Cowhig hails ‘great’ Clon win

THEIR season began on a low note in Rosscarbery when they suffered a first-round reversal, but Clonakilty enjoyed happier times on their return to the same venue yesterday.

For the second successive year they claimed the scalp of Ilen Rovers at the fourth-round stage of the Cork SFC, their latest success arriving in a hugely entertaining game. In excellent conditions, Clonakilty fashioned a four-point victory that was a tribute to their dynamism all over the pitch, their highly disciplined defending and the strength of their panel as they unleashed substitutes to great effect in the final quarter.

“It was a great win,” reflected a delighted Clonakilty manager Sean Cowhig afterwards. “Nobody gave us an asses roar coming down here today but we reacted very well to that. The lads hit the ground running today and we got our powerful running game going. We stopped Ilen playing their game and kept their full-forward line quiet. We had too many injuries earlier on in the year but the lads have bounced back and having everyone fit today was key.”