O’DONOVAN ROSSA 1-9
NAOMH ABÁN 0-11
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
AOIFE O’Driscoll’s goal proved the critical score as O’Donovan Rossa defeated Naomh Abán in the Cork LGFA intermediate county championship at Rossa Park on Sunday.
It was a game that saw the 2023 All-Ireland junior football champions defeat the 2022 All-Ireland junior runners-up, but despite Skibb’s narrow win the likelihood is that we will see both clubs at the business end of this competition.
A game of two halves, affected by a strong wind, it was Rossas who netted the game’s only goal after 46 minutes to make it three championship wins out of three.
Mallaidh O’Neill, Ella Hayes, Lisa Harte and Laura O’Mahony shone for the winners on an afternoon Éabha O’Donovan kicked five points. Lydia McDonagh was equally proficient for a Naomh Abán team in which Grace Murphy, Gráinne Lucey, Emma Kelly and a returning Rosie Corkery made their mark.
‘They (Naomh Abán) got to an All-Ireland final two years ago and lost last year’s intermediate county final by a point to Glanmire so we knew what we were up against,’ O’Donovan Rossa’s Laura O’Mahony said.
‘It is great to win, even by such a tight margin but this game doesn’t win us any trophies. There are three more group games to play and we are looking forward to those.’
Both teams entered last weekend’s encounter off the back of consecutive championship victories. O’Donovan Rossa accounted for Inch Rovers and Donoughmore while Naomh Abán also saw off Inch and Abhainn Dalla.
A strong wind, favouring the visitors in the opening half, played a big role in proceedings. O’Donovan Rossa fared better early on, moving into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead courtesy of Éabha O’Donovan (two frees) and a Mallaidh O’Neill effort that scraped the crossbar. Lydia McDonagh (free) replied for the visitors but four consecutive Naomh Abán wides blighted their efforts.
Joanne Kelly and Lydia McDonagh points levelled matters prior to Laura O’Mahony and Grace Murphy exchanging scores. 0-4 apiece after 25 minutes, Naomh Abán shook off more wayward shooting and pushed up on Rossa’s kick-outs. It proved a profitable tactic as, aided by a strengthening wind, the excellent Lydia McDonagh scored three times without reply.
Down 0-7 to 0-4 at the break, the home team restarted with the aid of an unrelenting wind. A brace of Éabh O’Donovan frees had the hosts back to within a point before Grace Murphy replied. Kate O’Donovan and Gráinne Lucey scored at either end prior to the hardworking Mallaidh O’Neill pushing Rossa’s a point clear.
The game was in the melting pot when O’Donovan Rossa began a superb move that ended with Aoife O’Driscoll firing into the net after 46 minutes.
Grace Murphy’s free made it 1-8 to 0-10 but Rossa’s should have extended their advantage when Laura O’Mahony burst through. Goalkeeper Lauren Hayes blocked the Cork senior’s point-blank shot.
Packing their defence, O’Donovan Rossa forced their opponents to shoot wide as Éabha O’Donovan made it 1-9 to 0-10 and offered some breathing space with five minutes to go.
Laying siege on the Skibbereen goal, a Lydia McDonagh free left the bare minimum in it. The visitors were unable to conjure up a late equaliser however, and O’Donovan Rossa held on for a one-point victory.
‘They had home advantage and the conditions today, the wind was very strong,’ Cork senior and Naomh Abán’s Lydia McDonagh commented.
‘We have three games coming up where we can clean up our passing and scoring. We knew coming down here it was going to be a hard game. Fair play to them, they held out until the end of the game. At the end of the day, playing a team as good as O’Donovan Rossa will make us better.’
Scorers
O’Donovan Rossa: Éabha O’Donovan 0-5 (5f); Aoife O’Driscoll 1-0; Mallaidh O’Neill 0-2; Laura O’Mahony, Kate O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Naomh Abán: Lydia McDonagh 0-6 (3f); Grace Murphy 0-3 (1f); Joanne Kelly, Gráinne Lucey 0-1 each.
O’Donovan Rossa: Ella Hayes; Michelle Donnellan, Aoife Whooley, Allie Tobin; Fiona Leonard, Sarah Hurley, Lisa Harte; Laura O’Mahony, Emer McCarthy; Jessica Beechinor, Mallaidh O’Neill, Triona Murphy; Éabha O’Donovan, Kate O’Donovan, Aoife O’Driscoll.
Sub: Emily Byrne for T Murphy (42).
Naomh Abán: Lauren Hughes; Mary Ellen Kelleher, Muireann Dineen, Una Twohig; Clodagh Murphy, Emma Kelly, Aoife Creedon; Amy McDonagh, Gráinne Lucey; Joanne Kelly, Colleen Phelan, Lucy Hughes; Annie Maher, Lydia McDonagh, Grace Murphy.
Subs: Emer Murphy for L Hughes (ht), Rosie Corkery for J Kelly (42).
Referee: John O’Driscoll (Ilen Rovers).
