Youthful Bishopstown off to perfect start in Senior A
Michael Power of Bishopstown tracks Keith White, Dohenys. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Bishopstown got their 2025 McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Senior AFC campaign off to a winning start at the expense of Dohenys in Enniskeane last Saturday evening.
The 2023 county finalists, Dohenys were expected to prove too strong for a young Bishopstown team in this championship opener. Instead it was the city side who registered a richly deserved and morale-boosting Group 3 victory.
A cracking game that ebbed and flowed until the closing stages was decided by late Simon Collins and Patrick Casey points as Brian Cuthbert’s side began their Senior AFC campaign in the best possible fashion.
Dohenys, crestfallen at the final whistle, could have little argument having been outworked and outmuscled for much of an engaging encounter.
As for the winners, a young panel with two points safely in their back pockets bodes well for the remainder of the championship.
Both clubs entered the senior A county competition eager to improve on last year’s efforts. Bishopstown’s title aspirations was ended by county champions Carrigaline at the quarter-finals stage. Dohenys fell to runners-up, Knocknagree, in the penultimate round.
The Dunmanway club began as favourites and built an early lead. Adam O’Donovan opened the scoring prior to Mark Buckley fisting over and doubling the West Cork side’s advantage.
A superb Fionn Herlihy two-pointer made it 0-4 to 0-0 with 8 minutes on the clock. Having kicked two wides and struck an upright, a Bishopstown team happy to retain possession but struggling in the middle third needed a spark.
Instead, it was Herlihy who took advantage and extended Dohenys’ lead at the 10-minute mark. The city side got on the scoreboard shortly after when a superb Darragh O’Connor two-pointer settled nerves.
Their opponents’ response was instant with Adam O’Donovan fouled in the square en-route to goal and Fionn Herlihy dispatching the resulting penalty.
Conor Dunne responded with another Bishopstown two-pointer but, penalised for not having three defenders in their half, Brian Cuthbert’s team fell 1-6 to 0-4 behind when Gavin Farr fired over a short-range free.
The city club rallied with Darragh O’Connor, Conor Dunne and Simon Collins raising white flags. Yet it was Dohenys who went in four points ahead at the interval. Shane Barry’s point and a Gavin Farr free (for a second failure to have three defenders in their half).
Bishopstown restarted positively however, Conor Dunne (two frees) and Simon Collins efforts making it a one-point game. A scrappy third quarter saw Declan O’Dwyer introduce Keith McCarthy and Aaron Mannix before Mark Buckley landed a desperately needed free.
Bishopstown remained calm and worked the ball to the opposite end where Odhran Foley palmed to the net to push his team a point ahead.
A flurry of scores from Bishopstown’s Darragh O’Connor, Odhran Foley and Simon Collins were matched by Mark Buckley (free), Stephen Daly (45’) and Keith White to leave the West Cork club still trailing by a point with 3 minutes left.
Then, the excellent Fionn Herlihy broke free and fisted over to level matters before a frenetic injury-time period.
Dohenys had a shot cleared off the line in between Simon Collins and Patrick Casey kicking late points to seal an unexpected but merited two-point Bishopstown success.
Next up for Dohenys is a Group 3 clash with Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh in Inchigeela on Saturday, August 23rd. A day later, Bishopstown continue their county championship odyssey against another West Cork club, O’Donovan Rossa, in Ballinascarthy.
C Dunne 0-5 (1 2pt, 0-3 f), D O’Connor (1 2pt), S Collins 0-4 each, O Foley 1-1, P Casey 0-1.
D Herlihy 1-4 (1 2pt, 1-0 pen), M Buckley 0-3 (0-2 f), G Farr 0-2 (0-2 f), A O’Donovan, S Barry, S Daly (1 45) and K White 0-1 each.
C O’Driscoll; M Murphy, N Gough, H Wixted; D O’Donovan, M Power, O Foley; K Murphy, J Murphy; C Dunne, K McFadden, D O’Connor (captain); B Cahill, P Honohan, S Collins.
L O’Driscoll for P Honohan (33, inj), P Casey for D O’Donovan (52).
S Daly; D Rice, D Collins, J Farrell; B O’Donovan, B Murphy, C Daly; C Barry, R Coakley; A O’Donovan, F Herlihy, S Barry; K White (captain), M Buckley, G Farr.
A Mannix for B O’Donovan (37), K McCarthy for G Farr (38), E Lavers for R Coakley (52).
Ciarán Murphy (Glanworth).
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