Cork Premier SFC: Clonakilty score final seven points to shock Duhallow

Sean White was the hero with the winning point three minutes from time

Joe Grimes, Clonakilty is chased by Mark Eilis, Duhallow in the first half. Picture: Larry Cummins

Clonakilty 0-13 Duhallow 1-9

There was high drama in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday with Clonakilty securing their place in the Bon Secours Cork Premier SFC semi-final for the first time since 2010. Seven unanswered points saw Michael ‘Haulie’ O’Neill’s team come from six points down to claim victory by the narrowest of margins, and a last-four meeting with Douglas.

Sean White’s 57th-minute point was the clinching score as Duhallow failed to score for the majority of the fourth quarter.

“It is a big step forward for us to get to a semi-final,” said Clonakilty selector Eoin Ryan.

“I thought we were in trouble six points down but the lads just kept doing their job. In fairness, they put in a brilliant last 15 minutes.

“We were happy enough at half-time (four points behind), we were well in the game. We created a few chances at the start of the second half but didn’t take them. Any time they went up the field, they seemed to score. We kept at it and we got there.

“It is brilliant for this team. Every game you win makes you stronger. We came from a good bit down today and that will stand to them going forward.”

It looked good for Duhallow for long periods. They led 1-5 to 0-4 at the break with Jerry O’Connor nailing the goal in the 14th minute after he was set up by Seamus Hickey — that was their first score of the match. The Boherbue man was a late addition to the panel, the divisional side hit with injuries to Darragh Cashman and Kevin Cremin who were in club action over the weekend.

With the wind behind them, it allowed them to lead at the water break, 1-0 to 0-1.

Joe Grimes kept Clonakilty in touch but Donncha O’Connor and Conor O’Callaghan raised white flags to keep Duhallow ahead.

By the 27th minute, and even though they were guilty of some wides, the west Cork men reduced the arrears to two through Ross Mannix and Dara Ó Sé.

Two more Donncha O’Connor scores helped Duhallow into a half-time lead of double scores.

Points were exchanged early in the second half between Jerry O’Connor and Ó Sé, and again between Ó Sé and Donncha O’Connor. Significantly, Clonakilty had two goal chances but to no avail — the first fell to Grimes but he slipped at the last minute and the second was fired to the net by Sean McEvoy but referee Alan O’Connor had called play back, and awarded a free.

At the second water break, Duhallow were 1-8 to 0-6 up, thanks to a 42nd-minute point from Shane Hickey. The advantage could have been greater only for a superb block by Eoghan Deasy in front of his own goal.

When Kevin Crowley pushed the gap out to six points, you imagined Duhallow were sensing victory.

Clonakilty had other ideas though. With the likes of county star Liam O’Donovan — substituted towards the end after giving it everything — and Tom Clancy delivering big performances, they started to build momentum through Gearóid Barry and an Ó Sé free. Conor Daly, introduced at the interval, added another, 1-9 to 0-9 and seven minutes remaining.

A brace from Ó Sé closed the gap to a single point as Clonakilty started to reel in their opponents. McEvoy shot the levelling point in the 56th minute to complete a sensational comeback. Sean White’s point three minutes from time handed them a one-point lead.

Duhallow, who are regular semi-finalists and contested the 2018 and 2019 finals, failed to score after the 46th minute. Maybe that statistic is not so surprising given the huge demands on a large number of Ned English’s players who were on duty in club games on Friday and Saturday.

Nonetheless, it was to be Clonakilty’s day. The next couple of weeks will be spent preparing and planning for a unique penultimate round showdown with Douglas.

“We will be underdogs, we don’t mind that. We were underdogs for the last three games and again today,” concluded a happy Ryan.

Scorers for Clonakilty: D Ó Sé (0-6, 0-5 frees), J Grimes (0-2), S White, S McEvoy, G Barry, C Daly and R Mannix (mark) (0-1 each).

Scorers for Duhallow: D O’Connor (0-5, 0-1 free, 0-1 mark), J O’Connor (1-1, 0-1 mark), S Hickey, C O’Callaghan and K Crowley (0-1 each).

CLONAKILTY: M White; L O’Donovan, T Clancy, D Peet; D Lowney, E Deasy, S White; B Ridgeway, J Grimes; S McEvoy, D O’Sé, G Barry; M Shanley, J O’Mahony, R Mannix.

Subs: C Daly for D Peet (half-time), O Bancroft for L O’Donovan (58).

DUHALLOW: K Holland (Kanturk); M Browne (Newmarket), J McLoughlin (Kanturk), P Allen (Newmarket); K Crowley (Millstreet), A Ryan (Newmarket), S Hickey (Millstreet); P Walsh (Kanturk), D Linehan (Castlemagner); D O’Connor (Ballydesmond), M Ellis (Millstreet), C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe); B Daly (Newmarket), S Hickey (Rockchapel), J O’Connor (Boherbue).

Subs: C O’Keeffe (Newmarket) for A Ryan (54), D Moynihan (Ballydesmond) for S Hickey (58), D O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe) for J O’Connor (62).

Referee: Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).