Joy as Hennessy brace sees St Michael's finally get over the line

All the hard work paid off as the city side accounted for Knocknagree in the Senior A football final.

AERIAL BATTLE: St Michael's Daniel Meaney knocks the ball away from Knocknagree's David O'Connor during the Bon Secours Cork County Senior A Football Championship final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

St Michael’s 2-7 

Knocknagree 0-6 

An Adam Hennessey goal 10 minutes from time fired St Michael’s to victory in the final of the Bons Secours Cork SAFC in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon. 

The city side, who had tasted defeat in a final on six occasions since 2012, finally found a way to ascend into the top tier of Cork football after a performance that was based far more on grit than glamour.

After a dour 45 minutes of football, they led by 1-6 to 0-5 before Hennessey, who also hit a goal in the opening half, stretched their lead to five with a point from play. 

Then he found himself through on goal after a fine pass from Eric Hegarty and the corner-forward didn’t hesitate in planting it past Patrick Doyle. From there to the end Michael’s shut down the game and despite Knocknagree’s best efforts, all they could add to their total was a Eoghan McSweeney free.

When you’re looking to overturn a decade of disappointment, a good start is essential. St Michael’s played with the wind and enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening phase of the game, but all they had to show for it after 10 minutes was a Keith Hegarty point. Worryingly, they had kicked four wides in the same period while an Adam Hennessey effort from a mark had come back off the post.

Meanwhile, Knocknagree were making the most of their opportunities. Michael McSweeney had them level after four minutes while scores from Niall O’Connor and Eoghan McSweeney saw them lead by 0-3 to 0-1 before Daniel Meaney narrowed the gap with a wonderful score from distance.

Fintan O’Connor then had Knocknagree’s first wide and from the resultant kickout, Michael’s found their groove. Tom Lenihan played the perfect pass into Keith Hegarty, who slipped past Michael Mahoney on the turn before passing to Hennessey who cracked home the game’s opening goal.

Then the scores began to dry up as both sides happily fell into positions of containment. Daniel Meaney remained prominent for St Michael’s, as did Daniel O’Mahony for Knocknagree while Eric Hegarty and Fintan O’Connor exchanged points.

Eoghan McSweeney then gave Denis R O’Connor a sight at goal only for Martin Burke to save well low and to his left. The city side then lost both Daniel Lenihan and Andrew Murphy to injury before a Robbie Cotter free made it 1-4 to 0-4 at the break.

There was no improvement in standard on the resumption. This was a day when winning was the only thing that was valued and another Cotter free along with a Peter Cunningham effort from play pushed the city side closer to their desired destination. Fintan O’Connor then kicked his first from play to make it 1-6 to 0-5 with fifteen to go.

That final quarter was to belong to St Michael’s, as they can now look forward to locking horns with the big guns in Cork football once again in 2023.

Scorers for St Michael’s: A Hennessey (2-1), R Cotter (0-2 frees), P Cunningham, D Meaney, K Hegarty and E Hegarty (0-1 each).

Scorers for Knocknagree: F O’Connor (1 free) and E McSweeney (1 free) (0-2 each), M McSweeney and N O’Connor (0-1 each).

ST MICHAEL’S: M Burke; S Keating, J Golden, D Corkery; T Lenihan (c), A O’Callaghan, P Cunningham; A Murphy, D Meaney; D Lenihan, K Hegarty, E Hickey; R Cotter, E Hegarty, A Hennessey. Subs: R O’Shaughnessy for D Lenihan (inj, 24), L O’Sullivan for Murphy (inj, 29), E O’Donovan for Cotter (49), M O’Keeffe for Hennessey and R Coleman for Keating (both 59), R Kavanagh for O’Callaghan (inj, 61).

KNOCKNAGREE: P Doyle; K Buckley, M Mahoney, G O’Connor; D Cooper, D O’Mahony, M Doyle; M McSweeney, G Looney, F O’Connor (c), M Dilworth, E McSweeney; DR O’Connor, D O’Connor, N O’Connor. Subs: D Moynihan for N O’Connor (48), K Cronin for F O’Connor (49), T O’Connor for M Doyle and D Twomey for DR O’Connor (both 59).

Referee: James Regan (Lough Rovers)