Clancy injury worry for Cork footballers

Fermoy dig deep without talisman to clinch semi-final spot

File picture: Tomas Clancy of Cork 

Cork SAFC: Fermoy 2-13 Bandon 2-11 

Cork manager Ronan McCarthy’s preparations for the Munster football championship were dealt a potential blow in Glanmire this evening as Fermoy’s Tomás Clancy was carried from the field with a leg injury midway through the second half.

It led to an 11-minute break in play as Fermoy led by 1-11 to Bandon’s 2-6 in the Bons Secours SAFC. The loss of their talisman initially rattled the Avondhu men as Bandon kicked five of the next seven points to take the lead for the first time since the 32nd minute, Mark Sugrue with the lead score.

Fermoy dug deep, however, and substitute Arlen Aherne cracked in the winning goal deep into injury time after great work from the impressive Pádraig de Róiste and David Lardner.

They held on for the two-point win that secured them top spot in Group C as well as a place in the semi-finals as the second seed. The draw between Clyda Rovers and Dohenys in the other group game meant that Bandon also ended the game happy, as they qualified for the quarter-finals where they will meet Mallow, where a victory would earn them a re-match with Fermoy.

Scorers for Fermoy: R O’Hagan (0-6, 5 frees), B O’Sulliavn (1-1, 1-0 penalty), A Aherne (1-0), P de Róiste (0-3), K Morrison (0-2), M Brennan (0-1).

Scorers for Bandon: B Collins (2-4), M Sugrue (0-4, all frees), M Cahalane (0-2), P Crowley (0-1).

FERMOY: L Coleman; S Shanahan, A Creed, R Mossison; A Baragry, D O’Carroll, P Murphy; D Dawson, T Clancy; B O’Sullivan, P de Róiste, G Lardner; R O’Hagan, M Brennan, K Morrison. 

Subs: R O’Callaghan for Clancy (inj, 40 mins), E Clancy for Creed (63 min), A Aherne for G Lardner (63 mins), D Lardner for Brennan (64 mins).

BANDON: P Prendergast; J O’Mahony, J O’Donovan, B Crowley; R O’Driscoll, P Murphy, D O’Donovan; R Long, C O’Mahony; R Crowley, J Mulcahy, D Crowley; M Cahalane, B Collins, M Sugrue.

Subs: J Walsh for Mulcahy (h/t), P Crowley for D O’Donovan (40 mins), D Crowley for O’Driscoll (58 mins), E Mac Suibhne for R Crowley (64 mins).

Referee: James Bermingham (Bride Rovers).