Courcey Rovers 1-19

Bandon 0-12

JJ HURLEY REPORTS

MISFIRING Bandon paid a heavy price for 15 first-half wides as Courcey Rovers powered to a deserved win in the Red FM Division 3 HL at Ballinspittle on Sunday.

In a game that both sides needed to win to stay on track for a league final, it was Courceys who demonstrated a ruthlessness in front of goal that earned them victory.

With Rovers level on points with Blarney and Ballinhassig at the top of the standings, a home win over Castlelyons in their final game on June 28th could see them reach the league final and secure promotion to Division 2.

Initially, it was Bandon’s talisman Michael Cahalane who registered the first score of the game, but Courcey’s response was three consecutive points, as Dan O’Donovan and the impressive Tadhg O’Sullivan were on target.

With Bandon having difficulty finding the posts, they were depending on Cahalane, who narrowed the score to one point thanks to a free on 11 minutes.

However, as Courcey moved the sliotar slickly through the lines, and welcomed back Sean Twomey from a long-term injury, he provided a perfect pass for Conor Crowley to bury the ball past Oisín Hennessey.

Another Cahalane free was met by four unanswered points from the home side as O’Sullivan and O’Donovan had Courcey out in front, 1-7 to 0-3 after 20 minutes.

As Bandon came looking for a goal, a free from out the field had Courceys keeper Stephen Nyhan looking sharp under the dropping ball.

To their credit, Bandon, led by Cahalane and Mark Sugrue, were trying to get their team going, but the Carrigdhoun side posted another two points, thanks to O’Sullivan and Mike O’Donovan.

Bandon were thrown a lifeline when their player was upended in the square, but Cahalane’s penalty was saved by Nyhan, as the free taker fired over the resultant 65, 1-9 to 0-4 at the break.

The game was ended as a contest 36 minutes into the second period as the home side reeled off five unanswered points, with O’Donovan, John O’Neill, Conor Crowley, Jack Harrington and DJ Twomey all finding the range.

The hard-working Charlie Long did eventually pull back a score on 37 minutes, but they were chasing shadows as the home side led 1-14 to 0-5. Bandon scores from Cahalane and Ciarán McCarthy were a reward for their endeavour, but by the 50th minute two O’Donovan points had the game well and truly out of Bandon’s reach.

As both teams began to empty their benches, both sides continued to pick off their points as Bandon outscored their opponents by four points to one. An excellent score from Brendan Ryan had Courceys leading by 1-17 to 0-11 on 57 minutes.

Pushing on for the final few minutes, the Ballinspittle club added two more as O’Sullivan deservedly landed his side’s last score of the game.

Scorers

Courcey Rovers: T O’Sullivan 0-8 (3f); D O’Donovan 0-5; C Crowley 1-1; M O’Donovan, J O’Neill, DJ Twomey, J Harrington, B Ryan 0-1 each.

Bandon: M Cahalane 0-8 (6f, 1 65); C Long 0-2; C McCarthy, M Sugrue 0-1 each.

Courcey Rovers: S Nyhan; F Lordan, D Collins, B Ryan; C Roche, M Collins, L Culling; DJ Twomey, D Cosgrove; S Twomey, G O’Neill, M Donovan; C Crowley, D O’Donovan, T O’Sullivan.

Subs: J Harrington, J O’Neill, J Coakley, O Crowley, J O’Callaghan.

Bandon: O Hennessy; P Callanan, T Twohig, C Twomey; Cahal Lynch, P Murphy, D O’Donovan; M Cahalane, C McCarthy; D O’Mahony, M Sugrue, C Calnan; C Long, P Barry, E McSweeney.

Subs: S Carey, T McCarthy, B Twohig.

Referee: M O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).