Castletownbere 1-13

Macroom  1-13

BRENDAN KENNEALLY REPORTS

THE final whistle at Bantry in this McCarthy Insurance Group Premier IFC first-round group game between Castletownbere and Macroom was greeted by unusual silence.

Both sides were trying to decide if a division of the points was a positive or a negative outcome.

Overall, a draw was a fair result as coupled with the draw between Aghada and Kiskeam earlier in the day, it means that all four teams in the group go into the second round of games level with one point each.

Castletown and Macroom were meeting for the third year in a row with the Mid Cork men seeking to reverse both previous results. They got off to a grand start with Oisín O’Sullivan sending over a two-pointer in the first minute.

Castletownbere kicked three wides in reply before James Spencer had an opening point for the Beara men.

When Pa Lucey pointed a Macroom 45 in the eighth minute, Declan Dunne hit a point in reply, immediately matched by a score from Dylan Twomey for Macroom, who led by 0-4 to 0-2 after ten minutes.

Macroom suffered a setback when Mark Corrigan was issued a yellow card for a careless high challenge on Fintan Fenner. The latter pointed the resultant free.

Oisín O’Sullivan curled a high kick over the bar for Macroom, before goalkeeper Declan Kiely did well to save a James Spencer effort as Castletownbere began to show their threat in attack

Fintan Fenner, from a free, and Ultan Murphy, after a strong run, had points to level the score at 0-5 each at the end of the first quarter.

Macroom enjoyed a productive spell with points from Corrigan and Eolan O’Leary and a goal from O’Leary, fastest to react in a crowded goalmouth scramble in the 22nd minute. They now led 1-7 to 0-6, Declan Dunne having punched a Castletownbere point.

Fenner, who finished with 1-6 (1-5 from frees), took a fine point from play, before Don Creedon replied likewise for Macroom. Lee Kelly added a late point for Castletownbere to leave Macroom 1-8 to 0-8 in front at the break.

Castletown enjoyed a good start to the second half with an early point from a Fenner 45, followed immediately by a goal from a penalty – Fenner converting after a personal foul in the Macroom goalmouth. It meant Castletownbere led by a point after 35 minutes.

Back came Macroom with a super two-pointer from Tony Dineen, a point from a Pa Lucey free, matched by Fenner, and another super two-pointer, this one from Dylan Twomey giving Macroom a 1-13 to 1-10 lead at the three-quarter stage.

The final quarter saw Castletown on top as they reined in the Muskerry men.  Fintan Fenner pointed a free on 49, then Spencer cut the deficit to the minimum before, on 56 minutes, Declan Dunne kicked the equaliser.

The Castletownbere rally was blighted by a succession of costly wides, while Macroom, with far less of the ball, ruined their occasional forays forward with careless final passing and turnovers.

In the five minutes of additional time, each side had a chance of grabbing the winning score but neither took it. In the end, it was a stalemate.

In Round 2, Macroom meet Aghada on August 14th at Ovens, while Castletownbere play Kiskeam on August 16th in Inchigeela.

Scorers

Castletownbere: F Fenner 1-6 (1-0 pen, 4f, 1 45); D Dunne 0-3; J Spencer 0-2; U Murphy, L Kelly 0-1 each.

Macroom: E O’Leary 1-1; O O’Sullivan (2pt), D Twomey (2pt) 0-3 each; P Lucey (1f, 1 45), T Dineen (2pt) 0-2 each; M Corrigan, D Creedon 0-1 each.

Castletownbere: Gerard Healy; Danny Walsh, Jonathan Rosales Harrington, Billy Murphy; Michael Orpen, Trevor Collins, Daniel Hanley; Andrew O’Sullivan, Tomás Murphy; Ultan Murphy, Fintan Fenner, Jack Hanley; James Spencer, Declan Dunne, Lee Kelly.

Subs: Oisín Murphy for T Murphy (48), Seamus Harrington for L Kelly (48).

Macroom: Declan Kiely; Cormac Burke, Rory Buckley, Johnny Murphy; Alan Quinn, Mark Corrigan, Michael Cronin; Tony Dineen, Caleb Dinneen; Don Creedon, David Horgan, Eolan O’Leary; Oisín O’Sullivan, Dylan Twomey, Patrick Lucey.

Subs: Seán Kiely for D Horgan (49), Mark Condon for M Cronin (55).

Referee: Niall Hayes (Carbery Rangers).