The secret's out as Gore points Kilmacs to win

Kilmacabea 0-16

O'Donovan Rossa 1-6

KEVIN O'BRIEN REPORTS

DAMIEN Gore is ‘no secret' according to his manager Kevin O'Driscoll after the Kilmacabea young gun kicked 11 points on his junior championship debut last Saturday.

The 2016 and '17 Cork minor forward looked at home on this stage as he helped point the 2015 defeated finalists past O'Donovan Rossa in this Rowa/Rowex South West JAFC round three tie at Castlehaven.

‘There aren't many senior teams that have a full-forward line like they have. That will take them a long way in this championship,' admitted Skibb's Stevie Cotter afterwards, standing in for regular boss Ian Breen who was absent.

It was Skibb that got the ideal start when Shane O'Neill found the back of the net inside five minutes – but that devastating Leap full-forward line of Donnacha McCarthy, Richie O'Sullivan and Damien Gore then began to take over.

Kilmacabea were awarded a number of frees throughout the first half and Gore punished Skibb each time.

Skibbereen were finding it very difficult after a bright start and they were rocked by four scores from Gore without reply. They ended the Kilmac streak thanks to a well-worked Brian Crowley point. 

The last five minutes saw Kilmacabea start to pull away from O'Donovan Rossa, with Gore adding to his tally and an effort from Ciarán O'Donovan left them four points ahead of Skibb at half time, 0-9 to 1-2.

Leap had a big goal chance in that first half but Donnacha McCarthy's left-footed effort trickled wide of the far post.

‘We probably need to be more clinical in front of goal, there was a couple of goal chances that we should have taken to put us out of reach,' admitted Leap manager Kevin O'Driscoll afterwards.

The second half continued where it had left off, with Gore using both feet to send efforts between the posts but Skibb found their range in front of goal. Richie Fitzgerald pointed two frees and midfielder Jack Breen along with teammate Rob McCarthy got themselves on the scoresheet but that was as good as it got for O'Donovan Rossa.

‘In the end it was a dominant performance but Skibb made us work hard for every score,' said Kevin O'Driscoll, while Skibb's Stevie Cotter fancies Kilmac's chances of silverware this year.  

‘They are going to be there or thereabouts at the end.'

Scorers

Kilmacabea: Damien Gore 0-11 (8f), Richie O'Sullivan 0-2, Ciarán O'Donovan, Diarmuid O'Callaghan, Clive Sweetnam 0-01 each

O'Donovan Rossa: Shane O'Neill 1-0, Richie Fitzgerald 0-2, Eoin O'Donovan, Brian Crowley, Jack Breen, Rob McCarthy 0-01 each. 

Kilmacabea: Tim O'Donovan; Mark Jennings, Niall Hayes, Thomas Jennings; Ciarán O'Donovan, Clive Sweetnam, Declan O'Sullivan; Martin Collins, Joseph Collins; Timmy Nyhan, Donie O'Donovan, Sam O'Driscoll; Donnacha McCarthy, Richie O'Sullivan, Damien Gore. 

Subs: Oisin O'Sullivan for D O'Sullivan (40), Diarmuid O'Callaghan for T Nyhan (48), Liam Thompson for D O'Donovan (50), Eoin O'Sullivan for D McCarthy (58). 

O'Donovan Rossa: Paddy Rossiter; Eddie Nealon, Eoin Fitzgerald, Flor Crowley; Eoin O'Donovan, Stephen O'Brien, Dylan O'Donovan; Shane Crowley, Jack Breen; Eoin Hodnett, Jonathan Davis, Kevin Hurley; Shane O'Neill, Richie Fitzgerald, Brian Crowley.

Subs: Rob McCarthy for S O'Neill (ht), Jack Cowap for E O'Donovan (36), Jack O'Driscoll for J Davis (51), Shane O'Neill for S O'Brien (57). 

Referee: David Harmon.