O'Donovan Rossa 4-10

Kinsale 2-5

MAIRÉAD COURTNEY REPORTS

PLAYING conditions were perfect in Rossa Park as the home team produced an outstanding second-half display to earn their place in the Cork LGFA Senior B final.

Much like their performances against St Val's and Castlehaven in the group stages of the competition, Skibbereen dominated proceeding after the interval and will now face off against 2023 Intermediate All-Ireland champions Glanmire next Sunday in MTU.

A cracking first half had the teams all square at the short whistle. O’Donovan Rossa were first to make a mark on the scoreboard through a Fionnuala O’Driscoll point but it was Kinsale who looked livelier in the opening exchanges. They came roaring into the game, with Geraldine Tyner on the end of a slick hand-passing move to bury the ball in the back of the Skibbereen net with only 90 seconds on the clock.

A minute later they were through on goal again as their forward unit found gaps all over a restructured Skibbereen defence that was without Aoife Whooley and Michelle Donnelan. This time, Skibb netminder Tara O’Regan was on hand to block Jenny Murphy’s shot. Tyner kicked over a point for Kinsale before O’Regan was needed again to make another important save.

It was end-to-end stuff for the opening 15 minutes. Éabha O’Donovan pointed for Skibb before a wayward shot dropped short across the square to O’Driscoll, who made no mistake in firing it to the roof of the Kinsale net.

Kinsale, playing some excellent kick-passing, had another goal as Caoimhe Horgan’s shot for a point dropped in under the Skibb crossbar. Tyner added another point for Kinsale in the 15th minute but Skibb finished the half stronger. Points from O’Donovan, Mallaidh O’Neill and Laura O’Mahony brought the half to a close with the teams level (1-5 to 2-2).

A 24-minute spell in the second half where Skibb scored 2-5 without reply was the difference between the teams. Kate Redmond along Caoimhe and Maisie O’Callaghan battled hard throughout for the visitors but they were faced with a swarming Skibb, who crowded out the centre of defence and allowed them little space within scoring areas.

Kinsale started the second half brightly with a point from a very tight angle from the excellent Horgan straight from the throw-in. They could have added a goal shortly after but for a breath-taking goal-line save by Skibb full-back Allie Tobin.

From here until the 55th minute they would be held scoreless as the Éabha O’Donovan-led Skibb attack pulled away. An excellent Gráinne Cowhig save kept Kinsale in the game but in the 40th minute O’Driscoll was on hand again at the edge of the square to get the ball over the line for her side's second goal.

Four points for O’Donovan and one for Orla McCarthy had Skibb cruising. The score of the day coming in the 43rd minute as O’Donovan won the Kinsale kick-out and confidently chipped the retreating Cowhig for Skibb’s third goal.

There were two more points for Kinsale from Horgan’s boot in the closing minutes of the game, but it wasn’t going to be enough to close the gap. A last-minute goal for substitute Ellen Healy was the icing on the cake for James O’Donovan’s squad as they head for the final, where they will fancy their chances of winning the Senior B title in their first season at this level.

Scorers

O’Donovan Rossa: É O Donovan 1-6, F O’Driscoll 2-1, E Healy 1-0, L O’Mahony 0-1, M O’Neill 0-1, O McCarthy 0-1.

Kinsale: C Horgan 1-3, G Tyner 1-2.

O’Donovan Rossa: T O’Regan; F Leonard, A Tobin, E Fitzgerald; T Murphy, S Hurley, E McCarthy; L O’Mahony (captain), M O’Neill; S Farrell, O McCarthy, A O’Driscoll; É O Donovan, K O’ Donovan, F O’Driscoll.

Subs: E Healy for F O’ Driscoll (48), E O’ Donovan for A O’ Driscoll (56).

Kinsale: G Cowhig; A Casey, D Tyner, A Kelleher; C O’ Donnell, C O’ Callaghan, N Buckley; M O’Callaghan, K Redmond; C Horgan, J Murphy, C Murphy; A McCarthy, G Tyner, A Ni Cuaincigh.

Sub: L Copithorne for A McCarthy (27).