Clonakilty carry momentum into Cork final return after downing Douglas
Douglas's Conor Russell is fouled by Clonakilty's Tom Clancy in the Cork PSFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Gavin Browne
Clonakilty once again proved the importance of momentum as they booked their place in the final of the Bon Secours Cork PSFC at the expense of Douglas in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Two weeks ago, they were in grave danger of exiting the championship as they trailed Duhallow by six points. They kicked seven in a row to win it and here they built on that belief.
They had heroes everywhere with Tom Clancy and Eoghan Deasy outstanding at the back while up front Seán McEvoy pilfered four crucial points from play and Dara O’Shea was a model of consistency on the forty.
However, nobody stood taller than Seán White and his inspirational score just after the second water break gave Clon a 0-13 to 0-9 advantage. While Aaron Sheehy did respond quickly for Douglas, further scores from O’Shea and McEvoy gave the West Cork side a five-point lead that seemed unassailable.
Credit to Douglas, they dug deep as the outstanding Alan O’Hare earned a penalty that he converted himself before adding a free to leave Clonakilty nerves jangling. In a fitting end to the game, Liam O’Donovan and Seán Powter fought for the final ball with O’Donovan just about doing enough to win it before David Murnane called time to send the large Clon contingent into rapture.
Contrary to popular expectation, the opening of this game was enthralling. The defences of both sides were populated with household names but both attacks found success by getting runners in behind the respective rearguards.
With Powter and O’Donovan spending a lot of time in the vicinity of one another, there was the opportunity for others to shine. Douglas’ David Hanrahan, a late call-up to the starting fifteen, was the first to do so as he consistently found pockets of space while plundering the opening three scores of the game.
Ross Mannix finally settled the Clon nerves with a fine score after eight minutes before Seán McEvoy had their second score soon after. McEvoy then traded points with Alan O’Hare to leave the West Cork side trailing by 0-4 to 0-3 with twelve minutes played.
Conor Russell edged the city side two clear with a free, but Clonakilty were now imposing themselves on the game far more aggressively with White and David Lowney prominent. Dara O’Shea slotted over his first free and this was followed by a fabulous long-range effort from Eoghan Deasy to leave them tied at 0-5 apiece as they broke for water.
Clon carried their momentum through as they took the lead for the first time through Ben Ridgeway. O’Shea followed suit with two frees and suddenly it was Clon who were three in front.
Alan O’Hare ended the Douglas drought with his second score, but O’Shea answered immediately with his fourth free to leave Clon leading by 0-9 to 0-6 at the interval.
The Carbery side continued from where they left off on the resumption as Mannix extended their lead. O’Hare responded in kind for Douglas, but McEvoy pushed Clon four clear again as Douglas struggled to find their rhythm.
Gradually, however, they did. The Hartnett brothers, Niall and Brian, began to take a grip around midfield along with Kevin Flahive and as a result, they began to make inroads into their deficit. Niall Hartnett split the posts before O’Hare landed his fourth to leave just two between them.
Conor Russell then had a chance to reduce the margin to one, but his effort came back off the post, and Douglas were then dealt a blow when O’Hare received a black card.
O’Shea punished them with another free before Joe Grimes then received a black card for Clon but they still held a significant 0-12 to 0-9 lead at the second water break.
From there they were not to be denied as they take their place in the final for the first time since 2009.
D O’Shea (0-6, 0-5 frees), S McEvoy (0-4), R Mannix (0-2), E Deasy, S White, and B Ridgeway (0-1 each).
A O’Hare (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free), D Hanrahan (0-3), N Hartnett, C Russell (free), and A Sheehy (0-1 each).
M White; D Peet, M Shanley, T Clancy; L O’Donovan, E Deasy, S White; B Ridgeway, J Grimes; G Barry, D Lowney, D O’Shea; J O’Mahony, S McEvoy, R Mannix.
C Daly for O’Mahony (39), C O’Donovan for Peet (54), S O’Donoghue for Daly (60), O Bancroft for O’Donovan (inj, 64).
B Boyle; N Walshe, D Harte, S Wilson; K Flahive, D Ward, L McGrath; N Hartnett, B Hartnett; S Aherne, D Hanrahan, B Lynch; C Russell, S Powter, A O’Hare.
L Dineen for Walshe (18), J Davis for Harte (38), A Sheehy for Aherne (39), D Kelly for Hanrahan (48), D McCarthy for Russell (49).
D Murnane (Macroom).
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