Bench press a vital component for Fermoy boss O'Connell
BACK ON TRACK: Darragh Daly of Fermoy breaks away from Cloyne's Tom O'Regan and Adam Sherlock during the Co Op Superstores Senior A Hurling Championship match in Youghal. Picture: Howard Crowdy
Fermoy got their Cork Senior A Hurling Championship campaign back on track thanks to an impressive second-half performance against Cloyne in Youghal on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides came into this clash seeking to reignite their campaigns having come away empty-handed from their opening group two tussles with Bride Rovers and Castlelyons, respectively.
The win resurrects Don O’Connell’s side’s chances of knockout qualification, but they face a stiff challenge with Bride Rovers having made a perfect start in Group 2. For Cloyne, a second heavy defeat in a row will be tough to take, especially given they were victors over Fermoy in 2023.
The Fermoy bench contingent were to provide the goods upon their introduction on a day when the shooting radar was a touch-off for the opening half hour.
“It was brilliant,” O’Connell said of the bench impact post-match. “Look, we’ve been talking about it all week, there’s lads that are disheartened by not starting, but it’s not that they’re dropped, they are lads to come in and win the game for us, effectively.
“That’s what happened today, we had it a couple of weeks ago against Castlelyons, but we probably left ourselves with a bit too much work to do. Today, it worked after a tight and tense first half.”
Subs Arlen Aherne – originally named to start – and James Molloy were both introduced shortly after the interval and contributed 3-2 from play between them. Further contributions came from more replacements, David Lardner, Cillian Fitzpatrick and Brian O’Sullivan.
Molloy’s goal was sandwiched in between two Aherne green flags in the third-quarter to kill any Cloyne challenge.
Matters had been level at eight points apiece up to the 38th minute, but Aherne was on hand to slot home after Cloyne keeper Dylan Costine had made a good save from Martin Brennan.
That put daylight between the sides. Fermoy never looked back. Molloy’s goal arrived after persistent work in the goalmouth area seven minutes later.
Aherne grabbed his second two minutes after that. 3-10 to 0-9. Goals win games.
There wasn’t much for either set of supporters to shout about early on, in a positive manner anyway, as the scoreboard read 0-1-0-1 with 12 minutes on the clock.
A first half that featured a litany of wides, particularly from Fermoy, did manage to improve as the clock ticked towards the short whistle. Goal chances for both were denied by sharp goalkeeping on either side.
The wides didn’t bother the Fermoy boss, however.
“We’re happy that we were creating the chances. We’re getting the shots off,” O’Connell added. “They’re savage hurlers, really talented, really skilful, so we knew it would come right for them, and it did there in the second half which we’re delighted with.”
Cloyne’s Ashley Walsh was clinical from placed ball opportunities, and although Fermoy’s Darragh Daly missed a few early frees, he steadied himself to keep his side in touch just after the quarter-hour mark.
Ashley’s work was complemented by a superb Brian Walsh score, and the duo combined to help Cloyne into a 0-7 to 0-4 lead by the 23rd minute.
The following 10 or so minutes were to belong to Fermoy, however. Sharp forward Jake Carr landed two points, one from a ’65, while the aforementioned Daly landed his only score from play.
It meant Cloyne took a one-point advantage into the interval, but proceedings were to swing in Fermoy’s favour thereafter. O’Connell’s changes worked a treat and his side are now looking up, rather than down.
A Aherne (2-0), J Molloy (1-2), J Carr (0-4, 0-1f, 0-1 ‘65), D Daly (0-3, 0-2f) P Murphy, D Lardner, C Fitzpatrick, B O’Sullivan (all 0-1).
A Walsh (0-6, all frees), I Cahill (1-0), C Motherway, B Walsh, N Cahill, M Cahill (all 0-1).
S Coughlan; L Aherne, T Clancy, G Lardner; D O’Carroll, J O’Brien, P Murphy; D Daly, P De Róiste; A Creed, B Daly, M Brennan; J Carr, D O’Callaghan, S Aherne.
A Aherne for D O’Callaghan (37), C Fitzpatrick for B Daly, J Molloy for D Daly (both 40), D Lardner for S Aherne (43), B O’Sullivan for Jake Carr (50).
D Costine; T O'Regan, Eoin Motherway, A Sherlock; D Byrne, C Motherway, J Sherlock; Eanna Motherway, A Walsh; B Walsh, S Beausang, C Cahill; N Cahill, I Cahill, M Cahill.
C Mullins for S Beausang (50), L Sugrue for C Motherway, C Whyte for A Sherlock (both 60).
Simon Stokes (Tullylease).
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