Battling Clonakilty win close encounter
Clonakilty had to work really hard to carve out this superb win, but this game could have gone either way and there can be no doubt Ballymahon folk woke up this morning wondering "what if."
Clon captain John O'Shea won the toss and elected to play with the gust to their backs. But effectively, the Longford boys kicked this game away with 11 wides in that opening 30 minutes. In fact, they were somewhat fortunate to be in front at the interval 1-3 to 1-1, after top scorer Colm Flynn's (2-4) huge sideline ball fell through the hands of Clonakilty keeper Michael P O'Regan as the swirling wind made control very difficult.
From what we had seen, the second half would be a test for Clon against the wind but their corner forward Colm Callanan showed tremendous skill to add to his first half tally of 1-1 with a wonderful white flag four minutes after the resumption.
The Munster champions were level by the seventh minute, and, courtesy of John Clancy, ahead by the tenth.
They were in command at this point, but a point-blank save from Ballymahon goalie Paul Connaughton, from corner-back Darragh Lynch, provided the necessary motivation for the midlanders, and when Flynn rose highest to fist home his second goal at the three-quarter stage, this tie was far from over.
Clonakilty, though, were merciless and they levelled through a Clancy goal. Entering the home straight, the result was up for grabs with the sides deadlocked. Extra time loomed. But with Carbery Ranger's David O'Regan inspirational at wing-back, Clonakilty held the play in their half.
Séamus Callanan and Tomás O'Callaghan pointed the southerners ahead, but with time ticking down, Thomas McCormack was fouled en route to the Cork goal.
The Leinster lads had a last-gasp chance, but Flynn's piledriver from 30 metres came blistering back off the crossbar and was cleared to safety.
Prior to that, the same player missed another glorious opportunity when he was uncharacteristically wide from a scoring position.
Clonakilty: C Callanan 1-2 (0-1 free), J Clancy 1-1, T O'Callaghan 0-2, P O'Sullivan and S Callanan 0-1 each. Ballymahon: C Flynn 2-4, R O'Toole 0-1.
: M P O'Regan; D Lynch, E Deasy, J O'Donovan; C McManus, F Coughlan (capt), D O'Regan; M McCarthy, R O'Flynn; P O'Sullivan, J Clancy, T O'Callaghan; K O'Donovan, S Callanan, C Callanan.
P Connaughton; P Murtagh, K Moran, N Flood; P Gavigan, R English, G Dennigan; J O'Shea (capt), S Cox; R O'Toole, C Flynn, E Walsh; B Tierney, T McCormack, J Keegan. Subs: B McGrath for E Walsh (50 mins).
J Ryan (Tipperary).
