Corn Uí Mhuirí: Skibb turn on style to win nine-goal clash with Abbey CBS

A rapid 1-4 from Skibbereen CS moved them out of Abbey CBS' reach.

Daniel Cleary was Sibbereen's top scorer with 2-3. Picture: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE

Corn Uí Mhuirí Group 3: Skibbereen CS 5-13 Abbey CBS 4-5 

Skibbereen CS turned on the style in the last quarter to seal a win over Abbey CBS in their final Corn Uí Mhuirí Group 3 clash on the 4G pitch at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

With both sides knowing that their hopes of sealing a knockout berth were out of reach, a free-flowing affair ensued with nine goals scored in an extremely open affair.

With the finishing prowess of Castlehaven pair Danny O’Donovan and Daniel Cleary on show throughout, Skibbereen scored five goals - having conceded the same amount last time out against Mercy Mounthawk – to eventually shake off the Abbey CBS resistance.

With only four points separating the sides on the 45-minute mark (4-6 to 3-5 in favour of Skibbereen), along came the turning point - a rapid 1-4 from the west Cork outfit took the game away from CBS.

Points from sub-Cian O’Brien, Danny O’Donovan and Sean Connolly, were accompanied by a well-taken 1-1 from the boot of Cleary to give Skibb an 11-point buffer, 5-10 to 3-5.

And although Darragh O’Hora’s second goal of the day tightened the margin to eight for CBS with just under 10 minutes remaining, it was to be their last score as Skibb finished the stronger.

Danny O’Donovan had opened the scoring for Skibb inside three minutes with a smart finish off his left, before marauding CBS corner-back Jaye Cilvinas levelled matters on the six-minute mark.

This was followed by a series of missed opportunities, with imposing Skibb midfielder Connolly spurning a goal opportunity as CBS failed to convert placed balls at the other end.

CBS centre-forward Sean O’Mahony – playing a roaming role – netted a fine individual goal on 15 minutes, before sharp play from diminutive inside forward Alex Webster put the Tipperary school in the driving seat. 1-2 to 0-1.

They didn’t hold that lead for long, however.

Although Webster would slot over smartly once more, goals from Haven pair Cleary and Danny O’Donovan - after fine work from O’Donovan Rossa’s Frank Hurley - and further scores from Luke O’Sullivan and Adam O’Donovan meant Skibb went into the break with a 2-4 to 1-3 lead.

Shortly after the resumption, a Danny O’Donovan penalty put seven between the sides, but the Skibb lead would be chopped down soon after.

CBS hit back with points from O’Mahony, Ciaran Kelly, while wing-back Sean Bourke raised a green flag. 3-4 to 2-5 with 25 to play.

Skibb’s Connolly, among others, would find the necessary reply to that flurry. As would CBS wing-forward O’Hora, but the Cork school found the extra gear down the stretch.

Scorers for Skibbereen CS: D Cleary (2-3), D O’Donovan (2-2, 1 pen), S Connolly (1-1, 1 free), C O’Brien (0-2), L O’Sullivan (0-1), A O’Donovan (0-1), K O’Donovan (0-1), W O’Donovan (0-1), P Collins (0-1).

Scorers for Abbey CBS: D O’Hora (2-0), S O’ Mahony (1-1), S Bourke (1-0), A Webster (0-2), J Cilvinas (0-1), C Kelly (0-1).

SKIBBEREEN CS: D Heaton Jones (O'Donovan Rossa); C Moloney (Castlehaven), J Goulding (O'Donovan Rossa), A Daly (O'Donovan Rossa); W O’Donovan (Castlehaven), F Hurley (O'Donovan Rossa), P Collins (Castlehaven); C French (Castlehaven), S Connolly (Ilen Rovers); R McCarthy (Castlehaven), A O’Donovan (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), N O'Callaghan (Castlehaven); L O’Sullivan (O'Donovan Rossa), D Cleary (Castlehaven), D O’Donovan (Castlehaven).

Subs: A Fahy (Ilen Rovers) for N O'Callaghan (20), C O’Brien (O’Donovan Rossa) for A O’Donovan (37), K O’Donovan (O'Donovan Rossa) for R McCarthy (44) N McCarthy for A Daly, D O’Donoghue (Castlehaven) for L O’Sullivan, E O’Sullivan (O'Donovan Rossa) for S Connolly (all 57).

ABBEY CBS: C McGrath (Oola); S Cleary (Knockivalla Kickhams), M Bowes (Arravale Rovers), J Cilvinas (Arravale Rovers); S Bourke (Aherlow), D Ryan (Arravale Rovers), D Bresnan (Arravale Rovers); A Ryan (Arravale Rovers), E Ryan (Arravale Rovers); D O’Hora (Solohead), S O’Mahony (Arravale Rovers), F Doyle (Solohead); P Chapman (Aherlow), C Kelly (Arravale Rovers), A Webster (Arravale Rovers).

Subs: M Flanagan (Aherlow) for A Webster (51), LJ Roche (Galtee Rovers) for D Ryan (58).

Referee: Trevor Lyons (Douglas).