ushering the ball past Ronan Milner in a crowded goalmouth after sub Ben Murphy had played a key role in the build-up. Just prior to this Rangers were numerically disadvantaged having a player sent off, but still the good money looked on them to progress until Colum’s last-quarter heroics spoiled the party.

Scorers

St Colum’s: Eoghan O’Sullivan 0-6 (1f), Tony Harrington 1-0, Ben Murphy, JP O’Sullivan, Cormac O’Connor 0-1 each.

Carbery Rangers: Cathal O’Rourke 0-5 (3f), John Hodnett 0-2 (1f), John O’Brien, Stephen Murray, Stephen O’Donoghue Mark Ronan 0-1 each.

St Colum’s: Michael Cronin; David O’Mahony, Sean Harrington, Pat Daly; Shane McSweeney, Damien Cronin, Michael Casey; Wesley O’Connor, Dermot Cronin; Tony Harrington, Eoghan O’Sullivan, Eddie O’Sullivan; Cormac O’Connor, JP O’Sullivan, Denis McSweeney.

Subs: Ben Murphy for Damien Cronin (43), Martin Hurley for JP O’Sullivan (59).

Carbery Rangers: Ronan Milner; Diarmuid Kerr, Mick O’Donovan, Anthony Roche; Cathal Keane, Cian Daly, Stephen Murray; Kevin MacMahon, Stephen Donoghue; Patrick Hurley, Cathal Hennessy John O’Brien; Mark Ronan, Cathal O’Rourke, John Hodnett.

Subs: John Hodnett for Cathal Hennessy (40), Peter Óg Hill for Mark Ronan (49), Brendan Kingston for Mick O’Donovan (62).