Impressive Cobh hold firm for hard-fought win over Cullen 

Just a single second-half point proves to be enough as Cobh grind out victory to secure semi-final date with Kilmurry

SAFE HANDS: Gearoid Twomey, defends for Cullen as he wins possession in front of goal against Cobh in the Bon Secours Cork Premier Junior Football Quarter final, Cobh vs Cullen at Donoughmore, Co Cork. Pic: Larry Cummins

Cork PJFC QF: Cobh 1-6 Cullen 0-6

Cobh advanced to the semi-finals of the Cork Premier Junior Football Championship after a hard-fought victory against Cullen on Saturday. 

It was a scrappy contest but, working through some Cullen pressure in the second-half, Cobh would see it out and book their place in the penultimate phase of the competition.

The two sides met each other last year at the same stage in the Cork Junior A Football Championship where Cobh won 1-5 to 0-5. Cobh managed 1-5 in the first-half alone this time around but could only post a single point in the second, prevailing by a slim margin.

Cullen’s first big opportunity came after Brian O’Connell turned over a Cobh ball and slipped in Colin Walsh whose goal-bound effort from 10 yards skimmed the crossbar and went over for a point.

From one end to the other, Cullen’s Diarmuid Kearney found himself on the end of a ball in front of goal after some nice Cobh link-up play. His first effort was saved well by keeper Fachtna O’Connor but the rebound was converted to give Cobh a four-point lead after 11 minutes.

Frees from Kearney and Darragh Heelan before half-time extended the lead to five with the sides going in 1-5 to 0-3 at the interval. Given the conditions it was going to be an uphill battle for Cullen in the second half but it was a challenge they were more than willing to accept.

The second half was certainly more stop-start with only one point in the first 15 minutes from Cullen’s Luke Murphy. Eoin Cullamore’s black card after 38 minutes for a high challenge gave Cullen the opportunity to drive on and take the game to Cobh but they only produced a single point in the ten minutes from a well taken Alan Regan score.

Their lack of productivity with the extra man is surely something Cullen will rue but their effort is something that can definitely not be called into question. Even though Cullen lacked that finishing touch on the scoring end they were keeping Cobh forwards at bay defensively.

The closest Cobh would come to hitting the net in the second half came after a miss-hit free from Darragh Heelan beat the keeper but hit the post and bounced out to a Cullen man to clear.

A determined Cullen refused to lie down and got within a score of Cobh with three minutes of added time to go when Luke Murphy put over a free from close range. In a last-ditch attempt at a goal Cullen floated high-balls into the Cobh area on a few occasions but to no avail. Cobh would hold out for the win and will now face Kilmurry in the semi-final.

Scorers for Cobh: D Kearney (1-2, 1f, 1 45), D Heelan (0-2, 2f), C Spriggs and A McCarthy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cullen: L Murphy (0-3, 1f), A Regan (0-2), C Walsh (0-1).

COBH: E Walsh; C McLoughlin, T Wilk, J McCarthy; M O’Rourke, G Keating, A McCarthy; S Cummins, D Heelan; E Hastings, N O’Connell, A Hastings; D Kearney, C Spriggs, E Cullimore.

Subs: G Rasmussen for E Cullimore (52), E Kidney for M O’Rourke (58).

CULLEN: F O’Connor; C Hickey, P Fleming, D Twomey; G Twomey, D Hickey, C Moynihan; A Nolan, C Walsh; B O’Connell, J O’Connor, F Cronin; A Regan, M Twomey, L Murphy.

Subs: C Kerins for F Cronin (45), T O’Keefe for M Twomey (50), P Murphy for B O’Connell (52), W O’Keefe for G Twomey (60).

Referee: Cathal Nolan (Bishopstown).