Clonakilty 1-15
St Michael’s 1-14
(after extra-time)
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
SIMON Murphy’s haul of 1-3 helped Clonakilty claim the McCarthy Insurance Football League Division 2 title in Ballygarvan.
The Carbery club looked set for a hard-earned victory when Murphy slalomed through and found the St Michael’s net after 48 minutes of a compelling contest. Brian White’s converted free pushed Clonakilty four clear with less than ten minutes remaining. Credit to the Dazzlers however, who staged a gutsy comeback thanks to late Billy Cain, Keith Hegarty and Luke Herlihy (free) efforts.
Next, a turnover presented Keith Hegarty with a goal chance right at the death. Only a superb Thomas Clancy goal-line block prevented a certain goal and instead resulted in a 45. Tadgh Deasy brilliantly converted to send the final to extra-time.
St Michael's Daniel Meaney, representing McCarthy Insurance, presents the man-of-the-match trophy to Clonakilty's Thomas Clancy.
Two cagey periods saw Clonakilty eventually come out on top courtesy of Conor Daly’s match-winning free. The teams, both promoted to Division 1 for 2025, will meet again in the county premier senior football championship on September 15th, as they are both in Group B alongside Castlehaven and Carbery Rangers.
‘That was a great test for us out there tonight,’ Clonakilty mentor Eoin Ryan commented.
‘Conditions were tough. We learned a lot more tonight than we did over the course of the league. There is a lot we have to work on. In fairness, the lads found a way to win it which is very important. Winning is a habit and, hopefully, we will stay at it now.
‘Certainly, our performance won’t do when it comes to the championship. Look, we learned a lot from it too.’
The West Cork club found themselves 0-5 to 0-2 behind despite Brian White landing two early frees. Luke O’Herlihy (two), Tadgh Deasy (two) and Andrew Murphy scores gave St Michael’s a deserved lead.
Amid deteriorating weather conditions, Clonakilty’s barren spell was ended by a converted Darragh Gough free and Conor Daly point. Brian White’s third free levelled matters prior to the game’s first goal. Fionnan Leahy was fouled in front of the Clonakilty goal resulting in a penalty that Luke O’Herlihy dispatched to hand St Michael’s a 1-5 to 0-5 interval lead.
Clonakilty dominated the third quarter however, with Darragh Gough, Simon Murphy and Conor Daly efforts levelling matters. Luke O’Herlihy edged St Michael’s back in front before Fergal Murphy and Adam Hennessy exchanged points and Simon Murphy fired inches over with 15 minutes to go.
Darragh Gough answered a Tadgh Deasy score and there was nothing between the teams until Simon Murphy raced through and goaled to make it 1-11 to 1-8. Brian White’s fourth free handed the Brewery Town a four-point advantage but St Michael’s late comeback saw the league decider go to extra-time.
Luke Herlihy and Maurice Shanley scored at either end during the first period of additional time. Simon Murphy and Keith Hegarty did likewise but Clon’s Conor Daly had the final say, coolly converting a free to win an enthralling contest.
Clonakilty celebrates after defeating St Michael's in the McCarthy Insurance FL Division 2 final.(Photos: Paddy Feen)
Scorers
Clonakilty: S Murphy 1-3; B White 0-4 (4f); D Gough (1f), C Daly 0-3 each; F Murphy, M Shanley 0-1 each.
St Michael’s: L Herlihy 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2f); T Deasy 0-4 (1 45); K Hegarty 0-2; A Murphy, A Hennessy, B Cain 0-1 each.
Clonakilty: M White; C Kenneally, M Shanley, D Lowney; B White, T Clancy, S White; B Ridgeway, G Wharton; S Murphy, D Gough, F Murphy; N Barrett, C Daly, R Mannix.
Subs: A Cullinane for N Barrett (ht), D Peet for G Wharton (35), C O’Donovan for D Gough (50), D Gough for B White (et), G Wharton for R Mannix (et), N Barrett for F Murphy (et).
St Michael’s: M Burke; B Cain, A O’Callaghan, F Leahy; E Sheehan, D Meaney, R Kavanagh; E Hickey, R O’Shaughnessy; K Hegarty, A Murphy, A Hennessy; E Hegarty, T Deasy, L O’Herlihy.
Subs: M Carroll for E Hegarty (24), E O’Donovan for M Carroll (50), T Grainger for A Hennessy (54), L O’Sullivan for T Deasy (et).
Referee: A O’Connor (Ballygarvan).
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