Canty and O’Donovan star as Valley end silverware famine

AFTER years of near-misses Valley Rovers, finally landed football silverware at Páirc Uí Rinn by winning the Cork IFC final with a 1-12 to 3-4 win over Kildorrery.

The Innishannon side were worthy winners and should have sewn the game up before they gave their supporters some anxious moments at the death. That the game remained in the balance was also due to a brave Kildorrery effort which yielded three goals. But while Kildorrery did flash three balls to the net, the Valley Rovers defensive effort was sound as they restricted their opponents to four points over the hour.

At midfield Valley Rovers possessed the outstanding player in Kevin Canty, the Cork hurler covering massive ground, bossing the midfield exchanges and distributing the ball sensibly.

In attack Hughie O’Donovan’s free-taking was razor sharp, Jeremy Hurley gave a masterful display as play-maker while Fiachra Lynch pitched in with sublime scores.

For Kildorrery it was a numbing experience, their defeat by Canovee in last year’s county junior final now followed by another reversal 12 months on. By the 53rd minute, the game looked to be very much in the melting pot at 1-10 to 2-3. But a third Kildorrery goal from David White sparked a flame with six minutes remaining.

Scorers for Valley Rovers: H O’Donovan 0-5 (0-4f, 0-1 ‘45), F Lynch 1-2, E Collins 0-2, E Manning, J Burke, J Young 0-1 each.

Kildorrery: P O’Brien 1-1 (1-0 pen), J Ahern, D White 1-0 each, E O’Connor, A O’Brien, J McCarthy 0-1 each.

ÉIRE ÓG are on course for a first Cork Co J‘A’FC title following a 0-16 to 1-10 win over Cloyne in a scrappy semi-final in Ballygarvan. They were eight points clear with 12 minutes remaining and, while they never looked in any real trouble, they know a similar final quarter might not suffice against Ballygarvan in next weekend’s final.

Still, this was an impressive victory for a more formidable and more balanced side. Cloyne, on the other hand, did a lot right, but their inability to score was their Achilles heel. They amassed 15 wides to Éire Óg’s seven, leaving their management team to ponder on what might have been.

Consider also that Éire Óg had to go to battle without midfielder Alan O’Mahony (injured in training during the week) and John Dineen (leg injury), so the expansive use of the panel augurs well for the decider. While the attacking prowess of Daniel Goulding always stands out — he bagged 0-7, this was a win grinded throughout the field.

Scorers for Éire Óg: D Goulding 0-7 (0-3 frees), B O’Neill and D O’Herlihy 0-3 each, C Sheehan 0-2, T O’Leary 0-1.

Scorers for Cloyne: J Nyhan 1-1, Paudie O’Sullivan (0-2 frees) and K O’Lomasney 0-3 (frees) each, C O’Sullivan 0-2, Diarmuid O’Sullivan 0-1.

IN THE Cork Co Premier MFC semi-final at Fermoy, St Michael’s beat Blackthorn 2-12 to 3-7 to set up a final meeting with either Bishopstown or Carrigaline who meet at Pairc Ui Rinn on Wednesday night.

After a wonderful second-half that ebbed and flowed throughout, the city side kept their nerve in the finale to close out the game. The crucial score came in the 54th minute when wing-forward Stephen Mahon crashed a penalty to the net after he had been hauled down.

Scorers for St. Michael’s: S Mahon 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), E Buckley 0-4, C Kilcoyne 1-0, P Deasy, S McCarthy (0-1f) 0-2 each, K O’Regan 0-1 (0-1 ‘45).

Blackthorns: S Beston 1-4 (1-4f), F O’Herlihy 1-1, K Coleman 1-0, K Carroll, P Magee (0-1f) 0-1 each.