Cork SFC: Seven unanswered points earns 14-man Castlehaven semi-final draw

By Denis Hurley

[team1]Castlehaven[/team1][score1]0-15[/score1][team2]Duhallow[/team2][score2]0-15[/score2][/score]

Seven unanswered points saw 14-man Castlehaven earn a draw in the first Cork SFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon.

With the sides having been level at 0-5 each at half-time, Duhallow pushed clear in the second half, with Eoghan McSweeney, Séamus Hickey, captain Donncha O’Connor and sub Michael Vaughan all on target.

They led by 0-13 to 0-7 when Castlehaven’s Chris Hayes was sent off and though Mark Collins converted a free just after that, McSweeney and Hickey extended the Duhallow lead.

Another Collins free closed the gap slightly before Damien Cahalane’s 45 – after Brian Hurley’s goal effort was blocked – and two more from Collins left three in it as five minutes of injury time were announced.

After Collins’s ninth, Brian Hurley made it a one-point game. O’Connor was unlucky not to point for Duhallow and, at the death, Haven sub James Davis got the leveller.

Scorers for Castlehaven: M Collins 0-9 (eight frees), B Hurley 0-2, S Dineen, Damien Cahalane (45), M Hurley, J Davis 0-1 each.

Scorers for Duhallow: E McSweeney, D O’Connor (two frees), S Hickey 0-3 each, M Vaughan, A O’Connor 0-2 each, P Walsh, L O’Neill 0-1 each.

CASTLEHAVEN: A Seymour; R Walsh, D Limrick, C O’Sullivan; C Hayes, Damien Cahalane, J Walsh; S Hurley, M Hurley, C Maguire; C O’Driscoll, B Hurley, R Whelton.

Subs: D McCarthy for Whelton (38), J Davis for Walsh (40), C Cahalane for Maguire (43), Darragh Cahalane for Dineen (45), C Nolan for S Hurley (50), S Nolan for O’Driscoll (56).

DUHALLOW: P Doyle (Knocknagree); J McLoughlin (Kanturk), K Crowley (Millstreet), B Daly (Newmarket); L O’Neill (Kanturk), K Buckley (Knocknagree), L McLoughlin (Kanturk); P Walsh (Kanturk), A Walsh (Kanturk); F O’Connor (Knocknagree), M Vaughan (Millstreet), E McSweeney (Knocknagree); J O’Connor (Boherbue), S Hickey (Rockchapel), D O’Connor (Ballydesmond).

Subs: K Cremin (Boherbue) for L McLoughlin (36), A O’Connor (Knocknagree) for J O’Connor (42), E O’Callaghan (Rockchapel) for Cremin, M Dilworth (Knocknagree) for F O’Connor (both 57), D Hickey (Cullen) for Crowley (59, black card).

Referee: D Murnane (Macroom).