Kelleher's wonder goal keeps Mallow motoring in the championship

Kelleher's goal secured Mallows fate in the championship. 

Cork SAFC

Mallow 2-11 

Bantry Blues 1-10 

Mallow progressed to the knockout stages of this season’s Bon Secours Cork SAFC in Macroom on Sunday but the Avondhu side were made to work all the way by Ruairi Deane’s Bantry Blues.

This one was impossible to call throughout before the heroics of second half substitute Eoin Kelleher helped decide the tie. The attacking sub scored one of the finest goals of the campaign to break the deadlock late on and seal their place in the knockout stages.

Led on the pitch by veteran corner forward Cian O’Riordan, Mallow were well served by Cork stars Mattie Taylor and James Loughrey who were ably assisted by Ryan Harkin, Eoin Stanton and Shane Merritt along with Kieran O’Sullivan.

For Bantry, Deane was busy all game with Shane McSweeney and Stephen Coughlan also catching the eye.

Bantry flew from the traps with 1-1 inside 90 seconds. McSweeney opened the scoring with a splendid point before Deane smashed to the net as Mallow struggled with the early pace.

O’Riordan was the first Mallow player to trouble the scorekeeper with a point on four minutes however Deane responded less than a minute later with another classy score.

A brace of points from Mallow settled the north Cork side with O’Riordan and Taylor raising white flags.

Mallow had the gap down to two thanks to their talisman O’Riordan but Deane and McSweeney responded with a point a piece to again open up a three point advantage.

A series of poor wides followed for Mallow but they found the target moments later when O’Riordan received a brilliant pass from Ryan Harkin finishing to the corner of the Bantry net. More poor finishing followed from Mallow as Bantry made the most of their limited chances with Arthur Coakley tapping one a point. Mallow had a chance to goal in first half injury time but Bantry keeper Michael Casey saved well from the onrushing Sean McDonnell. There was one final chance for the men in red and O’Riordan made no mistake with a huge point from a sideline to leave it at 1-5 apiece at the break.

The second half was another test of fitness and strength as the game heated up but credit to all involved the intensity never dropped. The sides were lockedon 1-9 apiece for over 10 minutes in the second half and Mallow looked to be exiting but Kelleher’s lob from out wide, followed by points from Jack Dillon and Pa Herlihy, proved decisive.

Scorers for Mallow: C O’Riordan 1-5 (three frees, one sideline); E Kelleher 1-0; J Loughrey, M Taylor, E Stanton, K O’Sullivan, J Dillon, P Herlihy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Bantry Blues: R Deane 1-5 (three frees); S McSweeney 0-3; A Coakley 0-2 (one free).

MALLOW: K Doyle; O Carroll, J Loughrey, A Cashman; T McEvoy, S Merritt, M Taylor; D Moynihan, E Stanton; K O’Sullivan, R Harkin, M O’Rourke; C O’Riordan, K Sheehan, S McDonnell. 

Subs: J Dillon for K Sheehan (49), E Kelleher for M O’Rourke (49), P Herligy for S McDonnell (58).

BANTRY BLUES: M Casey; C O’Leary, E O’Shea, T Cronin; S Thornton, B Foley, E Minihane; S O’Leary, S Coughlan; J O’Neill, D Daly, T Foley; S McSweeney, R Deane, A Coakley. 

Subs: S Murray for E Minihane (12)(inj); P Goggin for B Foley (inj)(half time), M Barry for E O’Shea (58).

Referee: J Regan (Lough Rovers)