Cill na Martra react to 'kick in the backside' to set up Kanturk showdown

John Evans expects even more improvement from his side after a defeat of Aghada. 

SOLO RUN: Antoin O Cuana, Cill Na Martra streaks away from Aghada's Jake O'Donoghue at Ballincollig.

Cork Premier IFC

Cill na Martra 3-14 Aghada 1-7

Cill na Martra booked themselves a date with Kanturk in the semi-final of Cork's Premier IFC via  comprehensive victory over Aghada in Ballincollig on Saturday. 

Their experienced manager, John Evans, is long enough in the tooth not to get carried away and he’s just happy with how his side responded to an opening round defeat to Nemo Rangers.

“I’m happy in the sense that we started out losing in the first round against Nemo Rangers. We certainly were complacent on the day, and Nemo Rangers played well and were deserving winners on the day," he says. 

"But that was the kick in the backside that we needed. We went back to the training field, looked at what we did wrong and I think that we’ve rectified a lot of things in our game, and we’re now beginning to enjoy it. We’re scoring well, but just scoring doesn’t win games.” 

It did here, as the Gaeltacht side hit 3-12 from play, with the triumvirate of Micheál Ó Deasúna, Damien Ó hUrdail and Dan Ó Duinnín accounting for 3-9 of that. 1-8 of it came in the first half that they won by 1-9 to 0-2, Ó hUrdail with the goal after brilliant interplay involving his two partners in crime and Ciarán Ó Duinnín, to send them on their way to victory. Evans knows, however, that Kanturk will be capable of taking the chances that Aghada spurned.

“Aghada - with that fantastic warrior, Pearse O’Neill - had chances on the day but just didn’t put them away. Everyone is looking at Micheál Ó Deasúna and Damien but the scuds are created out the field by the likes of Danno and Finbarr and the two midfielders. It’s a team game we’re playing, but the boys are good finishers. 

"There’s no doubt that Kanturk are the roaring-hot favourites, we’ll be meeting a different team altogether, we’ll have to be a lot, lot better than today, and I think it will be a lot, lot tighter.” 

Aghada made a bolt after half time, with Jamie O’Hanlon punching a Cian Fleming delivery to the net, but they were undone by two goals from the outstanding Ó Deasúna and from there on the Cill na Martra focus switched from East to North, and an intriguing encounter against Kanturk.

Scorers for Cill na Martra: M Ó Deasúna (2-4, 0-1 free), D Ó hUrdail (1-3), D Ó Duinnín (0-3), D Ó Conaill (0-2), S Ó Duinnín and A Ó Loingsigh (mark) (0-1 each).

Scorers for Aghada: D Creedon (0-3, 0-1 mark, 0-2 frees), J O’Hanlon (1-0), T Hartrnett (0-2), F Cody (0-1) and C Terry (mark) (0-1 each).

CILL NA MARTRA: P Ó Críodáin; T Ó Corcora, G Ó Mocháin, F Ó Faoláin; D Ó Conaill, S Ó Fóirréidh, C Ó Fóirréidh; A Ó Cuana, G Ó Goillidhe (c); F Ó hÉalaithe, C Ó Duinnín , D Ó Duinnín; M Ó Duinnín, M Ó Deasúna, D Ó hUrdail. 

Subs: S Ó Duinnín for M Ó Duinnín (43), C Mac Lochlainn for Ó hÉalaithe (47), A Ó hUidhir for Ó Mocháin (51), E Ó Conaill for D Ó Duinnín (53), A Ó Loingsigh for Ó Cuana (55).

AGHADA: C O’Shea; K O’Shea, R Power, J Colbert; J Tynan, J O’Donoghue, E Leahy; M Russell, P O’Neill; T Hartnett, D Creedon (c), A O’Connell; A Berry, F Cody, S Bennett.

Subs: J O’Hanlon for Tynan and D Collins for Colbert (both h/t), C Fleming for Power (inj, 35), C Terry for Bennett (41), D Leahy for Cody (55).

Referee: Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers).