Clonakilty 1-14

O’Donovan Rossa 1-11

MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS

FRESH from helping Cork win the All-Ireland minor football title, Tom Whooley inspired Clonakilty to victory against O’Donovan Rossa in the Clóna Milk Carbery U21A football quarter-final in Rosscarbery.

Whooley caught the eye with a seven-point haul, all from play, while his inter-county team-mate Fionn O’Donovan kicked the insurance score from wing back that ensured Clon marched into the last four.

‘We all know how good Tom is. He’s been showing what he can do in any sport – soccer, football, whatever he plays he’s excellent. He has a serious turn of pace,’ Clon boss Thomas Clancy told The Southern Star.

‘At the end, Fionn kicked an unbelievable score – probably one of the scores of the night. It’s great to have the two of them involved.’

Clonakilty could also call upon Darragh Gough, Aaron Cullinane and Dylan Harrington, all of whom have played for Cork at underage.

Clancy’s team recorded ten first-half wides but their shooting improved in the second period, converting seven from 13 attempts. This is a good Clon side but Clancy and his management team have encountered challenges.

‘When we took on this job, we knew we had a good bunch of players. It’s a difficult grade to get them out. We have only done two or three training sessions together. But they are all playing football there, whether it be senior, junior, minor. Getting a win in the first round of the championship is hopefully going to stand to us,’ Clancy added.

O’Donovan Rossa’s Dylan Hourihane (two) and Clon duo Cullinane and Whooley traded scores after seven minutes before Whooley started to fire with two scores in a row.

Éanna Deasy pointed before the water break to leave it 0-5 to 0-2. Whooley (two) and Des Kenneally stretched Clon’s lead to 0-8 to 0-2 on 24 minutes but Skibb roared back into the contest when the impressive Luca Harte goaled.

Rossa had their own Cork minor in action through Kevin O’Donovan and he made it 0-8 to 1-3 at the break with Clon against the elements for the final 30 minutes.

‘There was a very strong wind. We were a bit worried about that. We knew that the second half had to be more of a running game. The two-point shots weren’t on in the second half,’ Clancy explained.

‘We told them at half-time that they had to run the ball hard. We have a lot of good runners and they used their football brains a bit more in the second half. They didn’t make rash decisions. Overall, we are delighted with the second half.’

Early in the half, Jason Collins pointed for Rossas, but Whooley and Gough hit back for Clon.

Skibb hit a purple patch and reeled off four points in succession to lead 1-8 to 0-10 after 43 minutes – Kevin O’Donovan hit three while Cian O’Brien scored the other.

But their advantage was short-lived, as Clon’s Des Kenneally made a surging run before burying the ball beyond Dylan Heaton-Jones.

From there, Clon controlled the game, as Gough, Kenneally, Whooley and Fionn O’Donovan kept chipping away. A brilliant two-pointer free from Skibb’s Kevin O’Donovan proved to be in vain.

‘We knew coming into it, it was going to be very tough. It was. There was nothing between the two teams,’ Clancy said.

‘Our lads showed great heart during the second half. They never gave up. In fairness to Skibb, they kept coming back. It wasn’t good for the heart but we are delighted to get the win.’

OUR STAR: Lots of nominees here, including Clonakilty link player Des Kenneally and Skibb midfield warrior Luca Harte, but 0-7 from play was a sensational return for Cork minor star Tom Whooley.

Scorers

Clonakilty: Tom Whooley 0-7; Des Kenneally 1-2; Darragh Gough 0-2 (1f); Aaron Cullinane, Eanna Deasy, Fionn O’Donovan 0-1.

O’Donovan Rossa: Kevin O’Donovan 0-7 (1 2ptf, 1f); Luca Harte 1-0; Dylan Hourihane 0-2; Jason Collins, Cian O’Brien 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: Cillian White; Oran Blackburn, Seán Coffey, Shane O’Regan; Aaron Cullinane, Dylan Harrington, Fionn O’Donovan; Matt Murphy, David Harte; Des Kenneally, Darragh Gough (captain), Éanna Deasy; Cal O’Mahony, Tom Whooley, Mattie Lyons.

Subs: Jack Byerley for C O’Mahony (37); James Costello for M Murphy (42); Louis Kelleher for O Blackburn (54); Ciarán Coakley for M Lyons (57); Dan O’Donovan for D Kenneally (60).

O’Donovan Rossa: Dylan Heaton-Jones; Neil McCarthy, James Goulding, Alan Daly; Matthew Murphy, Frank Hurley, Sean McCarthy; Luca Harte (captain), Fionn Coombes; Olan Hurley, Dylan Hourihane, Odhran Herlihy; Kevin O’Donovan, Jason Collins, Cian O’Brien.

Subs: Joe Connolly for O Herlihy (41); Dylan Ryan for O Hurley (44); Rory Allen for F Hurley (48, inj).

Referee: Liam O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).