Muskerry 3-13
Duhallow 2-15
TOM LYONS REPORTS
ONE would need a book to describe all the action and excitement in this thrilling Tadhg Crowley Cup colleges/divisions final of the senior football championship in summer-like conditions in Macroom.
Just picture it. No breeze worth a mention and rampant Muskerry, looking for their first interdivisional title under this new system, 12 points in front after raising three green flags as half time approached. But Duhallow, the reigning champions, weren’t going to cave in like this. Suddenly finding their form, they cut the lead to nine, 3-7 to 0-8. At least, they will keep the score respectable, we thought.
The third quarter, with the floodlights now on, saw the Duhallow men continuing their surge as they kicked 1-3 to Muskerry’s two points. 3-9 to 1-11. Only five points in it now, then three. Muskerry did get a bit of a second wind to stretch the lead to six again, but when the lead was cut to two points as the game edged into injury time, five minutes the sign said, the Duhallow supporters were in full voice.
A point for Muskerry by James O’Mullane seemed to make it safe again but back came Duhallow looking for an equalising goal. What an ending to a thriller. Then disaster as a Duhallow attack broke down against some tigerish Muskerry defending and Chris Óg Jones ran the length of the pitch to slot over the insurance fourth point. Five minutes injury time elapsed but still the play went on as Duhallow charged down the pitch and full back Kevin Cremin finished the ball to the Muskerry net.
The impossible looked possible but heartbreak for Duhallow as the final whistle sounded on the kickout. All of a sudden Chris Óg Jones’s final solo point took on a whole new lustre, the winning score in an incredible thriller that finished 3-13 to 1-15.
‘Firstly, we weren’t expecting to be in this position this season but what the board has put in place and put around us has been excellent,’ said a delighted Muskerry mentor, Macroom man Conor Hurley. ‘What we managed was to get together a group of young enthusiastic players from a variety of clubs across the division, probably seven or eight clubs involved tonight, plus another couple on the bench. We’d be very proud of them, it’s all down to them.’
A goal by Chris Óg Jones in the third minute was a sign of things to come as Muskerry grabbed control. Points from Liam O’Connor (2), Ian Jones and Liam Twohig (free) and a second goal in the 13th minute from Twohig had the Mid Cork men 2-4 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter. Points from Liam O’Connor and Chris Óg Jones were answered by the lively Darragh Cashman.
Muskerry’s third goal arrived in the 26th minute when a Chris Óg Jones centre was palmed to the net by his brother, Ian and a point from Aaron O’Sullivan brought the Muskerry tally to 3-7, Duhallow’s 0-3. Five Duhallow points from Luke Murphy (2), Séamus Hickey, Jack Curtin and Donncha O’Connor had the lead down to eight by the break.
It was all Duhallow in the third quarter, as Luke Murphy tipped in a goal and Jerry O’Sullivan (2) and Cashman added points. Muskerry’s only reply came from Jones and the 12-point lead was down to three. Just when Muskerry looked like suffering the embarrassment of losing a game they had wrapped up, they found a second wind and managed three points in a row, from Jones, Twohig, and Jack Kelleher.
Muskerry looked to have weathered the storm but Duhallow weren’t going down easily and they thundered back. Four in a row had the lead down to a mere two points entering injury time and then came the heart-stopping finish already described.
Our Star: There was a touch of class about Muskerry’s Cork star Chris Óg Jones, as he kicked 1-4, including the winning point, as well as assisting in a number of other scores.
Scorers
Muskerry: C Óg Jones 1-4; L Twohig 1-2 (2f); I Jones 1-1; L O’Connor 0-3 (2f); A O’Sullivan, J O’Mullane, J Kelleher 0-1 each.
Duhallow: L Murphy 1-4; K Cremin 1-0; D Cashman 0-3; Donncha O’Connor (f), G O’Sullivan 0-2 each; C Curtin, J Curtin, S Hickey, C Walsh 0-1 each.
Muskerry: Joseph Creedon (Uibh Laoire); William Ronan (Kilmurry), Eoghan Lehane (Canovee), Daniel O’Donovan (Uibh Laoire); Kevin Manning (do.), Mark Corrigan (Macroom), Seán O’Riordan (Uibh Laoire); Cillian O’Donovan (Macroom), Liam Wall (Kilmurry); Aaron O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue), Chris Óg Jones (Uibh Laoire), Eolan O’Leary (Macroom); Liam O’Connor (Inniscarra), Ian Jones (Uibh Laoire), Liam Twohig (Aghinagh).
Subs: Paul Ring (Aghabullogue) for D O’Donovan (38), Colm Gillespie (Aghabullogue) for C O’Donovan (38), James O’Mullane (Kilmurry) for E O’Leary (43), Jack Kelleher (Canovee) for L Twohig (45), Jack O’Donovan (Naomh Abán) for L O’Connor (62).
Duhallow: Conor Casey (Rockchapel); Jack Murphy (Dromtarriffe), Daniel Buckley (Boherbue), Shane Hickey (Millstreet); Jack Curtin (Rockchapel), Kevin Cremin (Boherbue), Darragh Cashman (Millstreet); Séamus Hickey (Rockchapel), Liam Moynihan (Boherbue); Brian O’Keeffe (Dromtarriffe), Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond), Mikey McAuliffe (Rockchapel); Luke Murphy (Cullen), David O’Connor (Boherbue), Gerry O’Sullivan (do.).
Subs: Colin Walsh (Cullen) for L Moynihan (18), Conor Murphy (Castlemagner) for J Murphy (ht), Ciarán Curtin (Rockchapel) for M McAuliffe (33), Cormac O’Sullivan (Castlemagner) for D O’Connor (44), Danny Linehan (Castlemagner) for J Curtin (49).
Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).
