Clonakilty 0-18

Randal Óg 0-18

TOM LYONS REPORTS

THIS entertaining RCM Tarmacadam junior A hurling championship game in Enniskeane wasn’t quite a shoot-out between the free-takers on both sides, Séadhna Crowley for Randals and Brian White for Clonakilty, but it wasn’t far off it.

Crowley converted 11 placed balls for his side, including two 65s, while White, with fewer opportunities, totalled six, including one 65.

The game remained goal-less mainly due to the heroics of both goalkeepers but also down to lack of penetration by both sides in front of goal.

With the slight breeze, Clon dominated much of the first half, running up a five-point lead at the break.

Clon forged six ahead early in the second half before Randals hit a purple patch to lash over six unanswered points in a row, levelling the game by the end of a hectic third quarter. It was blow for blow in the exciting closing quarter, Clon hitting the front on four occasions only for the Castle men to level on each occasion.

Crowley was responsible for four of the closing five points from placed balls and even though they never succeeded in taking the lead in those exciting closing stages, Randals more than deserved the draw for their fighting display in the second half.

Randal Óg's Cian O'Neill is pursued by Clonakilty's Eoin McCormack. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘We’re more than pleased with the draw, we’d certainly have taken it at half time,’ said legendary Randals’ mentor Ger Collins.

‘We struggled a bit in the first half but we were down seven players from last season, mostly due to injuries. We knew we were still in it starting the second half and then we got a good run of points to level it. It was anybody’s game in the last quarter and both goalies did very well.’

Clon opened the scoring with a point from Brian White but Randals answered with scores from Donncha Collins and Séadhna Crowley (free), the only time they led in the game.

With David Lowney dominating midfield and Brian White in great shooting form, Clon hit the front with a brace from each, all from play, while Ben Coffey and the hard-working Chris Kenneally also raised white flags. They were grateful to goalkeeper Eddie Morrissey for a great double save in the tenth minute. It was Clon in front, 0-7 to 0-2, at the end of a lively first quarter.

Just when it looked as if Randals might be swamped, they fought back. Four points from Crowley, with Clon limited to two, had the lead down to three. Clon upped the pace before the break to hit three points from White frees, but Randals had the last say from a Crowley free, 0-12 to 0-7 at the break.

Clonakilty's David Lowney looks to get the ball away under pressure from Randal Óg's Cathal Duggan. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Points from Chris Kenneally and White (free) sandwiching a Crowley free, seemed to indicate a continuation of Clon’s grip on the game starting the second half but such was not to be.

Six unanswered points from Crowley (two frees), Patrick Collins (two), Donncha Collins and wing back Pádraig Ó Súilleabháin had the game level, 0-14 each, at the end of an amazing third quarter.

It was Clon who now had to dig deep and with Mike Noonan, Eoin McCormack, Ciarán Crowley, Jack O’Mahony and sub Jack Byerley to the fore, they fought back. Four times in the last quarter they hit the front, but failed to build on it each time as Randals fought back to level on all four occasions, with Crowley hitting three from frees, the last in the 63rd minute, and Patrick Collins from play.

‘Happy with the first half, not so happy with the second,’ admitted Clonakilty mentor Brian Daly.

‘We were in control but let it slip midway through the second half. Being well ahead, we’d have been happy with a win but we haven’t been able to do much hurling in recent weeks because of the senior football. We only had about an hour’s hurling, now we have to get all the lads back, plan for the next game against Mathúna’s and get in more hurling practice.’

OUR STAR: Great display of shooting again by Brian White of Clonakilty but this time he was outscored by Randal Óg’s Séadhna Crowley with a superb display of free-taking, ten points, keeping them in the game in the first half, and then rescuing a draw with his late scores.

Scorers

Clonakilty: Brian White 0-9 (5f, 1 65); David Lowney 0-4; Chris Kenneally 0-3; Ben Coffey, Jack Byerley 0-1 each.

Randal Óg: Séadhna Crowley 0-12 (8f, 2 65); Donncha Collins 0-3; Patrick Collins 0-2; Pádraig Collins 0-1.

Clonakilty: Eddie Morrissey; Kieran Calnan, Mike Noonan, Cian O’Donovan; Eoin McCormack, Ciarán Crowley, Cillian White; Jack O’Mahony, David Lowney; Niall Barrett, Brian White, Chris Kenneally; Ben Coffey, Matt Murphy, Eoin Ryan.

Subs: Jack Byerley for E Ryan (44), Shane Deasy for K Calnan (44), James Campbell for C White (52), Oisín Hassett for N Barrett (56).

Randal Óg: Barry O’Sullivan; Padraig Duggan, Conor O’Connell, Cal Nyhan; Pádraig Ó Súilleabháin, Conor O’Neill, Thomas Kingston; Séamus Crowley, Cathal Duggan; Séadhna Crowley, Peter Collins, Cian O’Neill; Patrick Collins, Donncha Collins, Sam Kingston.

Referee: Michael O’Leary (Diarmuid Ó Mathúna).