Castlehaven 1-18
Clonakilty 1-12
TOM LYONS REPORTS
FOR the third year in a row Castlehaven and Clonakilty met in the group stage of the McCarthy Insurance Premier Senior Football Championship and for the third time it was reigning county champions, Castlehaven, who took the honours.
The game in 2022 was a dour affair, the 2023 meeting was a thriller and this time the eagerly-anticipated clash proved a big let-down. In truth, this clash in sun-soaked Rosscarbery on Saturday was practically over by half-time as the Haven showed exactly why they are reigning county and Munster champions.
Castlehaven's Andrew Whelton is challenged by Clonakilty's Sean White.
Playing a scintillating brand of attacking football, they tore the naive Clonakilty defence to shreds in that opening half, with the rampant Hurley brothers and Jack Cahalane leading the charge. A goal in the second minute, set up by Brian Hurley and converted by Cahalane, put Castlehaven on their merry way. With eight players sharing the scoring they were eight points to the good by the interval, 1-12 to 1-4, having kicked 1-10 from play.
‘We’re happy enough with our first-half performance, came out of the blocks well, but disappointed with the way the second half went. It’s human nature, I suppose, that fellas ease off when they’re so far ahead and that is something we’ll have to look into,’ said a content Castlehaven manager Seanie Cahalane.
‘The Hurleys really turned it on today and Jack Cahalane has had a brilliant start to the year. He’s really flying – he’s a serious danger man inside when he’s on the ball.’
Having opened the scoring with a Conor Daly pointed free, Clon were hit in the second minute with Cahalane’s goal but they battled back to level in the eighth minute when Ross Mannix availed of a defensive slip to finish to the Haven net, 1-2 each.
That was as good as it got for Clon in the first half as the Haven went on the rampage, the scores flowing from the Hurley brothers, Brian and Michael, Jack Cahalane, Seán Browne, Cathal Maguire, Jamie O’Driscoll, Andrew Whelton and Mark Collins. It was vintage football as Clon struggled to survive. Their only response on the scoreboard came from two frees from Darragh Gough and Conor Daly. It was 1-12 to 1-4 at the break in front of a huge crowd that was slightly stunned by the scoreline.
The second half was actually won by Clonakilty, 0-8 to 0-6, as the Haven seemed content to guard their lead and Clon changed their tactics. With Ben Ridgeway prominent at midfield and Maurice Shanley and Sean White finally beginning to exert an influence, Clon cut the lead to four with points from Conor Daly (2), Niall Barrett and the hard-trying Ross Mannix. It was corner back Thomas O’Mahony who got Haven back on track with a point in the 42nd minute. It was point for point subsequently, Ben Ridgeway, Brian White, free, David Lowney and Mannix finding the target for Clon, while the Hurleys and Cahalane answered for the Haven.
Castlehaven's Sean Browne and Clonakilty's Conor Daly getting to know each other early in the game.
The Haven soaked up a lot of pressure but there was no way past their defence for a badly-needed Clon goal with Thomas O’Mahony, Jack O’Neill, Rory Maguire and Mark Collins defending gallantly. Then came a chaotic finish, as Clon had two players sent off in the 57th minute, Simon Murphy on a straight red and Niall Barrett on a black. It was Clon left to rue a terrible first half while the Haven march on in defence of their county title.
‘The first half was a disaster, a bit naive, left ourselves open at the back,’ said a disappointed Clonakilty selector Eoin Ryan.
‘They are Munster champions, unlucky not to win an All-Ireland semi-final and they punished us. We gave them far too much space and we kicked some poor wides at the other end. We’ll just have to learn from it. We were on top in the second half and our fitness was beginning to tell towards the end. But then we shot ourselves in the foot, down to 13 players at the end. We came here thinking we had a right chance but on the day it just didn’t go for us.’
Scorers
Castlehaven: Jack Cahalane 1-3; Brian Hurley 0-5 (2f); Michael Hurley 0-4; Thomas O’Mahony, Andrew Whelton, Jamie O’Driscoll, Seán Browne, Cathal Maguire, Mark Collins (1f) 0-1 each.
Clonakilty: Ross Mannix 1-2; Conor Daly 0-4 (3f); Niall Barrett, David Lowney, Simon Murphy, Ben Ridgeway, Brian White (1f), Darragh Gough (1f) 0-1 each.
Castlehaven: Darragh Cahalane; Anthony O’Regan, Damien Cahalane, Thomas O’Mahony; Rory Maguire, Robbie Minihane, Mark Collins; Andrew Whelton, Jack O’Neill; Jamie O’Driscoll, Brian Hurley, Seán Browne; Cathal Maguire, Michael Maguire, Jack Cahalane.
Subs: Conor O’Driscoll for S Browne (46), Conor Nolan for J O’Neill (53).
Clonakilty: Mark White; Chris Kenneally, Maurice Shanley, Cian O’Donovan; Seán White, Thomas Clancy, Brian White; Ben Ridgeway, Griffin Wharton; Simon Murphy, Darragh Gough, David Lowney; Ross Mannix, Conor Daly, Fergal Murphy.
Subs: Dan Peet for C O’Donovan (22), Niall Barrett for G Wharton (ht), Aaron Cullinane for F Murphy (36).
Referee: James O’Regan (Lough Rovers).
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