Goals crucial as Ballincollig secure first semi appearance in six years

SURROUNDED: Ballincollig's Sean Dore being tackled. Pic: Denis Boyle

Ballincollig 4-11 Carbery 1-15

A pair of goals in either half secured Ballincollig a first Cork football semi-final appearance in six years.

Having scraped into the knockout stages with just one win to their name, Ballincollig are now one hour from a first county final appearance since 2016.

Two converted Cian Dorgan penalties were at the root of their 2-6 to 1-6 interval lead, with fellow inside forward Darren Murphy helping himself to a green flag brace on 40 and 46 minutes respectively.

Murphy’s first was a rebound effort after Carbery ‘keeper Cian Ryan had done well to keep out Liam O’Connell’s initial effort. His second and his team’s fourth, when he cut through the centre, summed up the greater ease at which Ballincollig found scores compared to their opponents.

With Ruairi Deane having narrowed Ballincollig’s lead to the minimum, 2-7 to 1-9, on 38 minutes, Murphy’s two goals thereafter were part of an unanswered 2-3 that catapulted the winners into an unassailable 4-10 to 1-9 advantage.

Brian O’Driscoll kicked four on the bounce in the final quarter to bring his personal tally to 0-7 and the deficit back to six, but there was never any danger of Ballincollig being caught.

Podsie O’Mahony’s charges had led 2-6 to 1-6 at the break, and there may have been a feeling in their dressing-room at half-time that they should have been further ahead as they kicked five wides to Carbery’s two and also had an Evan Cooke goal effort late in the half well smothered by a scrambling Carbery defence.

Then again, Carbery had a better goal chance around the 22-minute mark when Colm O’Driscoll should have put half-back Ger O’Callaghan in the clear, but his poor handpass was easily intercepted.

Of the three goals that were scored during a lively first half of football, two - both of Ballincollig’s - came from the penalty spot. Brian Everard fouled Liam O’Connell for the first penalty in the second minute, with half-forward Sean Dore fouled for their second spot kick on 11 minutes.

Carbery produced an impressive response to the setback of that first penalty on two minutes, the West Cork division reeling off 1-3 without reply to move 1-3 to 1-2 in front on 10 minutes, the goal supplied by Ruairi Deane.

Dogan’s second penalty thereafter shoved Ballincollig back in front, and they kept their noses in front for the remainder of the half thanks to points from Darren Murphy, Luke Fahy, and Dorgan again. The latter finished with a very healthy 2-4 scribbled beside his name.

Scorers for Ballincollig: C Dorgan (2-4, 2-0 pen, 0-1 free); D Murphy (2-3); D O’Mahony (0-2); L Fahy, L O’Connell (0-1 each).

Scorers for Carbery: B O’Driscoll (0-7, 0-4 frees, 0-1 ‘45); R Deane (1-4, 0-3 frees); P O’Driscoll (0-2); G O’Callaghan, K O’Driscoll (0-1 each).

Ballincollig: C Walsh; G O’Donoghue, N Galvin, L Jennings; L Fahy, H Aherne, C Kiely; E Cooke, S Kiely; S Dore, L O’Connell, D O’Mahony; D Dorgan, C Dorgan, D Murphy.

Subs: P O’Neill for Cooke (36); J O’Connor for Dore, S Wills for D Dorgan (both 52); S Dore for O’Neill (55, inj); P Kelly for Jennings (57).

Carbery: C Ryan (Ballinascarthy); R O’Connor (St Mary’s), B Murphy (St Colum’s), D Twomey (Ballinascarthy); K O’Brien (Gabriel Rangers), B Everard (St Mary’s), G O’Callaghan (Gabriel Rangers); S Ryan (Ballinascarthy), B O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh); P O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers), C O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), A Hayes (St James); R Deane (Bantry), K O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), K O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers).

Subs: R Hourihane (Kilmacabea) for Murphy (33); K Keohane (Kilmeen) for O’Callaghan, S Thornton (Bantry) for O’Brien, J O’Regan (Gabriel Rangers) for Ryan (all 46); S Daly (Radal Óg) for K O’Driscoll (51).

Referee: C Dineen.