Corn Uí Mhuirí: Coláiste Choilm hold off Skibb fightback in Cork derby

Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig held a six-point lead over Skibbereen late in the first half, and would win by that margin, but in between they had to withstand a fightback. 

Colm Herlihy with possession for Coláiste Choilm as James Goulding, Skibbereen attempts a block in the Corn Uí Mhuirí. Pic: Larry Cummins

Corn Uí Mhuirí: Coláiste Choilm 1-15 Skibbereen CS 0-12 

A six-point win for Coláiste Choilm over Skibbereen CS might have seemed a conservative expectation as half-time approached in Enniskeane on Wednesday; by the three-quarter mark, it felt fanciful.

The Ballincollig outfit held a commanding, and deserved, 0-8 to 0-2 lead coming up to the break in this TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí Cork derby and won by the same margin, but in between they had to contend with a spirited Skibb fightback.

A two-point free from Dan McCarthy helped to make the west Cork school’s deficit a bit more manageable going in at half-time and they got on top around the middle on the resumption.

Good work from Will O’Donovan and Niall O’Callaghan gave Kevin O’Donovan an opening for a nice point and then a lovely move involving Kevin O’Donovan, McCarthy and James Goulding led to the ball being worked to Luke O’Sullivan, whose shot was perhaps slightly unlucky to fly just over the bar.

When a good turnover led to a free, McCarthy again did the needful and another from Kevin O’Donovan had them level on 43 minutes. However, a lead score remained elusive - Coláiste Choilm’s Brian Cronin broke the midfield stranglehold with the next kickout, leading to a fine point from Cian Ahern and, though O’Donovan equalised for Skibb, it was the last time the sides were level.

Ahern and Seán Murphy (free) gave Coláiste Choilm daylight again and, while McCarthy was unfortunate to see a Skibb free come back off the post, the counter-attack was swift and ruthless, ending with Luke O’Mahony setting up Cathal Murphy for a goal and a six-point advantage.

Twice they led by seven in the closing stages, and Peter Rose and Cian O’Connor led a defence that never looked like conceding a goal. A late orange flag from Skibb’s Paddy Collins ensured they were not left for dead and may yet prove useful in the final table after clashes with St Brendan’s College of Killarney and another west Cork side, Clonakilty CC.

Certainly, Skibb will know that they can’t stop teams' big first-half leads - especially as Coláiste Choilm could have amassed an even bigger advantage.

Cathal Murphy almost had a second-minute goal for Coláiste Choilm, his shot coming back off the post and only a great save by Adam Limerick denied Brendan Delaney following a lovely pass by Colm Herlihy.

That led to a 45, stroked over by O’Mahony - son of Podsie - to make it 0-3 to 0-1 and they were 0-6 to 0-2 in front coming up to half-time following a superb two-pointer from the same player.

Murphy again went close to a goal, Limerick saving, but Coláiste Choilm had had advantage and Joe Miskella stroked over the free and then added another, well set up by Ahern, to make it 0-8 to 0-2.

It was the margin that would still pertain at the end, but without a battle from a resurgent Skibb in the second half.

Scorers for Coláiste Choilm: L O’Mahony (1 2pt, 2 45), C Ahern 0-4 each, C Murphy 1-1, J Miskella 0-2 (0-1 f), B Cronin, K O’Leary, S Murphy (0-1 f), C O’Connor 0-1 each.

Scorers for Skibbereen CS: D MCCarthy 0-5 (1 2ptf, 0-2 f), K O’Donovan 0-3, L O’Sullivan (0-1 f), P Collins (2pt) 0-2 each.

COLÁISTE CHOILM: N Tait (Éire Óg) ; D Sheehan (Éire Óg), P Rose (Ballincollig), D Strand (Éire Óg); C Herlihy (Inniscarra), C O’Connor (Ballincollig), A Rose (Ballincollig); K O’Leary (Ballincollig), B Cronin (Ballincollig); S Murphy (Éire Óg), C Ahern (Ballincollig), M Delaney (Ballincollig); C Murphy (Éire Óg), L O’Mahony (Ballincollig), J Miskella (Ballincollig).

Subs: E Donovan (Ballincollig) for Strand (40), A Kennedy (Ballinora) for Delaney (45), R Coakley (Éire Óg) for A Rose (52), M O’Donoghue (Ballinora) for Murphy (60+1).

SKIBBEREEN CS: A Limerick (Castlehaven); N McCarthy (O’Donovan Rossa), Alan Daly (O’Donovan Rossa), D Courtney (Castlehaven); W O’Donovan (Clann na nGael), J Goulding (O’Donovan Rossa), M Murphy (O’Donovan Rossa); N O’Callaghan (Castlehaven), P Collins (Ilen Rovers); O Herlihy (O’Donovan Rossa), A O’Donovan (Tadhg Mac Cárthaighs), A Dempsey (O’Donovan Rossa); L O’Sullivan (O’Donovan Rossa), K O’Donovan (O’Donovan Rossa), D McCarthy (Castlehaven).

Subs: E O’Donovan (Tadhg Mac Cárthaighs) for A O’Donovan (30+3, injured), D Long (O’Donovan Rossa) for Herlihy (45), R Collins (O’Donovan Rossa) for W O’Donovan (47), D O’Donoghue (Castlehaven) for Murphy (57).

Referee: L O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).