Kilmacabea book place in Cork JAFC final with hard-fought win over Charleville

BATTLE: Charleville's Darragh Fitzgibbon is tackled by Kilmacabea's Daniel O'Donovan, Keith Whelton and Ray Shanahan. Pic: Eddie O'Hare.

Cork JAFC semi-final: Kilmacabea 2-11 Charleville 0-14

It went down to the wire in Pairc Uí Rinn on Saturday as Kilmacabea booked their place in the Cork JAFC final, beating a spirited Charleville side and having to dig deep to do so.

Goals from Kilmacabea captain Ian Jennings and Liam McCarthy turned the game on its head in the second half and despite their North Cork opponents nipping at their heels constantly, they never gave up the lead.

Kilmacabea will now play Donoughmore in the decider.

Scores were level at four points apiece after the opening quarter of an hour, despite the best football being played by the Carbery outfit.

Charleville took the lead for the first time in the 16th minute when Darren Butler fired over from distance for a two-pointer.

Butler was proving to be the danger man for Charleville but whatever he did Kilmacabea’s Damien Gore matched. Gore posted a two-pointer of his own a couple of minutes later to even up the contest.

Half-back Diarmuid O’Callaghan nudged Kilmacabea back in front soon after with a well-taken score of his own after barrelling forward from midfield and letting fly off his stronger right side.

Kilmacabea's Damien Gore shoots a point from Charleville's Darragh O'Sullivan during the McCarthy Insurance Group J'A'FC semi final at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

With the break approaching, Butler pointed for his fourth to make it level pegging before Gore struck again to give Kilmacabea a one-point lead going in at the short whistle, 0-8 to 0-7.

Seconds after the restart Kilmacabea captain Ian Jennings gathered the ball near the Charleville end line, drove infield and smashed it low past Jesse Smith to raise the game’s first green flag - and give his side some breathing space.

Charleville’s Robert Carroll tightened the scoreline with a curler off his right before Kilmacabea forwards Daniel O’Donovan and Eamonn Shanahan contributed a score each.

Charleville looked to finally be finding their mojo, helped by a couple of points from Jack O’Callaghan, but Kilmacabea sub Liam McCarthy stuck the dagger in Charleville hearts with a goal after 48 minutes.

McCarthy found himself on the end of a well worked Kilmacabea play with Gore evading his man and laying it off perfectly to McCarthy in space who buried it low past a helpless Jesse Smith.

Charleville refused to back down though and strung together four scores - three for Butler, one for O’Callaghan - to put the pressure on with five minutes to play.

Gore fisted over on the hour mark to the relief of the Kilmacabea travelling contingent but it wasn’t over yet.

Charleville keeper Smith was dead-on from the 45 metre line to make it a three-point game with a minute to play.

Then with the last throw of the dice, from the free, Smith threw the ball into the danger area hoping his team could yield a dramatic late goal. But it wasn’t to be.

Scorers for Kilmacabea: I Jennings 1-2 (1tp), D Gore 0-5 (1tp, 1f), L McCarthy 1-0, D McCarthy, D O’Callaghan, D O’Donovan, E Shanahan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Charleville: D Butler 0-7 (2tp, 1f), J O’Callaghan 0-3 (1f), J Smith 0-3 (1tp, 1 45), R Carroll 0-1.

KILMACABEA: C McCarthy; L Tobin, D Whooley, D Tobin; O Tobin, M Collins, D O’Callaghan; O Kerrisk, I Jennings; D McCarthy, D Gore, K Whelton; E Shanahan, J Collins, D O’Donovan (no26).

Subs: L McCarthy for D McCarthy (40), R Shanahan for J Collins (48), R Hourihane for O Kerrisk (48).

CHARLEVILLE: J Smith; S Liddy, B O’Connell, D O’Sullivan; J Meade, D O’Flynn, O O’Connell; J Buckley, R Carroll; D Casey, C Buckley, Z Biggane; J O’Callaghan, D Butler, S Bresnan.

Subs: D Fitzgibbon for C Buckley (34), D Forde for O O’Connell (39).

Referee: Robert Whelan (Kilworth).