Hamilton HS 0-11
Skibbereen CS 1-6
NOEL HORGAN REPORTS
‘I DON’T know what happened, and I don’t want to know either, but we got away with it anyway’ – that was victorious manager Paddy Lordan’s comment as he reflected on Hamilton High School’s late scare in an entertaining Simcox Cup (Cork colleges’ senior football) final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Tuesday.
The Hammies appeared to have sealed the deal after wing-back Luke Casey pointed to put them two points ahead deep in stoppage time, but a last-gasp raid by Skibbereen Community school ensued, resulting in substitute Adam O’Donovan getting a touch on the ball in a crowded goalmouth.
Much to Hamilton High’s relief, O’Donovan’s effort was denied by the upright, allowing the Bandon students to hold out for a historic triumph.
Despite their dramatic let-off at the death, they were full value for the win, which looked very much on the cards after they dominated the early exchanges to go five points up inside ten minutes.
The picture changed significantly before half time however, as gutsy Skibbereen CS, aided by a Sean Connolly goal from a penalty, rallied to nudge ahead before Oisin McCarthy converted a Hammies free, leaving the teams tied, 0-6 to 1-3, at the interval.
Skibbereen CS's Daniel McCarthy is challenged by Hamilton HS's Niall Daly.
‘We got a great start, but we knew Skibb were a quality side, and that they’d get back into the game,’ said Paddy Lordan, who described the character shown by his charges after relinquishing the initiative as the most satisfying aspect of the performance.
‘It’s a good sign of a team that can recover the way we did after falling behind, and I thought the response was brilliant in the second half.
‘To win our first Simcox is unbelievable, I’m delighted for the lads more than anything else, because their attitude has been spot on all year,’ Lordan revealed.
The pattern was set for Hammies’ early dominance after Sean Coffey won the throw-in before parting to centre-back Jack Cullinane, whose storming run and smart lay-off led to the opening score from Kevin Hannon.
Further points from Charlie Twomey, Eoin Maguire (free), Humphrey Canty and Maguire followed, as Hammies, with their defence in control, threatened to overwhelm the opposition before the break.
That Skibbereen Community School managed to arrest their slide in the second quarter owed much to the defiance displayed by wing-back Niall O’Callaghan, and rampaging corner-back William O’Donovan.
O’Donovan was particularly industrious, and it was his good work that almost led to a major breakthrough in the 16th minute when O’Callaghan was narrowly off-target with a goal-chance. After Skibbereen were awarded a free following that move, Sean Connolly got them off the mark.
Hamilton High captain Jack Cullinane raises the Simcox Cup.
O’Donovan and O’Callaghan were the chief architects of another probing raid three minutes later, which finished with Danny O’Donovan being impeded in the square as he attempted to touch home O’Callaghan’s pass. Sean Connolly found the net from the resultant penalty, making it 0-5 to 1-2 at that juncture.
All of Skibbereen Community School’s scores in the first half came from the boot of free-taker Connolly, and it wasn’t until the 41st minute that they raised a flag from play, courtesy of Daniel Cleary after Aidan Fahy and Daniel McCarthy had combined to create the opening.
A brace of Oisin McCarthy points from frees enabled the Hammies to regain the lead early in the second half before they almost delivered a killer-blow in the 37th minute when a superb fisted pass by Humphrey Canty put Kevin Hannon clean through.
Skibb’s William O’Donovan came from nowhere to foil Hannon’s gilt-edged opportunity, and Hamilton High generally held the whip-hand in the second half. Oisin McCarthy’s impressive free-taking helped them to stretch their advantage to three points, but, after McCarthy was black-carded in the 51st minute, Skibbereen CS made a determined bid to turn the tide.
A fisted point by Sean Connolly left them snapping at Hammie’s heels towards the end of regulation time, but they weren’t to score again, with the dismissal of Ryan McCarthy (red-carded following an off-the-ball incident) and the match-winning chance that struck the upright compounding their frustration in stoppage time.
That Hamilton High were better-balanced is beyond dispute, with Hugh Flanagan, Jack Cullinane and Niall Daly at the back, midfielders Sean Coffey and Daniel Coughlan, and Oisin McCarthy up front their leading lights overall.
Scorers
Hamilton High School: O Murphy 0-5 (f); E Maguire 0-2 (1f) each; C Twomey, H Canty, L Casey 0-1 each
Skibbereen CS: S Connolly 1-5 (4f, 1-0 penalty), D Cleary 0-1.
Hamilton High School: B Curtin (Valley Rovers); B Coffey (Clonakilty), N Daly (Valley Rovers), R Tarrant (Bandon); H Flanagan (Newcestown), J Cullinane (Bandon), L Casey (Valley Rovers); D Coughlan (Bandon), S Coffey (Clonakilty); C Twomey (Argideen Rangers), O McCarthy (Valley Rovers), D Flynn (Argideen Rangers); H Canty (Newcestown), K Hannon (Bandon), E Maguire (Castlehaven).
Subs: O Gallain (Kilbrittain) for Maguire (45), D Walsh (Argideen Rangers) for Hannon (49), A Griffin (Kilbrittain) for Flynn (54).
Skibbereen CS: D Heaton-Jones (O’Donovan Rossa); W O’Driscoll (Castlehaven), J Goulding (O’Donovan Rossa), C Moloney (Castlehaven); N O’Callaghan (do.), F Hurley (O’Donovan Rossa), P Collins (Ilen Rovers); C French (Castlehaven), S Connolly (Ilen Rovers); R McCarthy (Castlehaven), D Cleary (do.), A Fahy (Ilen Rovers); L O’Sullivan (O’Donovan Rossa), D McCarthy (Castlehaven), D O’Donovan(do.).
Subs: C O’Brien (O’Donovan Rossa) for O’Sullivan (54), A Dempsey (do.) for Cleary (58), A O’Donovan (Tadgh MacCarthaigh) for Fahy (60).
Referee: E Coleman (Youghal).
