Rampant Rockchapel score four goals to recover from St Vincent's 1-5 headstart

Mallow GAA grounds. File photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Cork PIFC: Rockchapel 4-8 St Vincent’s 1-9

A stunning display from Bon Secours Premier Intermediate Football Championship debutants Rockchapel helped them overcome St Vincent’s in a highly entertaining game at Mallow.

The city side were left to rue the loss of Darren O’Regan who received a black card in the 35th minute and in his absence the Saints were totally outclassed.

It only took former Cork U20 football star Blake Murphy 20 seconds to edge Vincent’s into a one-point lead and the same player added a second a minute later.

The city should have raised the opening green flag when a terrific three-man move saw Wayne Long blast the ball over the bar when hitting the back of the net looked an easier option.

It got worse for Rockchapel in the eight-minute when a poor kick out was caught by Murphy who placed a perfect pass to Michael O’Leary who slammed home a goal. 

Then against the run of play Rockchapel were handed a lifeline when poor Vincent’s defending allowed Kevin Collins to play in Seamus Hickey for a goal. 

Points from Jack Curtin and Hickey before the water break slashed the deficit to three points (1-5 to 1-2). And that gap was down to two when William Murphy kicked a classy point on the restart. 

St Vincent’s 22-minute scoring drought ended just before the break when David O’Connor kicked a monstrous point that ensured they held a 1-6 to 1-3 interval lead.

In the second half, it was one-way traffic as Rockchapel ran rampant after O’Regan received a 35th-minute black card.

In his absence, the Saints were outscored 2-3 to 0-1 with Kevin Collins and Jimmy McAuliffe netting the goals.

Jason O’Callaghan added a third goal with 14 minutes remaining as the Saints look a beaten side in the closing minutes.

Scorers for Rockchapel: S Hickey 1-3, J O’Callaghan 1-1 K Collins 1-0, J McAuliffe 1-0, J Curtin, W Murphy, C Curtin, C Keppel (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Vincent’s: M O’Leary 1-0, B Murphy 0-4 (0-2f) D O’Connor 0-3, W Long, P O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

ROCKCHAPEL: C Murphy; N Callaghan, E O’Callaghan, S Curtin; J O’Sullivan, P Curtin, D O’Callaghan; S Hickey, C Keppel; K Collins, W Murphy, J O’Callaghan; J McAuliffe, J Forrest, J Curtin.

Sub: C Curtin for J O’Sullivan (52).

St VINCENT’S: T Martin; A O’Callaghan, D O’Regan; S Duggan, A Harte, K Sorensen; A O’Callaghan, G McCarthy; P O’Sullivan, J Price, W Long; B Murphy, M O’Leary, D O’Connor.

Subs: D Duggan for J Price (h-t), R Fielding for W Long (44).

Referee: Justin Murphy (Castletownroche).