Cork SAFC: St Michael’s beat Bishopstown in drab opener

St Michael's Tom Linehan on the ball. Picture Denis Boyle

St Michael's 2-10 Bishopstown 0-5

An unanswered 2-6 either side of half-time secured victory for St Michael’s in this desperately poor Cork Senior A football championship Group B clash.

Trailing by 0-5 to 0-3 after 26 minutes, St Michael’s kicked 2-7 without reply between there and the finish line to run out 11-point winners.

Quite amazingly, Bishopstown did not add to their tally following Simon Collins’ 26th-minute point, failing to raise a flag of any description across 40 minutes of action.

Their inability to find the target at any stage during the second half an hour was not for the want of chances, Bishopstown kicking 10 second-half wides.

This defeat extends the club’s wait for a first county football championship win since 2018, Bishopstown having now lost their last seven championship outings. Moreover, any hopes of a swift return to the premier senior ranks following last year’s relegation suffered a serious reality check here.

To the winners, who’ll be most pleased to have begun on a winning note ahead of difficult tests against Kiskeam and Knocknagree.

Lethargic early doors, St Michael’s found their rhythm when kicking an unanswered 1-2 in the five minutes before the call for half-time to go from two behind to three in front at the break.

The goal was a fisted effort from Eoghan Buckley after a series of intricate passes inside the Bishopstown 20-metre line, with Buckley, again, and Dan Meaney following with points to leave the interval scoreline reading 1-5 to 0-5.

Dave Egan’s side continued where they left off upon the change of ends, Meaney doubling his tally before Dan Lenihan drilled home goal number two on 35 minutes.

Three further points from Buckley, sub Tadgh Deasy, and Keith Hegarty had Michael’s 2-9 to 0-5 clear on 42 minutes, the end of a 17-minute spell where they took their opponents for 2-6 without answer.

This group fixture ambled along towards its inevitable conclusion thereafter, although it did so in the absence of scores.

The strong and productive St Michael’s finish to the first-half was the highlight of an otherwise mundane and error-ridden opening 30 minutes. After a busy seven minutes, at the end of which Bishopstown led 0-3 to 0-2, this Group B Round 1 contest went scoreless in the ensuing 13 minutes.

Scorers for St Michael’s: E Buckley (1-3, 0-1 free); D Lenihan (1-0); D Meaney, K Hegarty (0-2 each); E Sheehan, M Drummond, T Deasy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Bishopstown: R Cahill (0-3, 0-2 frees); S Collins (0-2).

ST MICHAEL’S: M Burke; S Keating, O O’Sullivan, L Carroll; T Lenihan, J Golden, P Cunningham; D Meaney, E Sheehan; D Lenihan, K Hegarty, M Drummond; L Grainger, E Buckley, E Hegarty.

Subs: T Deasy for Drummond (HT); E O’Donovan for Buckley (37, inj); B Cain for Cunningham (47); R Coleman for Keating, M Drummond for Meaney (both 57).

BISHOPSTOWN: K O’Halloran; S O’Rourke, E Byrne, M Murphy; M Power, E Deasy, D Quaid; B Murphy, J Murphy; D Costello, L O’Driscoll, N Gough; M Oakes, R Cahill, S Collins.

Subs: C O’Driscoll for Oakes, P O’Flynn for Quaid (both 35 mins); J Scally for J Murphy (39).

Referee: J Ryan (Macroom).