Four-goal Mitchelstown put Gabriel Rangers to sword in first round of Cork IAFC

Cork footballer Cathail O’Mahony kicked 1-4 including a penalty. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Cork IAFC: Mitchelstown 4-11 (4-1-9) Gabriel Rangers 0-15 (0-1-13) 

Four goals proved sufficient for Mitchelstown, as the north Cork club did the damage early, condemning Gabriel Rangers to defeat in the first round of the McCarthy Insurance Group Intermediate A Football Championship at Ahiohill.

Three goals in the opening period had Mitchelstown 3-7 to 0-9 clear at the interval, and they maintained their control in the second half, Cork footballer Cathail O’Mahony kicking a penalty in the third quarter which left no doubt as to which side would come away with the points.

Rangers hit back with three of the next four white flags, Keith O’Driscoll with the best of the lot, but wides proved costly for Rangers as Mitchelstown found another gear near the finish.

In the first half Gabriel Rangers had led early, but Cormac Hyland and Ronan Murphy netted for Mitchelstown in the span of a minute to turn the game on its head.

A third goal from Shane Beston arrived just before the break, and while Shane Kelleher reduced Rangers’ arrears on the resumption, they weren’t able to find a way back.

Scorers for Mitchelstown: C O’Mahony 1-4 (1 tp, 1-0 pen, 0-1 f), S Beston 1-1, R Murphy, C Hyland 1-0 each, A O’Brien 0-2 (0-1 f), Conor Walsh, Cathal Walsh, J Sheehan, M Walsh 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Gabriel Rangers: S Kelleher 0-5 (1 tpf), J O’Brien, E Goggin (0-2 f), K O’Driscoll 0-3 each, G O’Callaghan 0-1.

MITCHELSTOWN: L Hanna; L Finn, F Herlihy, E Geary; K Roche, R Murphy (c), C McNamara; S Walsh, C Hyland; S Kenneally, S Beston, Cathal Walsh; A O’Brien, Conor Walsh, C O’Mahony.

Subs: J Mullins for S Walsh (20-22, temp), J Sheehan for C O’Mahony (43, inj), L Keane for McNamara (49), M Walsh for O’Brien, P Magee for Kenneally (both 54), J Mullins for Roche (59).

GABRIEL RANGERS: L Hegarty; L Hodnett, D O’Regan, R Roycroft; D O’Shea, L Bowen, J O’Brien; K O’Brien (c), S Kelleher; G O’Callaghan, M Vearncombe, G Coughlan; E O’Brien, K O’Driscoll, E Goggin.

Subs: D McSweeney for Roycroft, F Hurley for Coughlan (both h-t), L O’Brien for Vearncombe (51).

Referee: J Enright (Ballyteague).