Avondhu outclass Imokilly to set up Muskerry clash

Avondhu advance to the seeded section, where they will face Muskerry in June in the last four. Duhallow and Carbery contest the other semi-final.

Imokilly's Diarmaid Phelan is tackled by Avondhu's David Lardner. Pic: David Keane

Cork Premier SFC: Avondhu: 1-16 (1-1-14)

Imokilly: 1-6 (1-1-4) 

Avondhu had too much for Imokilly in the third round of the unseeded divisions/colleges section of the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC at Glantane on Tuesday evening.

As a result, Avondhu men advance to the seeded section, where they will face Muskerry in June in the last four. Duhallow and Carbery contest the other semi-final.

Avondhu were deserving winners. They carried extra quality and composure, perhaps helped by having two championship games already played compared to just one for Imokilly. They led by six points at the short whistle with a good spread of scorers and ultimately won by ten, a margin that was maybe a little harsh on Imokilly.

Avondhu were driven on by the excellent Twomey up front, who maybe goes under the radar.

Avondhu burst from the traps with three points inside six minutes from their full-forward line of David and Conor Hanlon and a Ben Twomey effort. Mark O’Rourke replied for Imokilly, but they were second best for long spells.

Avondhu hit two of the next three points and, even though Daniel Murnane slotted over a two-point free, the North Cork outfit carried more swagger. Another Twomey point and a sweet Mark Lenahan effort pushed them 0-7 to 0-4 clear after 18 minutes.

There were just three further scores before the break, all for Avondhu, two Conor Hanlon frees and a Mark Lenahan white flag. Imokilly had their chances but five wides proved costly, leaving it 0-10 to 0-4 at half-time.

The second half began much like the first. A Mark Lenahan two-pointer gave Avondhu a healthy eight-point cushion. A Murnane free—Imokilly’s first score in 21 minutes—was badly needed but didn’t spark a revival.

Twomey had a goal chance but failed to convert, before Conor Hanlon pointed to make it 0-13 to 0-5 after 40 minutes.

The sides traded points before Ciarán O’Leary goaled for Imokilly after a Diarmaid Phelan pass with five minutes left, 0-14 to 1-6.

Twomey steadied Avondhu again with a point, and they finished with a flourish with a wonderfully placed goal into the bottom corner from Twomey and a final point from substitute Greg Lardner.

Scorers for Avondhu: B Twomey 1-3 (0-1 f), M Lenahan 0-5 (1 2pt), C Hanlon 0-4 (0-2 f), D Hanlon 0-2, K Lenahan, G Lardner 0-1 each.

Scorers for Imokilly: C O’Leary 1-1, D Murnane 0-3 (1 2pt f, 0-1 f), M O’Rourke, S McSharry 0-1 each.

AVONDHU: R Donovan (Buttevant); P O’Neill (Fermoy), R Murphy (Mitchelstown), L Finn (Mitchelstown); S O’Callaghan (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels), K Bowles (Buttevant), J Whelan (Buttevant); A O’Neill (Buttevant), C O’Brien (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels); M Lenahan (Buttevant), M O’Neill (Buttevant), A Trimm (Buttevant); D Hanlon (Buttevant), C Hanlon (Buttevant), B Twomey (Fermoy).

Subs: D Lardner (Fermoy) for M O’Neill (6, inj), G Lardner (Fermoy) for P O’Neill (40), K Lenahan (Buttevant) for A O’Neill (42), A Finnegan (Ballyclough) for A Trimm (52), E Birchall (Killavullen) for C Hanlon (61).

IMOKILLY: C Whyte (Castlemartyr); D Healy (Dungourney), A Mulcahy (Midleton), K O’Shea (Aghada); D Collins (Aghada), J Horgan (Carrigtwohill), S de Búrca (Carrigtwohill); M O’Rourke (Cobh), D Joyce (Castlemartyr); T Hartnett (Aghada), D Phelan (Aghada), D Kearney (Cobh); C O’Leary (Glenville), D Murnane (Carrigtwohill), T O’Donovan (Carraig na bhFear).

Subs: E McGrath (Midleton) for D Collins (37), M Kelly (Castlemartyr) for D Kearney (40), S McSharry (Midleton) for D Murnane (42), G Keating (Cobh) for A Mulcahy (49), C Hegarty (Aghada) for S de Búrca (54).

Referee: Jerry Kelleher (St John’s).