Impressive Iveleary on track for back-to-back titles as Ballinhassig edge into junior final

A number of the secondary grades in Cork GAA are moving towards a climax. John Coleman rounds up Saturday's knockout action

Iveleary's Chris Og Jones, pictured here with Cork, proved too hot to handle as the Mid Cork side powered through to a Cork IAFC final on Saturday

FANCIED Ivelary remain on track for back-to-back Cork county football championships following their victory over Aghabullogue in the semi-final of the Intermediate AFC in Kilmurray on Saturday. 

A Brian Cronin goal was crucial in the opening half as last year’s junior champions led by 1-8 to 1-2 at the break.

Aghabullogue were up against it from there and though Niall Barry Murphy rattled the net, further goals from Conor O’Leary and Chris Óg Jones gave Ivelary a 3-14 to 1-5 victory as they now await the challenge of Mitchelstown or Kilshannig in the decider.

Meanwhile, in the JAFC, Ballinhassig qualified for their first ever final when they came from behind to beat Douglas by 1-8 to 1-7 in Ballyanly on Saturday. An early penalty from Andrew Cotter gave Douglas an early advantage though Diarmuid O’Sullivan responded from the spot for the Blues as they trailed by 1-6 to 1-3 at the break.

Douglas stretched their advantage on the resumption before Ballinhassig reeled them in. O’Sullivan, who kicked 1-7 of their total, kicked three in-a-row to level it before Cillian Tyres kicked the winning score. They now await the winners of Urhan and Boherbue, who play on Tuesday night, in the final.

In hurling, Ballygiblin claimed their place in the Co-op Superstores JAHC final with a nail-biting 1-15 to 2-11 victory over fourteen-man Passage in Riverstown. Passage lost a man in the first half but a Niall McCarthy goal meant that they only trailed by one at the break, 0-10 to 1-6.

With Darragh O’Flynn in fine form, the Avondhu side pulled away and led by 1-16 to 1-11 before Passage banged in a late goal, but there was to be no denying the Ballygiblin men.

In the final they will play Dromtarriffe after they got the better of St Ita’s in Mallow. The Duhallow side, who annexed the junior football title in 2018, led by 0-11 to 0-3 at the break. Shane Horgan’s 0-7 then proved crucial in the final analysis as they emerged 1-18 to 0-11 victors to set up a novel pairing with Ballygiblin in the decider.