Cork Premier SFC: Coakley hits 2-4 as four-goal Douglas overpower Mallow
Mallow's Decky Copps battles with Douglas' Conor Kingston during their Cork Premier SFC clash at Grenagh. Pic: David Keane.
For the past two seasons, Douglas have failed to get out of the Cork Premier Senior Football Championship group stages. Not since 2021 have they won more than one group game.
Carrigaline’s shock result against the Barrs gave additional weight to an already high-stakes encounter between Douglas and Mallow here at Grenagh. And it was the city outfit that produced the goods.
They hit Mallow for four goals, three of which came in a second half where they made the most of the breeze and defended relentlessly.
The second Douglas goal was their first score in that second period, and it got the ball rolling. Shane Kingston teed up Luis Dwan Fogarty, and the wing-back – who was outstanding throughout at both ends of the pitch – buried across goal.
A minute later, Kingston knocked one over from outside the arc, increasing the Douglas to five.
Shane Merritt set up Mark Tobin for a desperately needed white flag, but then came the Douglas wrecking ball, crashing through Mallow’s door as David Buckley sent Adam Cantwell through, and he played a clever one-two with Conor Russell, before palming home to make it 3-7 to 0-9 with 15 still to go.
A stunning two-pointer from Coakley increased that Douglas lead to nine, and while Mallow fought on and hit four points without reply, Coakley delivered the final blow with a goal from play after an excellent assist from Dwan Fogarty, which he fired home to leave it 4-9 to 0-13.
There was nothing Mallow could do at that stage; they were struggling prior to the fourth goal, Douglas preventing so much as a sniff at goal across the hour. Dylan Ward and Ciaran Kenny were key to that very fact.
Mallow had spent much of the first half in the lead and in control, leading 0-5 to 0-1 after 19 minutes, as Jack Dillon had got them off to a flying start with a two pointer straight from the throw-in.
Sean McDonnell and Mark Tobin (two) added white flags to give them the four-point buffer, but their output stagnated as the half wore on.
Cork hurler Kingston got Douglas’s second point on the board after 20 minutes, and from there they picked up the pace and tacked on the scores.
Seán Coakley kicked a stunning two-pointer to leave one between them, and then a great run from Shane Kingston afforded him the space to work it to Dwan Fogarty, and he passed to Russell. Russell’s shot was blocked but Douglas recovered possession once again, just in time for Shane Kingston to be pulled back by Eoghan Barry and a penalty awarded to Douglas.
Coakley converted and sent Kevin Doyle the wrong way, giving Douglas the lead for the first time after 27 minutes. They would not trail again for the rest of the game.
A two-pointer from Sheehan just before the interval to reduce Mallow’s arrears to one, and he added a free on the resumption to leave them tied at 0-8 to 1-5.
But Douglas’s second goal and second two-pointer put them clear, and a Mattie Taylor-less Mallow produced no answer.
K Sheehan (0-4, 1 tp, 0-2 f), M Tobin, S McDonnell (0-1 f) (0-3 each), J Dillon (tp), C Mullins (0-2 each).
S Coakley (2-4, 2 tp, 1-0 pen), L Dwan Fogarty, A Cantwell (1-0 each), S Kingston (0-3, 1 tp), D Ward (0-2), C Russell (0-1).
K Doyle; B Myers, E Barry, P Lyons; R Sheehan, G Daly, P Britton; S Merritt, J Dillon (c); D Copps, S McDonnell, M Tobin; K Sheehan, J Loughery, C Mullins.
D Moynihan for Copps (40), B O’Shea for Loughery (44).
A Cotter; C Kenny, J O’Callaghan-Maher, D Ward; S Aherne, D Buckley, L Dwan Fogarty; N Hartnett, C Kingston; K Shanahan, B Powter, A Cantwell’ S Coakley, S Kingston, C Russell.
D Mac Pháidín for Hartnett (51), C Mac Pháidín for Powter (52).
J Ryan (Macroom)
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