BALLINCOLLIG 1-15

DUHALLOW 2-11

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

BALLINCOLLIG will face St Finbarr’s in the last four of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Premier SFC following a thrilling victory over Duhallow at Páirc Uí Rinn.

‘I think we deserved it, I'll be honest with you,’ Ballincollig manager Podsie O’Mahony stated.

‘You have to credit Duhallow as a lot of those guys played yesterday. When they put on the Duhallow jersey, they are different players altogether.

‘Our younger players were really good. It was a really good win but this is where we expect ourselves to be at this stage of the year.’

Ballincollig got off to a positive start courtesy of two early points. Seán Kiely and Darragh O’Mahony split the posts, but Duhallow did not have to wait long to reply.

Luke Murphy reacted quickest to a long-range effort that came back off the post and netted an opportunistic goal.

Luke Fahy replied but Ballincollig’s porous defence was exposed for a second time as a swift hand-passing move ended with Adrian Carroll forcing the ball over the goal-line.

Peter O’Neill scored but it was Duhallow who enjoyed a 2-1 to 0-4 lead once Luke Murphy fired over after ten frantic minutes.

Liam O’Connell further reduced the deficit but their divisional opponents had an answer as Conor O’Callaghan strode forward to make it a three-point game.

The game’s first two-pointer was delivered by Donncha O’Connor, making his 90th championship appearance, as Duhallow stretched their advantage. Ballincollig’s attempts to draw level floundered due to poor shooting and Luke Murphy punished their profligacy, taking his total to 1-2 for the half.

Podsie O’Mahony’s side finished on the front foot however, with Peter O’Neill, Darragh O’Mahony and Ben O’Connell raising consecutive white flags.

There was still time for Jack Curtin to respond and send Duhallow in 2-6 to 0-8 ahead at the short whistle.

Dave O’Leary had a goal attempt blocked just before the break but the scores kept coming as the latter and Donncha O’Connor exchanged points.

Another turning point occurred after 37 minutes when Darragh O’Mahony dispatched a penalty to make it 2-7 to 1-9.

Liam O’Connell’s left-footed effort levelled matters with 20 minutes to go. It wasn’t long before Dave O’Leary flicked a long delivery over the bar to edge the Village ahead.

A converted Donncha O’Connor free brought parity to the score once again. Not to be outdone, O’Leary kicked another excellent point to edge Ballincollig a point ahead with less than quarter of an hour remaining.

Undeterred, their opponents replied via David O’Connor and a close-range Luke Murphy free to make it 2-10 to 1-12.

The divisional side enjoyed a dominant spell and a flowing move concluded with a fisted David O’Connor point.

Seán Kiely watched a two-point free attempt hit a post, and the same player struck the upright for a second time after Ballincollig had gathered the rebound. Unbelievably, Dara Dorgan hit the same post from another free before fisting over and leaving a point in it as the clock reached 60 minutes.

Injury time proved a tense affair but it was Ballincollig who drew first blood as Seán O’Neill made it 2-11 to 1-14. 

The loss of Peter O’Neill to a black card proved a temporary blow for the Mid-Cork team. Extra-time loomed until another substitute, Tadhg O’Connell, raced clear and fisted over what proved to be the winning score.

Scorers

Ballincollig: D O’Mahony 1-2 (1-0 pen), D O’Leary 0-3, P O’Neill, L O’Connell 0-2 each, L Fahy, B O’Connell, S Kiely, T O’Connell, D Dorgan, S O’Neill 0-1 each.

Duhallow: L Murphy 1-3 (1f), D O’Connor 0-4 (1 2pt, 2f), A Carroll 1-0, David O’Connor 0-2, J Curtin, C O’Callaghan 0-1 each.

Ballincollig: J Gibbons; S Murphy, L Jennings, JP Murphy; L Fahy (captain), D Desmond, F Down; S Dore, P O’Neill; B O’Connell, L O’Connell, S Kiely; H Ahearne, D O’Mahony, C Dorgan.

Subs: D O’Leary for S Murphy (13, inj), S O’Neill for C Dorgan (35), D Dorgan for H Ahearne (51), T O’Connell for D O’Mahony (57).

Duhallow: F O’Connor (Cullen); K Crowley (Millstreet), S Meehan (Kiskeam), D Cashman (Millstreet); G O’Sullivan (Boherbue), K Cremin (Boherbue), C Curtin (Rockchapel); S Hickey (Rockchapel), A Carroll (Kiskeam); D Buckley (Boherbue), L Moynihan (Boherbue), C O’Callaghan (joint-captain, Dromtarriffe); Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond), J Curtin (Rockchapel), L Murphy (Cullen).

Subs: David O’Connor (Boherbue) for J Curtin (51), S O’Sullivan (Kiskeam) for G O’Sullivan (58), C Walsh (Cullen) for A Carroll (61).

Referee: A Long (Argideen Rangers).