Courceys clinch late equaliser to resist Carrigtwohill comeback
A second relegation final in four years awaits Carrigtwohill.
Carrigtwohill were somewhere between disappointed and heartened after a controversial late free clipped their storming comeback to leave them facing into a relegation final against Cloyne.
The East Cork side looked dead and buried when trailing by seven points with 11 minutes remaining but they found something deep down, blasting 2-3 against a lone Courcey point to lead.
James Mulcahy appeared to be their saviour with a 56th-minute equalising goal, their second in three minutes. His encore was nailing a potential winner with the clock two minutes into stoppages. It was their first time ahead all evening.
Referee Shane Scanlon had given free rein in those closing stages but his whistle for a pick off the ground, amid full-throated Carrig objections, gave Richard Sweetnam a 64th-minute shot at survival.
With 0-13 already to his name, the championship’s top scorer was never going to miss.
“I was a little bit disappointed with the last call,” reflected Carrig manager John ‘Tweek’ Griffin.
“Danny (Murnane) won a great break and I felt it bounced. It was just in front of us. I think most refs are giving the benefit of the doubt after winning a great break like that.
“But I'm not going to give out. We can't do anything about that. We’re disappointed but we know we have to regroup.
“Our last 10-12 minutes was some of the best hurling we’ve played all year in terms of execution, ball to hand, the pace. We didn't do enough of that throughout the game.”
Courceys manager Seán Guiheen countered any objections to the outcome.
“He made calls against us as well that were very harsh. Seán Twomey gets absolutely mangled. There’s no one playing the ball. They're just playing his catching hand. There's no free. I don't understand it at all.
“But again, fierce testament to them players. No team has ever beat them handy. They'll always fight to the end. They fought away, they got a free, and they deserved a draw at the very least.
“It's massive. For Courceys to be senior is so important going forward.” A game fought at ferocious intensity bore many hallmarks of a relegation scrap. There were collisions and frees galore, inspirational blocks and hardy defence, rousing scores and streaky shooting.
Carrig didn’t score from play for the opening 21 minutes. Courceys didn’t register from play for the final 25 plus added time.
After an even start, Courceys forced a 12th-minute penalty when Sweetnam was hauled down. After dusting himself off, his bouncer was blocked by Tomás Hogan.
Having exhausted the first quarter without a score from play, Courceys had four in a row including three from Sweetnam.
Carrig’s best opportunity was spurned as Stephen Nyhan saved a Mulcahy rocket before blocking Seán Walsh's follow-up. They trailed 0-11 to 0-7 at half-time.
It got worse before it got better. But for Hogan's brave block to deny a charging Brendan Ryan, it could've been put to bed by the three-quarter mark when 0-16 to 0-9 in arrears.
Instead, Carrig came stampeding back. When Jamie McCarthy’s driving solo run was cut short and a penalty awarded, Walsh slashed the gap to two.
Even after Mulcahy’s strike moments later, Walsh could’ve added a third major but for a heroic sliding block by Fergus Lordan.
S Walsh (1-6, 1-0 penalty, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65); J Mulcahy (1-1); L Gosnell (0-2, 1 free); A Walsh Barry, P Hogan, J Oke, J McCarthy (0-1 each).
R Sweetnam (0-14, 9 frees, 1 65); S Twomey, A O’Donovan (0-2 each); T O’Sullivan (0-1).
T Hogan; S de Búrca, P O’Sullivan, A Walsh Barry; B Twomey, P Hogan, D Murnane; J Oke, J Horgan; J McCarthy, S Walsh, S Brennan; J Mulcahy, L O’Sullivan, L Gosnell.
Sub: C O’Riordan for Brennan (57).
S Nyhan; B Mulcahy, K Collins, D Collins; F Lordan, M Collins, C Roche; DJ Twomey, L Collins; B Ryan, T O’Sullivan, O Crowley; R Sweetnam, S Twomey, A O’Donovan.
Sub: R O’Callaghan for Crowley (49).
: S Scanlon (Newcestown).
A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork.
