Seán Powter winner defies storming St Michael's comeback

The newly promoted side trailed by six until a pair of late goals but Powter won it for Douglas

Douglas' Alan O'Hare hits over a point from St. Michael's Andrew Murphy and Luke Carroll during the Bon Secours Cork PSFC at Pairc Ui Rinn . Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Cork Premier SFC Group C: Douglas 2-8 St Michael’s 2-7 

Seán Powter saved Douglas from a second-half collapse with a 65th-minute winner to swing this city derby in their favour after a storming St Michael’s comeback.

The newly promoted side trailed by six until a pair of late goals, the second of which arrived two minutes into stoppage time from captain Andrew Murphy to bring them level for the first time all evening.

Uniquely, Murphy finished it off with a header, the first seen at the former Flower Lodge venue in many years.

But on the day that Shane Kingston made his return to senior football with Douglas for the first time in four years, Powter came up trumps with a point in the dying seconds.

St Michael’s had enough reasons for optimism coming into their first top-flight game since 2006. As runners-up in second-tier competitions six times in 10 years, they were better grounded than most making the step up. Plus, Éire Óg and Mallow, their most recent conquerors, both went on to reach the quarter-finals in their first year up.

With top seeds St Finbarr’s up next, a result here seemed vital towards that aim.

The Dazzlers lined up without five of last year’s senior A champions, though. Robbie Cotter (who will hope to be fit for Blackrock’s hurling opener next Friday) and Dylan Corkery (broken leg) were ruled out from the planned starting line-up on top of the Lenihans, Dan and Tom, and Peter Cunningham.

Douglas started with intent and Conor Russell was at the heart of their opening 1-3 streak into the strong wind, involved in the build-up or at the finish of each attack. When captain Darragh Kelly forced a turnover and Powter teed him up, Russell fully punished the defensive error for a sixth-minute goal.

He would add a mark and a free to points scored by Alan O’Hare and Adam Cantwell.

Michael’s began to show some smart passing interplay with both midfielders Murphy and Eoin Hickey getting them up and running with points before Rory O’Shaughnessy and two placed balls from Tadhg Deasy had them back within a score.

They could’ve been closer too but for a diving save from Eoghan O’Brien after being caught out of position under Hickey’s long ball and crucial blocks by Powter and Ciarán Kenny.

Douglas had an ace up their sleeve, with Kingston called off the bench for his first championship football action since the 2019 county semi-final.

He was played a part in the build up to a penalty on the stroke of half-time, linking Powter’s interception to O’Hare who exchanged one-twos with Cantwell. The latter was hauled down but Martin Burke was equal to Russell’s shot from the spot. It remained 1-5 to 0-5 at the break.

The second half blazed into life with four more goal chances inside six minutes.

Alan O’Callaghan dispossessed Cantwell when bearing down on goal but moments later, Douglas tore through again, with Kelly and Conor Kingston supplying Kevin Flahive to take the ball around the keeper. 2-5 to 0-5.

Michael’s almost cancelled it out straight away. Eric Hegarty punched Murphy’s dropping effort towards the target but O’Brien pushed it up onto the crossbar. The Douglas counter-attack ended with Shane Kingston shooting for goal but Burke made another fine stop.

He saved again from Kelly as both sides seemed to doze off for a spell.

But the game was resuscitated when sub Mark O’Keeffe cracked the Douglas crossbar and Murphy kept the ball alive for Simon Falvey to dispatch a cushioned volley to the net without taking the ball to hand.

The gap was just two after another booming Murphy point but Russell replied with an out-side-of-the-boot effort.

Then, a long ball into the goalmouth was turned towards goal by Murphy. The umpires hesitated as Kenny swept it away from the net before giving the nod to wave the green flag.

But when they needed him, Powter stepped up to the mark.

Scorers for Douglas: C Russell (1-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 mark); K Flahive (1-0); S Powter, C Kingston, B Hartnett, A O’Hare, A Cantwell (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Michael’s: A Murphy (1-2); S Falvey (1-0); T Deasy (0-2, 1 free, 1 45); E Hickey, A Hennessy (free), R O’Shaughnessy (0-1 each).

DOUGLAS: E O’Brien; N Lynch, C Kenny, K Hayes Curtin; S Powter, S Wilson, K Flahive; C Kingston, B Hartnett; Darragh Kelly (capt), E Nash, B Lynch; A O’Hare, A Cantwell, C Russell.

Subs: S Kingston for Nash (28 inj), S Aherne for B Lynch (48), D McCarthy for Cantwell (56), B Powter for Kelly (59 inj), J Cunningham for Russell (60+3).

ST MICHAEL’S: M Burke; S Keating, J Golden, L Carroll; E Sheehan, D Meaney, A O’Callaghan; A Murphy (capt), E Hickey; T Deasy, S Falvey, K Hegarty; A Hennessy, R O’Shaughnessy, E Hegarty.

Subs: L O’Herlihy for O’Shaughnessy (h-t), L O’Sullivan for E Hegarty (37), R Kavanagh for Sheehan (46), M O’Keeffe for Hickey (46), E O’Donovan for Falvey (53).

Referee: D Murnane (Macroom)