Knocknagree see off Dohenys to reach second SAFC final in three years

ANOTHER FINAL: Michael McSweeney kicks a point from play for Knocknagree. Picture: Larry Cummins

Cork SAFC semi-final: Knocknagree 1-18 Dohenys 0-10

Knocknagree made it back to a second Cork SAFC final in three years by gaining revenge on a Dohenys team who denied them at the same stage last year.

They started fast, with 11 of the first 13 points, and finished strong with a celebratory 1-6 streak against a Dunmanway side reduced to 14 men for the final 20 minutes. Anthony O’Connor top-scored with 1-5, comprised of five points from play and a penalty.

Carrigaline await them in the final after their penalty shoot-out victory delayed this meeting of 2022 and ’23 runners-up to 8.30pm, an hour later than scheduled.

Whether the delay had any effect, Knocknagree came fizzing with energy and Dohenys arrived flat. By the 25th minute, the gap was nine; 0-11 to 0-2.

An immediate Niall O’Connor mark was cancelled out by a Rhys Coakley point but Dohneys lapsed into a scoreless streak for the subsequent 17 minutes.

Knocknagree knocked over six on the spin with the first four either scored or assisted by Anthony O’Connor, who teed up Denis R O’Connor and Niall O’Connor before slotting his pair.

A half-forward-line interchange gave Michael McSweeney his opener before a Michael Mahoney turnover led to a point for his fellow defender Gearóid Looney.

A Cullan Barry mark offered brief respite as Knocknagree reeled off another quartet via Mark Buckley, Michael McSweeney, Mahoney, and Denis R O’Connor.

At that juncture, they had converted 11 of their 12 shots at the posts, with Eoghan McSweeney assisting four from his centre-forward berth. Dohenys, meanwhile, had six misses including two frees, while Daniel O’Mahony would keep Fionn Herlihy scoreless across the hour.

Dohenys looked down and out but gave Declan O’Dwyer something to work with for his half-time team talk. Adam O’Donovan’s kick-passing instigated some smart moves and Keith White played the linkman.

It resulted in four in a row, with a Mark Buckley brace bookending one apiece from Shane Barry and a White free. The interval deficit a more digestible five points; 0-11 to 0-6.

They kept up the running after the break with points from White and Cathal Daly after winning the subsequent kick-out.

It required a superb Denis R O’Connor catch for a mark to break their momentum but White slotted two frees to narrow the margin to a pair.

Just as Dohenys were beginning to appear inevitable, they were reduced to 14 men. Eoin Lavers grabbed a hold of Niall O’Connor’s jersey and dragged him down to earn a second yellow card.

Knocknagree didn’t allow them any space to readjust with Denis R O’Connor’s free followed by a first-touch Matthew Dilworth score from a giveaway kick-out.

Dohenys next four shots were from placed balls but each drifted wide or short of the target, taking their dead-ball misses to six, as Knocknagree tagged on points from Anthony O’Connor and Eoghan McSweeney.

By contrast, when a Knocknagree free dropped short, it turned to gold. Dilworth was pulled back by Declan Collins as he battled for the loose ball and Robert Whelan awarded the penalty.

Anthony O’Connor sent Stephen Daly the wrong way and snagged the next kick-out to make it double scores; 1-17 to 0-10.

A stoppage-time Eoghan McSweeney point was the cherry on top.

Scorers for Knocknagree: A O’Connor (1-5, 1-0 penalty); Denis R O’Connor (0-5, 1 mark, 1 free); E McSweeney, M McSweeney, N O’Connor (1 mark) (0-2 each); M Mahoney, M Dilworth (0-1 each).

Scorers for Dohenys: K White (0-4, 3 frees); M Buckley (0-2); C Barry (mark), C Daly, R Coakley, S Barry (0-1 each).

KNOCKNAGREE: P Doyle; M Mahoney (capt), D O’Mahony, G O’Connor; G Looney, K Buckley, T O’Connor; T O’Mahony, David O’Connor; K Cronin, E McSweeney, M McSweeney; Denis R O’Connor, N O’Connor, A O’Connor.

Subs: M Dilworth for T O’Mahony (40), F O’Connor for M McSweeney (50), D Mahoney for T O’Connor (52), J Dennehy for N O’Connor (59), D Moynihan for Cronin (59).

DOHENYS: S Daly; E Lavers, J Farrell, D Rice; C Daly, C Barry, B O’Donovan; A Mannix, R Coakley; S Barry, B Murphy, A O’Donovan; K White (capt), F Herlihy, M Buckley.

Subs: D Collins for Murphy (47), G Farr for B O’Donovan (50), C O’Donovan for Mannix (52), Colm O’Shea for S Barry (56).

Referee: R Whelan (Gleann na Laoi).