Carbery begin championship odyssey with victory over Monaleen
Carbery Rangers began their Munster Senior Club Championship odyssey in workmanlike fashion at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick this afternoon.
Without ever reaching the heights that brought the West Cork outfit its first Cork SFC title a fortnight ago, Rangers did enough to stave off the challenge of the Limerick champions.
An Alan Jennings goal in the 26th minute pushed the Cork champions into a 1-6 to 0-2 lead with this key score arriving after a prolonged period of Cork dominance that saw them land a litany of well-worked scores.
The game lacked championship bite and Monaleen will be disappointed with their display, especially having claimed a Limerick senior title in such scintillating fashion.
Monaleen did create a few early goal opportunities but failed to convert good build-up play into tangible benefits.
Rangers were far more economical in possession in the first half with defenders pouring forward at every opportunity to assist their forwards in an attack which saw John O’Rourke, Seamus and John Hayes and Chris O’Donovan on fire.
A sweeping move in the 26th minute was finished to the net by Alan Jennings after Seamus Hayes’ original shot struck the crossbar. Mike Kelly and Chris O’Donovan tagged on two further points before the break to leave the Cork champions in a commanding 1-8 to 0-2 lead.
A minute after the restart Carbery were awarded a penalty which John Hayes finished with aplomb. Monaleen did manage to narrow the margin to six points (2-8 to 0-6) on 46 minutes and were unlucky not to goal after Paul Shanahan brought off a spectacular save in the 49th minute.
But the Rosscarbery men finished strongly with points from Brian Shanahan and Jerry O’Riordan.
: J Hayes 1-3 (1-0 pen, 2f); J O’Rourke 0-2; A Jennings 1-0; C O’Donovan 0-2; S Hayes, M Kelly, J O’Riordan and B Shanahan 0-1 each.
G Collins 0-3 (2f); B Fitzpatrick, P Kinnerk, T Barry and N Loughran 0-1 each.
: P Shanahan; M Kelly, B Shanahan, R Hegarty; R Kiely, T O’Rourke, J O’Riordan; K McMahon, J Fitzpatrick; A Jennings, C O’Donovan, M Mennis; J O’Rourke, S Hayes, J Hayes.
A Roche for J Fitzpatrick (41); K Fitzpatrick for S Hayes (46); S Murray for R Hegarty (51); P Hodnett for Mennis (54); S O’Neill for C O’Donovan; M Ronan for J Hayes (58).
D O’Sullivan (jc); C Moran, J O’Dwyer, E Quinlan; P Quinn, J Hoare, S Cusack; B Fitzpatrick, R McGrath; D Enright, L Kavanagh, E Doyle; B O’Donovan, G Collins, G O’Connell (jc).
F Nash for Cusack (29); P Kinnerk for Kavanagh (30); R Murray for Nash (black card); T Barry for Quinlan (37); J Kelly for Quinn (inj. 42); N Loughran for Fitzpatrick (51).
R Hickey (Clare)
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