Paudie O’Sullivan returns for Cloyne but Carrigtwohill show no mercy in relegation playoff
Cloyne's Steven Beausang and Carrigtwohill's Brendan Twomey reach for a high ball during the SAHC Relegation Play Off match in Castlemartyr. Picture: Howard Crowdy
It finished 13-a-side but that was the only metric equal at the end as Carrigtwohill relegated Cloyne to the Premier Intermediate ranks with an 18-point beatdown.
Carrig were much fancied, although star forward Seán Walsh was carrying a shoulder injury and had to be accommodated closer to goal. From there, he caused wreck; scoring 2-6 and only refused his hat-trick by a square-ball decision.
For Cloyne, there were no secrets surrounding where they fell short.
They have averaged 12 points and one red card per game. Already without the suspended Noel Cahill, they lost Keith Dennehy and Éanna Motherway to straight red cards in a three-minute spell midway through the second half.
They pulled a rabbit out of the hat with the addition of Paudie O’Sullivan to their bench for his first appearance in two years but by the time he was called on at half-time, the game was over with 12 points separating the sides.
He did launch a fine score in the 35th minute but it was to prove Cloyne’s last in a half disrupted by those red cards. Jamie McCarthy and James Mulcahy, the latter for two bookings, would also be sent to the sideline as the second period ended 1-5 to 0-2 in their favour.
Cloyne poured their best effort into the opening 10 minutes, with Ashley Walsh intercepting a short puck-out for back-to-back points and a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.
Once Carrigtwohill denied them aerial supremacy under puck-outs and matched them on breaks, it was one-way traffic.
The victors lost influential midfielder Justin Oke after six minutes (although he did return later in the second half). They rebounded well to stitch nine of the next 10 points.
They had five in a row, featuring three from Seán Walsh and a second from eye-catching wing-back Daniel Murnane.
After a Ciarán Mullins response, four more followed. Corner-forward Ashley Walsh was deployed to sit back in front of Seán Walsh after he won and converted another free.
Centre-back Pádraic Hogan started and finished a move before teeing up Liam Gosnell for the next point.
Ironically, the killer blow came from a sideline cut wrongly awarded against Carrigtwohill. Aaron Walsh Barry cleared the sliotar, Mulcahy caught it and his textbook turn opened a lane to goal. He squared for Seán Walsh to blast home from a narrow angle.
It was 1-11 to 0-6 and another goal almost immediately followed but McCarthy misdirected a batted effort.
Two minutes into stoppage time, they found a second. Substitute Cian O’Riordan claimed an opposition puck-out, Liam O’Sullivan and Walsh linked up and sent the untracked Seán Brennan clear. He bounced the sliotar to the far corner for a 2-13 to 0-7 half-time lead.
An Ashley Walsh free and Paudie O’Sullivan’s introductory effort bookended Liam O’Sullivan and Gosnell’s points before Seán Walsh’s flick was ruled out for a square ball.
Cloyne were gifted their sole goal chance in the aftermath but Tomás Hogan charged out to block Jack Hallahan from point-blank range.
The red-card onslaught began in the 43rd minute. Substitute Dennehy saw the line for a pull after the whistle, joined by McCarthy for contributing to the subsequent melee.
Carrig lost their free-in but their third goal arrived from the throw-in.
O’Riordan won the ruck and made a beeline for goal only to be brought to ground for a penalty. Motherway was red-carded for exchanging words with referee David Daly before Seán Walsh dispatched to the net.
Murnane added a point before Mulcahy was next to be sent marching for a high tackle on the Cloyne keeper.
The game lost all shape during a 12-minute scoreless spell until veteran defender Pat O’Sullivan took off on a solo run for a point that raised a cheer from the Carrig faithful.
S Walsh (2-6, 1-0 penalty, 0-5 frees); S Brennan (1-1); D Murnane (0-4, 1 free); L Gosnell (0-3, 1 free); P O’Sullivan, P Hogan, J Horgan, L O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
A Walsh (0-6, 4 frees); M Cahill, C Mullins, P O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
T Hogan; P O’Sullivan, A Walsh Barry, S de Búrca; B Twomey, P Hogan, D Murnane; J Oke, J Horgan; S Brennan, L O’Sullivan, J McCarthy; J Mulcahy, S Walsh, L Gosnell.
Subs: C O’Riordan for Oke (6, inj), Oke for Brennan (50), A Rooney for Twomey (53).
D Costine; J Sherlock, Éanna Motherway, A Sherlock; C Motherway, Eoin Motherway, D Byrne; T O’Regan, C Cahill; S Beausang, J Hallahan, C Mullins; A Walsh, B Walsh, M Cahill.
Subs: K Dennehy for Mullins (27, inj), I Cahill for C Motherway (h-t), P O’Sullivan for Beausang (h-t), B O’Shea for M Cahill (41), L Sugrue for I Cahill (48, inj).
Referee: D Daly (Brian Dillons).
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