O’Donovan Rossa and St. Michael’s serve up football masterclass
IF one needed an advertisement to show how modern-day football should be played, then this game should go viral and be played on loop especially to a younger generation.
Influential substitute Kevin Davis kicked the winning point, a close-in free arriving deep in injury-time. In an exhilarating contest, O’Donovan Rossa, having being two clear goals in arrears at the break, displayed a never-say-die attitude to run out narrow winners and claim the one semi-final place on offer to the victors. Though both teams had already qualified for the play-offs prior to throw-in, the incentive of a semi-final berth for the winners acted as extra motivation for two excellently-prepared sides. And the attack-minded nature of both teams contributed to a contest replete with six goals in among 31 scores –the majority conceived through intelligent approach-play and exquisite finishing.
St Michael’s will be disappointed to have allowed a deserved six-point half-time lead slip from them, but credit to Rossa who displayed that indefinable of attributes found in many football teams in Carbery division: West Cork spirit.
When all seemed lost at the break, Rossa regrouped, knuckled down and, score by score, reeled in and overtook their city rivals playing some sublime football.
Rossa stayed in touch with Michael’s in the opening ten minutes. But from there to half time struggled to contain the city side playing a very attractive brand of attacking football.
The 2018 PIFC champions got a dream start inside a minute when, after the hugely influential Tadhg Deasy was fouled in the square, Eric Hegarty confidently converted the penalty.
Skibb reacted positively with points from Elliot Connolly, Donal Óg Hodnett and the pick of the game’s six goals from full forward David Shannon.
St. Michael’s then took over for large tracts of this first half, reeling off an unanswered 1—3 between the 6th and 12th minutes and another unanswered 1-3 between 22nd and 27th minutes. The goals were memorable, too, products of patient build-up play and finished with aplomb by Andy O’Connell and Adam Hennessy.
When Liam Grainger landed a fine point after some hard running in the 27th minute, Michael’s led 3-6 to 1-4. While Rossa did land two points before the break from Seán Fitzgerald and David Shannon, Michael’s must have believed they were in a good position to shut out this game and take that golden ticket to a semi-final stage Michael’s were never going to play defensively but they may not have been expecting such a fightback from a transformed Rossa after the break.
Inside a minute of the restart Davis, who wasn’t fit to start, landed a beauty off his left before some neat handling and approach-play - especially from Hodnett - saw Thomas Hegarty finish coolly to the net. Skibb’s third goal arrived via the crossbar from Darren Daly in the 36th minute – again Hodnett was involved – and suddenly Skibb were one ahead (3-7 to 3-6). A stunned Michael’s did regain some composure to put Keith Hegarty in a good position for a point three minutes later. Michael’s Deasy and Tom Lenihan landed two peaches to make it 3-10 apiece as the game entered injury time. They were level a further two times before Davis arced over the winner in the 65th minute.
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