Hero Hodnett saves the day for Fachtnas

St. Fachtnas 0-8 St. Flannans 0-6

St Fachtnas Coach Joe O’Neill was clearly elated after the win. “It’s a round trip of 180 miles for us but well worth the journey,” he said.

And the west Cork side can thank brilliant goalkeeper Hodnett for their victory.

Hodnett made three magnificent saves late in the game, including one from a penalty, as Flannans battled back from a six-point half-time deficit.

Fachtnas seemed to be coping well at the back with the incessant pressure as Flannans threw everything at them to stay in the championship race.

However, they were grateful for an excellent double save by Hodnett from Ogie Murphy before the Ennis side won a penalty after Alan Tanner was adjudged to have picked the ball off the ground in the small square.

Again Hodnett denied the Ennis college with a great save from Brian Hehir and while they did manage to score three points late in the game, that penalty miss proved extremely costly.

With a place in the last eight for the winners, there was a lot at stake for both colleges and this made it a splendid contest that ebbed a flowed on a pitch that was in excellent conditions given the weather.

Playing into the strong wind in the first half, Flannans, superbly led by Evan Talty at midfield, threatened early.

However, once Fachtnas found their feet they proceeded to kick over a succession of excellent points to lead 0-7 to 0-1 at half-time.

Despite playing into the wind on the changeover, the highly impressive Brian O’Dwyer increased the Fachtnas lead with a point in the 35th minute and it was to be crucial as his side didn’t score again for the remainder of the game.

Surging runs from his own defence by Dara O’Regan and Eoin Hodnett, kept the pressure on the Flannans defence, but Fachtnas were grateful for the alertness of Alan Tanner, who denied the Ennis college a goal when he took Ogie Murphy’s effort off the line in the 40th minute.

While they enjoyed a lot of possession, the Flannans forwards could make no impression on the Fachtnas defence.

However, centre-back David Clancy kicked two long-range points which left the west Cork side 0-8 to 0-4 in front at the three-quarter stage.

David Limerick and Sean Buckley, along with the speedy Eoin Hodnett, defended superbly in the face of the ever increasing Flannans pressure, and Chris Hodnett’s brilliance between the posts succeeded in keeping his goal.