Carbery 3-18

Duhallow 1-23

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

THEY looked home and hosed with five minutes remaining, but Carbery had to to rely on an injury-time point from Olan Corcoran to come out on top in a remarkable divisional/colleges seeded premier senior football championship semi-final clash with Duhallow at Páirc Uí Rinn on Tuesday evening.

As was readily acknowledged by Carbery mentor John Dineen, relief was their overriding emotion at the end of a contest in which the South West men never fell behind at any stage.

‘We nearly left it after us, but I’d be very pleased with the overall performance from what’s a very young Carbery team,’ he said.

‘I was delighted with the direct football we played, and everything appeared to be going according to plan until Duhallow came back at us strongly near the end.

‘I wouldn’t have expected anything else from them, to be honest, because they have a great tradition in this competition.’

Carbery's Damien Gore kicks a point against Duhallow. (Photo: George Hatchell)

Looking ahead, Dineen is hopeful Carbery can build on this win.

‘We have a few other lads away on holidays to come back into the squad, so I think we’ll give it a good lash in the final.

‘We got very late information about this fixture, it was only yesterday morning (Monday) I got an email that it was going ahead, and I had to ring every one of the players to see if they’d be available.

‘I think the way the whole thing was handled was absolutely atrocious,’ he blasted.

Back by a strong wind, Carbery, with Ruairi Deane hugely influential at midfield, dictated matters for most of the first-half.

Ryan O’Donovan and especially Damien Gore were to the fore up front as they landed some excellent scores to lead by ten points as the first half drew to a close.

A flurry of Duhallow scores in stoppage time made it 0-13  to 0-6 at the interval. In view of the strength of the wind, Carbery’s position was far from secure heading into the second half.

They quickly showed they were in no mood to relinquish the initiative, with Deane remaining a major driving force at midfield, and Aaron Hayes also making some probing runs from centre-back.

Carbery's Killian O'Brien looks at his options as Duhallow's Donncha O'Connor watches on. (Photo: George Hatchell)

They were 1-16 to 0-7 to the good after Olan O’Donovan, fed by Ryan O’Donovan, goaled in the 40th minute, and one could be forgiven for thinking Duhallow were ready to be counted out at that juncture.

To their credit, the north-Cork men refused to give up the ghost, even after Olan O’Donovan bagged another goal for Carbery, pouncing to score after Aaron Hayes initially brought the best out of Duhallow goalkeeper Fachtna O’Connor in the 48th minute.

That put 11 points between the teams, and it seemed as if the deal was finally done and dusted after the irrepressible Ruairi Deane raised a third green flag for Carbery to make it 3-16 to 0-16 in the 55th minute.

Inspired primarily by the outstanding Luke Murphy and the ageless Donncha O’Connor up front, Duhallow made a gallant bid to pull the game out of the fire in as dramatic a conclusion as one could wish to see.

They looked the more likely side to prevail after an O’Connor two-pointer brought them back on terms, but Carbery lifted the siege with time almost up, and Olan Corcoran got on the end of a slick raid to fist over the decisive score.

Numbered among the chief architects of Carbery’s triumph was Damien O’Sullivan, who always inspired confidence between the sticks and brought off a couple of superb saves in the second half.

Scorers 

Carbery: D Gore 0-9 (3 2pt); O O’Donovan 2-2; R O’Donovan 0-4 (1 2pt); R Deane 1-0; O Cororan 0-2; L Hourihane 0-1.

Duhallow: L Murphy 1-12 (4f, 2 2pf); D O’Connor 0-8 (3 2pt); K Crowley, S Hickey, H Linehan 0-1 each.

Carbery: D O’Sullivan (Ilen Rovers); L Hourihane (St Colum’s), P Collins (Randal Óg), J Collins (Ilen Rovers); K O’Brien (Randal Óg), A Hayes (St James), T Cronin (St Colum’s); R Deane (Bantry Blues), M Sheehan (Goleen); S Connolly (Ilen Rovers), C O’Neill (Randal Óg) O Corocroan (St Mary’s); R O’Donovan (Barryroe), D Gore (Kilmacabea), O O’Donovan (Barryroe).

Subs: R O’Mahony (Bantry Blues) for Connolly (inj, 24), L Shorten (Tadhg MacCarthaigh) for O’Donovan (58).

Duhallow: F O’Connor (Cullen); S Curtin (Rockchapel), K Cremin (Boherbue), D Buckley (do.); C Murphy (Castlemagner), K Crowley (Millstreet), C Curtin (Rockchapel); C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), P O’Callaghan (Kiskeam); G O’Sullivan (Boherbue), S Hickey (Rockchapel), D O’Connor (Ballydesmond), L Murphy (Cullen), J Curtin (Rockchapel).

Subs: S Hickey (Millstreet) for Crowley (40), H Linehan (do.) for C O’Callaghan (injured) (46), B O’Carroll (Rockchapel) for P O’Callaghan (51).

Referee: Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers).