O’Connor rescues Mallow

Mallow 3-9 Bantry Blues 1-14

A magical moment of goal poaching by 17-year-old corner forward Killian O’Connor a minute into injury time gave the North Cork side the unlikeliest of wins.

With both clubs desperately keen to win back their senior status, this game had everything; a penalty to each side — Bantry missed theirs — nine yellow cards six for Mallow, goalmouth incidents aplenty, and that dramatic finale.

Mallow struck for their opening goal two minutes in when Patrick Herlihy rattled the Bantry net. However, the lead was shortlived as the West Cork side hit back with one of their own and those early goals set the tone for the remainder of the match.

Some of the tackling bordered on the reckless and a number of players were fortunate to stay on the pitch, and although Bantry were dominating, Mallow hit them with a second goal when Cian O’Riordan converted a penalty after Killian O’Connor was taken down.

Back came Bantry with four points in-a-row, three of them by Declan Barron, and two evenly matched sides were level three times in the closing 10 minutes as they swopped points.

Mallow had a huge let-off early into the second half when Bantry won a penalty, but Declan Barron’s effort was saved by ‘keeper Colman Sheehan before the Blues man drove the rebound wide.

As the pace of the game quickened, Bantry, through the excellence of Graham Canty at midfield and Ruairí Deane at right half forward, took a grip and they edged three points clear coming up to the closing minutes.

However Mallow weren’t to be denied and after Eoin Stanton’s goal bound shot was brilliantly saved by Bantry substitute netminder Donal Casey, Killian O’Connor was in the right place to steer the rebound home.

There was still time left for Bantry to pull the game out of the fire, and a long-range point by Canty left just the minimum between the sides as the game went into injury.

The Blues swarmed all over Mallow in the three extra minutes that were played, and had the chance to level it with a 35 metre free, but Declan Barron’s effort was inches wide and Mallow were through to a quarter-final meeting with Kiskeam.

Scorers for Mallow: C. O’Riordan 1-4 (1-0 pen., 0-3 frees); P. Herlihy, K.O’Connor 1-1 each; H. Dockery 0-2 (frees); D. Relihan 0-1.

Bantry: M. O’Sullivan 1-3 (0-2 frees); D. Barron 0-7 (0-2 frees); S. Coughlan, K. Karrington, D. Power (45), G. Canty 0-1 each.

MALLOW: C. Sheehan; L. Dockery, K. McCarthy, M. Murphy; D. Kerrisk, C. Kerrisk, M. Taylor; H. Dockery, D. Relihan; C. O’Riordan, E. Stanton, P. Herlihy; K. O’Connor, D. Hayes, R. Harkin.

Sub: A. Sheehan for Harkin (45).

BANTRY: D. Murray; C. O’Leary, D. O’Sullivan, K. Deane; N. Canty, K. Harrington, J. Downey; M. Delaney, G. Canty; R. Deane, D. Barron, A. Hamilton; D. Power, S. Coughlan, M. O’Sullivan.

Subs: S. O’Neill for A. Harrington (45); D. Casey for D. Murray (58); J. Canty for S. Coughlan (58).

Referee: D. Murnane (Macroom).