Keeper Flynn stars as Dungourney seal first intermediate title

Flynn made four point-blank saves to keep his clean sheet.

9th October 2022 Cloughduv's William Ahern is fouled by Dungourney's Ryan Denny during the Co-Op Superstores Cork IAHC final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Cork IAHC final: Dungourney 1-16 Cloughduv 0-13 

It took a replay to separate these two the last time they met in a county final. This time, Dungourney saved themselves the second bus trip with a fine second-half performance against a wasteful Cloughduv side.

Man-of-the-match Shane Hegarty, Ryan Denny, and Jack Leahy scored 1-14 of Dungourney’s total but 18-year-old goalie Paul Flynn must’ve come close to the individual award, making four point-blank saves to keep his clean sheet.

On top of those misses, Cloughduv fired 13 wides (to Dungourney’s seven), missing five placed balls and firing a sixth off the post.

It meant a first Cork Intermediate title for Dungourney, on top of their 2015 Junior A success against the Mid Cork men.

They went in level at the half, 0-8 apiece, Dungourney holding the lead through the first 19 minutes. It wasn’t that Dungourney dominated that period, though, just that Cloughduv came up against Dungourney keeper Paul Flynn on top of his game.

The 18-year-old saved a tricky kicked shot from Aidan Murphy, made a diving save from Brian Verling, and pushed away a Mark Verling effort, all in the space of five minutes.

Brian Verling also missed his first two placed-ball efforts as Jack Leahy and John Ahern, Dungourney’s other two 18-year-olds, gave their side an early two-point lead against the run of play.

Leahy, the 2021 Minor Hurler of the Year, and Shane Hegarty led their first-half scoring with six points from midfield, three each. They led 0-6 to 0-3 before Cloughduv finally began to work the scoreboard. Cormac O’Driscoll and Eoghan Clifford were winning the puck-out battle and supplying ball for Mark Walsh (0-2) and Brian Verling, who found his range with four frees.

They edged a point ahead as Dungourney went scoreless for 13 minutes, Leahy coming closest to breaking that run when through on goal but Conrad Crowley was equal to his effort.

The usual suspects, Leahy (free) and Hegarty, found their range before Verling levelled it again.

Dungourney were rotating their danger men through their lone full-forward role. It was Denny for a while, briefly Leahy, and then Hegarty took it on upon the resumption. He did the most damage of all.

Flynn had to produce more heroics at the other end first, saving well from Brian Verling again.

Then, Hegarty gathered sub Cormac Griffin’s ball in and while Crowley was equal to his first shot, O’Driscoll was somewhat unlucky to foul Hegarty for a penalty after regaining the ball. O’Driscoll flicked the sliotar but slightly came through Hegarty to do so. Denny had no time for debates, skidding the penalty off the greasy surface to the bottom corner.

Down by four, 1-9 to 0-8, Cloughduv began to give away frees which allowed Dungourney to maintain their advantage. Hegarty (three times), Denny, and Leahy were fouled and Leahy converted all five. That cancelled out two Verling frees and points from Jason Mannix, Stephen O’Donoghue, and O’Driscoll. 1-14 to 0-13 and it could’ve been more; Leahy firing a goal chance just wide.

Cloughduv’s wastefulness was never fully resolved. Verling missed a simple score from play, then hit the post from a free (the fifth miss from a placed ball), and struck the follow-up effort wide – their 11th in total – on top of those four goal chances.

Hegarty and Griffin put the cherry on top with two late scores to make it a six-point win.

Scorers for Dungourney: J Leahy (0-8, 6 frees); R Denny (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free); S Hegarty (0-4); John Ahern, C Griffin (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cloughduv: B Verling (0-6 frees); M Walsh (0-2); C O’Driscoll, A Murphy, J Mannix, M Verling, S O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

DUNGOURNEY: P Flynn; M Leahy, M McGrath, D Healy (capt); S Rohan, N Motherway, C Padden; Jack Leahy, S Hegarty; James Ahern, B Forbes, John Ahern; N McGrath, N Flynn, R Denny.

Subs: C Griffin for N McGrath (ht), C Flynn for N Flynn (41), W McCarthy for Rohan (47), N McGrath for James Ahern (58), C O’Doherty for M McGrath (60+1).

CLOUGHDUV: C Crowley; L Kelleher, B Ahern, Ó O’Driscoll; S Curzon, C O’Driscoll, E Clifford (capt); W Ahern, E Moynihan; M Walsh, A Murphy, J Mannix; M Verling; B Verling, C Ryan.

Subs: S O’Donoghue for Moynihan (ht), P Buckley for Curzon (47), C Canty for Mannix (48), S O’Connor for Ryan (54), D Walsh for Ó O’Dirscoll (60+1).

Referee: P Lyons (Bishopstown)