Carbery 2-23

Muskerry 2-15

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

AS in the semi-final, Carbery never fell behind in the divisions/colleges premier senior football championship decider at Páirc Uí Rinn.

In contrast to the semi-final when they needed a late point to edge out Duhallow, the south-west side didn’t endure any real anxiety in the closing stages this time, as their eight-point winning margin over Muskerry on Friday suggests.

Not that the Mid Cork men failed to make a decent fight of it, but Carbery showed a facility to respond tellingly any time their advantage was seriously threatened over the course of a free-flowing and highly entertaining encounter.

Carbery manager Gene O’Donovan admitted he always felt confident there’d be a favourable outcome after they snatched the initiative from the outset.

Carbery's Liam Hourihane (St Colum's) moves upfield as Muskerry's Seán O'Riordaín gives chase. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

‘I was never worried at any stage. Hand on heart, I normally wouldn’t say that, but these guys showed they’re a resilient bunch when pulling the game out of the fire against Duhallow,’ O’Donovan said.

‘We learned a lot from the last day, I think we had a stronger bench tonight as well, so I always felt we’d be able to see the game out well.’

In terms of what the rest of the season might have in store for Carbery, the O’Donovan Rossa clubman was reluctant to make any bold predictions regarding their prospects.

‘Our next game is a preliminary quarter-final against UCC, but the club championships are going to take a lot out of these fellas before that.

‘Some of them are dualling with their clubs as well, but we’ll just have to take it as it comes. Fingers crossed, we’ll be able to build on the progress we’ve made so far,’ O’Donovan remarked.

Carbery hit the ground running against Muskerry, thanks to a brace of two-pointers, one from a free, by Ryan O’Donovan and another from Damien Gore inside 11 minutes.

They were 0-6 to 0-1 to the good before Muskerry got their act together, undoing much of Carbery’s early good work with a goal from Sean O’Hanlon, following a defence-splitting run by wing-back Alan Quinn, in the 20th minute.

That made it 0-6 to 1-3, but Carbery, making light of the setback, quickly regained control – an Aaron Hayes goal, following an opening created by Ruairí Deane, putting them firmly back in the driving seat with 25 minutes gone.

It was 1-13 to 1-7 at half-time.

Carbery captain Damien Gore holds the Derry Gowen Cup aloft. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

Carbery continued to hold the whip-hand during the third quarter. It seemed as if they were ready to coast home after Ruairí Deane, taking a return pass from Olan O’Donovan, goaled in the 43rd minute.

Credit to Muskerry, they hit back almost immediately, with a goal from Ian Jones making it 2-16 to 2-10, but they were unable to make further inroads on the deficit.

A return of 2-23 is testimony to the firepower Carbery brought to the table, with the input from Ryan O’Donovan, Damien Gore, Olan Corcoran and the evergreen Deane up front instrumental in paving the way for the win.

Midfielder Aaron Hayes, and defenders Peter Collins and Liam Hourihane, who capped an energetic corner-back display with a well-taken point near the end, were others to contribute generously to a convincing team display.

Numbered among Muskerry’s leading lights were Alan Quinn, Sean O’Hanlon, Liam Ryan, Cillian Donovan and second-half substitute Jack Kelleher.

Scorers

Carbery: R O’Donovan 0-8 (2pt, 2ptf, 1f); O Corcoran 0-5; A Hayes 1-1; D Gore 0-4 (2pt); R Deane 1-0; L Shorten 0-2; O O’Donovan, K O’Driscoll, L Hourihane 0-1 each.

Muskerry: S O’Hanlon 1-2; L Twohig 0-5 (2f); I Jones 1-0; L O’Connor, E O’Leary, J Kelleher 0-2 each; S Dornan, C O’Donovan 0-1 each.

Carbery: D O’Sullivan (Ilen Rovers); L Hourihane (St Colum’s), P Collins (Randal Óg), J Collins (Ilen Rovers); O Harrington (Kilmeen), M Sheehan (Goleen), C O’Brien (Kilmeen); A Hayes (St James), C O’Neill (Randal Óg); K O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers), R Deane (Bantry Blues), O Corcoran (St Mary’s); R O’Donovan (Barryroe), D Gore (Kilmacabea), O O’Donovan (Barryroe).

Subs: S Daly (Randal Óg) for K O’Driscoll (ht), L Shorten (Tadgh MacCarthaigh) for Harrington (36), R O’Driscoll (St Oliver Plunkett’s) for O O’Donovan (54), T Cronin (St Colum’s) for O’Brien (62).

Muskerry: G Ó Luasa (Naomh Abán); R Sabas (Macroom), W Ronan (Kilmurry), L Ryan (Inniscarra); A Quinn (Macroom), M Corrigan (Macroom), C Dodd (Canovee); C Donovan (Macroom), S Dornan (Inniscarra); M O’Brien (Ballinora), I Jones (Uibh Laoire), S O’Hanlon (Donoughmore); L O’Connor (Inniscarra), E O’Leary (Macroom), L Twohig (Aghinagh).

Subs: J Kelleher (Canovee) for O’Brien (ht), S O’Riordain (Naomh Abán) for Sabas (ht), D Holland (Donoughmore) for Dodd (42), D Morrissey (Donoughmore) for Donovan (56).

Referee: P O’Driscoll (Bride Rovers).