Murphy pulls it out of fire for Carrigaline
Unlikeliest because for most of the game Carrig played second fiddle to a powerful Éire Óg side that held a six point lead with 10 minutes to go, only to be pegged back by a dogged Carrigaline who refused to give up the chase and qualify for the county final against the winners of the St Michaels/Castletownbere tie.
With two minutes of normal time left, Éire Óg led by two points but Carrigaline continued to press and points by Brian O’Keeffe and David Drake tied the game for the first time at the end of normal time.
And in the three minutes added, Carrig struck for the winning score. A tremendous passing movement went deep into the Éire Óg territory and substitute Mathew O’Reilly’s pass across the face of the goal was met by Nicholas Murphy who fisted the ball to the back of the net to give his side the lead for the first and only time.
There was still life in Éire Óg who forced a 20 metre free, but had to be content with a point from Daniel Goulding before Carrig pulled this game out of the fire.
Éire Óg blitzed their opponents in the opening half or should that be Daniel Goulding did with a contribution of seven points to five his side an interval lead of 0-7 to 0-5, after Carrig recovered from being five points to nil down after 10 minutes, thanks to points by Brian Coakley.
The excellence of Ronan O’Toole and Fionn O’Rourke kept the pressure on the Carrig defence in the second half and with Liam Sheehan sparkling at wing forward - from where he kicked three great points - the die looked cast for Carrig as the Mid Cork side stormed into an 0-14 to 0-8 lead by the 50th minute.
Carrigaline rung the changes in an effort to save the game, a goal by substitute Mathew O’Reilly, who outjumped the Éire Ég ‘keeper to punch the ball to the net, sparked a great recovery.
B Coakley 0-6 (0-2 frees); D Drake 0-5 (0-2 frees); M O’Reilly, N Murphy 1-0 each; B O’Keeffe 0-1.
D Goulding 0-11 (0-3 frees); L Sheehan 0-3; D O’Connor, J. Dineen 0-1 each.
S Mellett; P Ronayne, P Murphy, K Forbes; C McSweeney, C Barry, E O’Connor; N Murphy, K Kavanagh; E Ryle, B O’Keeffe, E Kavanagh; D Drake, B Coakley, B Pope.
M O’Reilly for Pope (45); S Griffin for Ryle (45); D Griffin for E Kavanagh (50).
C Kelly; S McCarthy, J Mullins, C O’Mahony; D O’Herlihy, F O’Rourke, M O’Shea; L Murphy, R O’Toole; L Sheehan, D Murphy, D O’Connor; D Goulding, K Hallissey, J Dineen.
R Dennehy for L Murphy (27); P McDonagh for D O’Connor (40).
K Murphy (Nemo Rangers).
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