Mitchelstown 0-14
Adrigole 0-12 (aet)
BRENDAN KENNEALLY REPORTS
ADRIGOLE’S quest for Bon Secours Hospital Cork IAFC glory came to an end at Kilmurry on Saturday as they narrowly lost out to Mitchelstown.
These clubs are separated by 100 miles but there was little between them in this semi-final, with 80 minutes of football required to find a winner.
Such an outcome seemed remote in the first half, at the end of which the North Cork side led by 0-7 to 0-2, but Adrigole displayed their superb battling qualities to draw level at 0-11 each by the end of the hour. Unfortunately for them, Mitchelstown – beaten finalists in 2020 and 2021 – had the extra kick in them.
Mitchelstown had taken the lead through a Cathail O’Mahony point from a free in the second minute and wasted a couple of frees subsequently but were themselves guilty of fouling also and in a seventh minute incident they conceded a free which David Harrington pointed to level matters. They also lost a defender to a black card, seemingly after a verbal exchange with the referee.
Mitchelstown regained the lead with a point from Cathail O’Mahony in the ninth minute and made it 0-3 to 0-1 in the 14th minute when O’Mahony, set up by Dylan Reidy Price, pointed smartly from close range.
The exchanges were hard with both sides very committed but Mitchelstown were on top in their half-back line which featured Aussie Rules star Mark Keane and at centrefield, where Shane Beston and Sean Walsh were very effective and their attack as a consequence got plenty of possession which Cathail O’Mahony in particular availed of.
Adrigole defended in depth when under pressure and were pinned back in their own half as a consequence and the Town added point on point through Dylan Reidy Price (two), O’Mahony and a superb Seán Walsh effort to lead by 0-7 to 0-1, before Cian O’Shea had a second Adrigole point in the closing minute of the half.
The Beara men had some other opportunities in that first half but were unable to break through the wall of defenders and their passing and handling left them down on occasions in a close contact encounter. Mitchelstown had looked the better side with more potential in attack and deserved their interval lead of 0-7 to 0-2.
On the resumption, Adrigole were a transformed side and immediately had the North Cork men under pressure. Cian O’Shea had a point after two minutes to get their rally underway, David Harrington added another a minute later, Mitchelstown kicked two wides and gradually began to lose their former composure. David Harrington pointed a free for Adrigole in the 42nd minute and the Adrigole support raised the decibel levels further as their side responded on the field. A foul on Harrington yielded a point from the Kevin Goggin free which followed on 47, and the sides were level when Goggin pointed another free immediately after.
Mitchelstown had made a crucial substitution, introducing Michael Walsh, only days back from Australia, and the returned emigrant pointed a 49th minute free to put his side back in front. Within minutes Adrigole were level again, a foul on Jason Harrington punished by another Kevin Goggin free, 0-8 apiece now the score.
Cathail O’Mahony from a free put Town back in front, Cian O’Neill from a mark restored parity once again and in the 57th minute Adrigole took the lead for the first time when Kevin Goggin set up the opportunity for Cian O’Shea. Adrigole were overjoyed but Mitchelstown held their heads and Michael Walsh pointed a free from over 45 metres to level the scores in the 59th minute and then put his side in front as the game went into added time.
Adrigole were not to be denied however and David Harrington pointed a free from a tricky enough angle with the last kick of the game to leave the teams level once again.
In extra time Mitchelstown went ahead through a Seán Walsh point and Pa Magee had another to give them a two-point advantage facing the final ten-minute period. Six minutes from time, Walsh pointed from play and the Adrigole goal had a lucky escape when saved by the butt of the upright. Players were getting cramps all over the pitch after their Herculean efforts but the pace never slackened and Adrigole were rewarded with a late point from a Kevin Goggin free.
They were two points adrift at the final whistle and will lament their first-half performance but they left every ounce of their energy out on the pitch and only just came up short against a Mitchelstown team now contesting its third county intermediate final in four years.
Scorers
Mitchelstown: Cathail O’Mahony 0-5 (3f), Michael Walsh (2f), Seán Walsh 0-3 each, Dylan Reidy Price 0-2, Pa Magee 0-1.
Adrigole: David Harrington (3f), Kevin Goggin (4f) 0-4 each, Cian O’Shea 0-3, C O’Neill 0-1m.
Mitchelstown: Luke Hanna; Fionn Herlihy, David Dineen, Killian Roche; Joseph O’Sullivan, Mark Keane, Pa Magee; Shane Beston, Seán Walsh; Ryan Donnegan, Seán O’Sullivan, Kieran Fox; Cathail O’Mahony, Dylan Reidy Price, Stephen Kenneally.
Subs: Jimmy Sheehan for Kenneally (42), Darragh Flynn for Donegan (44), Michael Walsh for Fox (44), Kevin Cotter for Reidy Price (76), Patrick Molloy for O’Mahony (78).
Adrigole: William O’Sullivan; Liam Harrington, Fergal Carey, Daniel Harrington; Cathal O’Sullivan, Seán O’Shea, Seán O’Sullivan; Neil O’Sullivan, Charlie O’Sullivan; Cian O’Neill, Jason Harrington, Cian O’Shea; Ben O’Sullivan, Connie O’Shea, David Harrington.
Subs: Gerard O’Shea for Cathal O’Sullivan (26), Kevin Goggin for B O’Sullivan (44), Denis Collins for Charlie O’Sullivan (52), Tommy O’Sullivan for J Harrington (68), Darragh O’Sullivan for S O’Sullivan (73).
Referee: Pat O’Leary (Kilmurry).
