McAuliffe's brace seals final spot for Duhallow 

FINAL SPOT: Duhallow's Jack Murphy and Imokilly's Diarmuid Phelan tussle for the ball during the Cork divisional/colleges SFC semi final at Donoughmore. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Bon Secours Cork Premier SFC (Divisions/Colleges) semi-final

Duhallow 2-15 Imokilly 1-9

Mikey McAuliffe’s brace of goals inspired Duhallow to victory in the Bon Secours Cork Premier SFC (Divisions/Colleges) semi-final at Donoughmore on Thursday night. They booked their place against Muskerry in the final of this unseeded section - a team they have already defeated by six points in Round 1.

Duhallow backed up that opening round success with another commanding performance. The evergreen Donncha O’Connor also in outstanding form, scoring four points.

Imokilly had plenty of opportunities, but kicking twice as many wides as their opponents, was always going to hurt. They hit the front through a Danny Creedon point, and it got better when Aaron Berry found the net in the fourth minute following a move involving Brendan Lehane and Diarmuid Byrne.

Duhallow then announced their arrival a couple of minutes later when Mikey McAuliffe collected a neat pass from Conor O’Callaghan and made no mistake for his green flag, the sides level 1-1 each.

They forged ahead over the next quarter of an hour, outshooting Imokilly six points to one to establish a formidable lead.

The supply line was accurate and constant as McAuliffe (2), Daniel O’Keeffe (2), Seamus Hickey and Kevin Crowley raised white flags, 1-7 to 1-2. The Imokilly point supplied by Tim Hartnett.

At the break, Duhallow were 1-9 to 1-4 in front - Imokilly left to rue seven first-half wides.

The east Cork side scored three unanswered points to make it a three-point game early in the second-half, and some cause for optimism. However, McAuliffe’s second goal in the 42nd minute more or less decided the outcome, 2-11 to 1-7. While the build-up was patient, the Rockchapel forward timed it to perfection.

Imokilly, with Pearse O’Neill coming into the fray, never gave up the fight and could have got close only for a shot from Berry going across the face of the goal and wide.

Duhallow closed with a run of points from O’Connor, Luke Murphy (2) and McAuliffe.

Scorers for Duhallow: M McAuliffe (2-3), D O’Connor (0-4, 0-1 free, 0-1 45), D O’Keeffe (0-3, 0-1 free), Seamus Hickey and L Murphy (0-2 each), K Crowley (0-1).

Scorers for Imokilly: A Berry (1-2), D Creedon (0-1 free) and D Byrne (0-2 each), T Hartnett, D Collins and D Kearney (0-1 each).

DUHALLOW: F O’Connor (Cullen); K Crowley (Millstreet), K Cremin (Boherbue, J-Capt), D Buckley (do); Shane Hickey (Millstreet), C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), J Murphy (do); Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel), D Linehan (Castlemagner); A O’Connor (Boherbue), D O’Connor (Ballydesmond, J-Capt), J Curtin (Rockchapel); D O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe), L Murphy (Cullen), M McAuliffe (Rockchapel).

Subs: B O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe) for A O’Connor (37), J Linehan (Millstreet) for J Curtin (48), C Murphy (Castlemagner) for D Linehan (55), E Murphy (Dromtarriffe) for D O’Keeffe (61).

IMOKILLY: C O’Shea (Aghada); D Healy (Dungourney), S De Burca (Carrigtwohill), K O’Shea (Aghada); T Hartnett (do), J Horgan (Carrigtwohill), D Collins (Aghada); D Phelan (Aghada), D Joyce (Castlemartyr); T O’Donoghue (Carraig Na bhFear, Capt), D Kearney (Cobh), D Byrne (Aghada); A Berry (do), D Creedon (do), B Lehane (Glenville).

Subs: J Carver (Glenville) for T O’Donoghue (7-12 bs), P O’Neill (Aghada) for D Phelan (20 inj), M O’Driscoll (Glenville) for B Lehane, J Carver for S De Burca (both half-time), D Phelan for D Creedon (55), J Colbert (Aghada) for T O’Donoghue (60).

Referee: Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers).