42 scores and extra-time as Duhallow pip UCC

Duhallow attacker Séamus Hickey, who grabbed 103 in Sunday's extra time victory over UCC.

A pulsating 80 minutes at Glantane ended with Duhallow a nose in front of UCC last night, earning last year’s beaten finalists a place in the quarter-finals of the Bons Secours Hospital Cork Premier SFC.

The lead changed hands nine times. The last of those came in the second period of extra time, with Duhallow falling three points behind as UCC’s Liam Wall pointed, but Séamus Hickey levelled with a superb goal and, after the irrepressible Paul Walsh and Fintan O’Connor opened up a two-point lead, energetic wing-back Conor O’Callaghan looked to have made things safe with a goal.

Even then, UCC weren’t done as James McEntee got their sixth goal in the 80th minute, but despite a late 15-man attack – including goalkeeper Eoghan O’Brien, who landed three frees – they couldn’t force a game-winning goal.

The students had beaten Carbery in midweek while Duhallow had a walkover from Beara, but there was no lack of sharpness and the divisional side moved 1-4 to 0-3 ahead when midfielder Mark Ellis profited from good play by Donncha O’Connor and Eoghan McSweeney to fire home.

After the water-break, Ellis and Jerry O’Connor might have added further goals but they were respectively denied by O’Brien and McEntee – scorer of eight points on Thursday night but operating as a wing-back here.

On 24 minutes, Ruairí Ó Beaglaioch levelled with a UCC goal after Conor Geaney’s shot was blocked and Alan Quinn put them back in front only for Duhallow to reply with four straight points, two by McSweeney.

Geaney tied matters in injury time with UCC’s second goal and his point looked set to give them the half-time lead but Donncha O’Connor ensured interval parity with a free.

On the resumption, Jerry O’Connor got Duhallow’s second goal following good work by Séamus Hickey and that was followed by points from Ellis and wing-back Shane Hickey to leave it 2-11 to 2-6, the biggest lead of the game up to that point.

Almost immediately, though, it was cut from five points to two as UCC’s Ian Jennings conjured a brilliant individual goal. At the other end, John Fintan Daly nearly cancelled that out but Eoin Fitzgerald made a great block and a fine pointed free from UCC goalkeeper Eoghan O’Brien cut the gap to a point.

The students were wasteful with other efforts however and when Duhallow sub Neil Flahive pointed on 49, they led by two. In keeping with the way the game had gone, UCC struck for another goal as Michael O’Gara – influential in the second half after moving to midfield – picked out sub Dylan Casey for a superb goal and O’Brien and Ó Beaglaioch added points to put them 4-9 to 2-12 ahead.

The excellent Walsh nearly tied the game again but O’Brien was on hand to carry out his primary duty in goal and, though Eoghan McSweeney pointed a Duhallow free, they fell three behind as James O’Mullane pointed for UCC on 57 minutes.

After a Jerry O’Connor free for Duhallow, UCC were reduced to 14 as James McEntee was black-carded and Séamus Hickey and McSweeney had late points to send the game to extra time.

While Conor O’Callaghan put Duhallow ahead after the restart, Geaney struck for his second and UCC’s fifth goal following a good catch and they led by 5-11 to 2-18 at the turnaround. Wall put them three ahead in the second period of extra time but Duhallow had the scoring power to claw their way back in front and there they stayed.

Scorers for Duhallow: Séamus Hickey (1-3), J O’Connor (1f), C O’Callaghan (1-2 each), E McSweeney (0-4, 2f), M Ellis (1-1), D O’Connor (0-3, 2f), P Walsh (0-2), Shane Hickey, N Flahive, F O’Connor (0-1 each).

Scorers for UCC: C Geaney (2-1), R Ó Beaglaioch (1-2, 1f, 1 mark), E O’Brien (0-3, frees), I Jennings, J McEntee, D Casey (1-0 each), J O’Mullane, L Wall, S Walsh, L Kennedy, A Quinn, C Crowley (0-1 each).

DUHALLOW: P Doyle (Knocknagree); D O’Mahony (Knocknagree), B Daly (Newmarket), M Mahoney (Knocknagree); Shane Hickey (Millstreet), K Cremin (Boherbue), C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe); P Walsh (Kanturk), M Ellis (Millstreet); F O’Connor (Knocknagree), D O’Connor (Ballydesmond), E McSweeney (Knocknagree); J O’Connor (Boherbue), JF Daly (Knocknagree), Séamus Hickey (Rockchapel).

Subs: N Flahive (Millstreet) for D O’Connor (39, inj), D Linehan (Castlemagner) for F O’Connor, D Moynihan (Ballydesmond) for Daly (both ET), D O’Connor for J O’Connor (65), F O’Connor for McSweeney (68), D O’Keeffe (Newmarket) for D O’Connor (79).

UCC (Cork unless stated): E O’Brien (Churchill, Kerry); E Dodd (Canovee) E Fitzgerald (Gneeveguilla, Kerry), C Smith (Aghabullogue); J McEntee (Curraha, Meath), E Lehane (Canovee), A Quinn (Macroom); S Desmond (Clondrohid), L Kennedy (St Kieran’s, Limerick); I Jennings (Kilmacabea), M O’Gara (Austin Stacks, Kerry), C Crowley (Glanmire); S Walsh (Scartaglin, Kerry), C Geaney (Dingle, Kerry), R Ó Beaglaioch (Gaeltacht, Kerry).

Subs: J O’Mullane (Kilmurry) for Crowley (half-time), L Wall (Kilmurry) for Kennedy, D Casey (Austin Stacks, Kerry) for Quinn (both 38), D Lucey (Mayfield) for Walsh (50), Quinn for Jennings (68).

Referee: C Dineen (Douglas).