Cork PJFC: Canovee and Cobh make semi-finals

Buttevant will take on Canovee and St Nick's will play Cobh in the semi-finals

Canovee will play Buttevant in the semi-finals. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Canovee took another step towards redemption on Saturday when they defeated Cullen by 3-16 to 2-8 in the quarter-final of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork PJFC. Last years’ beaten finalists travelled to Donoughmore after finishing second to St Nick’s in the group stages while Cullen had topped Group 2.

Canovee played with the wind in the opening half and jumped into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead before Luke Murphy levelled the game with a goal. Two points from Murphy then pushed Cullen ahead for the first and only time. Jack Kelleher levelled the game for the second time before Aidan Moynihan gave Canovee a lead they would not surrender. A Conor Dodd goal gave them further breathing space though points from Aaron Nolan and Colin O’Leary left Cullen trailing by 1-8 to 1-4 at the interval.

A Michael Twomey goal on the resumption brought Cullen right back into it but from there to the end, Canovee showed their class. Moynihan bagged a goal to go with his four points, Kelleher ended up with 0-8 including 0-4 from outside the arc while Daire McMahon raised their third green flag of the evening. Murphy continued to carry the fight for Cullen as he finished with 1-5, but it will be Canovee who will take on Buttevant in the semi-final in a fortnight’s time.

In the other quarter-final played on Saturday, Cobh edged Inniscarra by 1-12 to 0-14 in Grenagh. An Eoin Hastings goal in the opening half proved crucial for Cobh as they led by 1-6 to 0-8 at the interval. Cork hurling star, Sean O’Donoghue, was sublime for Inniscarra as he kicked 0-9 across the hour. His second two-pointer of the evening levelled the game at 1-11 to 0-14 with time almost up before Sean Cummins made himself the toast of Cobh with the winning point in injury time.

Darragh Heelan was Cobh’s top marksman with 0-5, Diarmuid Kearney kicked 0-3 while 0-2 from Adam Lynch also proved crucial. Adam McCarthy and Conor McLoughlin also starred for the winners as they will now take on St Nick’s in the semi-final.

Cork Premier Junior Football Championship semi-finals:

Buttevant v Canovee. 

St Nick’s v Cobh.