Guiney caps remarkable ‘Rock’ win

Rockchapel 4-07 Éire Óg 1-14

Last season’s county junior champions displayed disregard for reputation, showing from the outset that they weren’t intimidated by the task facing them.

Indeed, Rockchapel had a powerful start going 2-4 to 0-0 ahead against the 2012 runners-up. Éire Óg’s position looked precarious yet once they settled, the Mid Cork side thundered back into the fray to erase the deficit.

Appearing to hold the facility to up it a gear, Éire Óg looked comfortable inside the closing quarter on holding a four points advantage.

However, Rockchapel re-invented themselves and stuck doggedly to their task, typified by heroics at either end of the field as front-men Seamus Hickey and Ian Guiney netted goals to deliver a stunning win.

Little wonder that team coach Seamus Cooper was a happy man at the final whistle: “Ok, we were probably lucky, enjoying a great start but Éire Óg got on top and dominated for large spells. Still, our boys never gave up after going 26 minutes without a score, they worked their socks off and held the character to come up with a storming finish.”

Rockchapel could scarcely had hoped for a better start, the play of Eamonn O’Callaghan, Brendan Cahill, William Murphy and the rampant Hickey underlining their intentions. Goals from Kieran Burke and Guiney swept them 10 points ahead with just 11 minutes on the clock. Once settled, however, Eire Óg lifted their game considerably and after John Dineen fired over his side’s first point, slowly but surely, they proceeded to reel in their opponents.

The inside line of Dineen, Daniel Goulding and Kevin Hallissey took on the Rockchapel rearguard with pace and precision culminating with a brilliant Hallissey goal moments before the break to leaving them trailing 2-4 to 1-6.

And a wind-assisted Éire Óg reinforced their dominance upon the restart with Goulding and Dineen landing points. Rockchapel improved after Guiney pointed yet they were again thankful to alert custodian Collins for keeping their net intact. Still, the initiative remained with Éire Óg, Goulding and substitute Aidan O’Connor putting a bit of daylight between the pair. But, trailing by four, Rockchapel rallied again, Hickey getting on the end of a Guiney free to punch home a goal and when Guiney finished a super move to the net, they had a famous win sealed.

Scorers for Rockchapel: I Guiney 2-3(0-2f), S Hickey 1-1, L Collins 0-2, K Burke 1-0, M Stack 0- 1.

Scorer for Éire Óg: J Dineen 1-4, D Goulding 0-7 (0-1’45, 0-1f), K Hallissey, C Sheehan and A O’Connor 0-1 each.

ROCKCHAPEL: T Collins; P Murphy, E O’Callaghan, M Doody; B Cahill, D J O’Callaghan, M Stack; C Keppell, J Doody; K Burke, C Murphy, W Murphy; I Guiney, L Collins, S Hickey.

Subs: J O’Callaghan for Keppell(ht), D Curtin for Stack(40), C Aherne for Burke(50), C Guiney for C Murphy(52), B Curtin for M Doody(55).

EIRE ÓG: D Sheehan; R Kennefick; C O’Mahony, S McCarthy; J Kelleher, S Murphy, D O’Herlihy; P McDonagh, C Sheehan; E Lowney, L Murphy, D O’Connor; K Hallissey, D Goulding, J Dineen.

Subs: M O’Shea for Kennefick(12), T O’Leary for Lowney (inj 41), A O’Connor for D O’Connor(41), K O’Sullivan for O’Mahony(62).

Referee: D Farrell (Mitchelstown).