Éire Óg defeat Bandon to take Premier Two minor title

Galvin  on song as Ovens lads secure Cork MFC title at Pairc Ui Rinn

CHAMPIONS: Éire Óg players celebrate after defeating Bandon in the Rebel Óg Premier 2 MFC final at Páirc Uí Rinn. 

Cork Premier 2 MFC final: Eire Óg 2-15 Bandon 0-9.

Éire Óg are Cork Premier 2 Minor Football champions after a brilliant second-half display against Bandon saw them claim silverware in Páirc Uí Rinn on Monday night.

The Ovens lads were quickest off the mark scoring a well-worked team goal in the opening minute of the game. With a surprising amount of space to operate in Daniel McCarthy set up Josh Mccarthy on the overlap and he dispatched with aplomb.

Only four minutes later Éire Óg would have the ball in the net again. A mishit effort by Sean Murphy ended up in Johnny Galvin’s hands right in front of goal and unsurprisingly Éire Og’s star man put it past the keeper for the dream start.

A shaky opening few for Bandon, no doubt, but they worked their way back into the game nicely. David Whelton led the revival with four points as Bandon scored seven of the next nine to close the gap. They nearly had a goal themselves when Jack Cullinane’s turnover near the Éire Óg square presented a one-on-one opportunity to Whelton, but Brendan Lenihan was fast off his line to close the effort down.

With half-time just around the corner the momentum swung Éire Og’s way again. Scores from Darragh Clifford, Daniel McCarthy and captain Oisin McLaughlin meant they would go in 2-7 to 0-7 ahead at the short whistle.

Bandon’s Oisin McLaughlin was doing a captain’s duty at the back. He blocked what looked like a certain goal on 47 minutes when Kevin Hannon danced past three Éire Óg defenders only to be halted by the Éire Óg skipper. This would be one of few productive moments for Bandon in a second half that was dominated by Éire Og.

Despite his early goal Bandon managed to keep Johnny Galvin at bay in the first half, but the second half was a different story. Galvin scored five of Éire Og’s eight second-half points to help them on their way to an emphatic win. Sean Hurley and Josh McCarthy also contributed to the cause with scores of their own late on.

Scorers for Éire Og: J Galvin (1-5, 1f), J McCarthy (1-1), S Hurley (0-3), S Murphy (0-2), E Hyde, D Clifford, O McLaughlin and D McCarthy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Bandon: D Whelton (0-4), K Hannon (0-3), A Kelly (0-2).

EIRE OG: B Lenihan; D O’Regan, D Dineen, C Murphy; M Sheehan, O McLaughlin, A Hayfield; D Clifford, K Beechnior; D McCarthy, S Murphy, E Hyde; J McCarthy, J Galvin, S Hurley.

Subs: A O’Mahony for D McCarthy (51), S O’Callaghan for A Hayfield (51), P Dineen for M Sheehan (61), D O’Riordan for E Hyde (61), N O’Driscoll for J McCarthy (61).

BANDON: A O’Regan; R Tarrant, J O’Driscoll, J Minihane; C O’Mahony, C Crowley, G Murphy; E Claesson, M O’Donovan; A Kelly, K Hannon, J Cullinane; R Ahern, D Whelton, A Barry.

Subs: F Cali for J O’Driscoll (HT), J Heverin for J Minihane (HT), D Coughlan for M O’Donovan (40), C O’Flynn for R Ahern (45), C Kendellen for D Whelton (56).

Referee: Colm Maher (Buttevant).