‘It couldn’t have gone any worse,’ as O'Donovan Rossas' hopes suffer setback 

KANTURK 3-16

O’DONOVAN ROSSA 0-8

O’DONOVAN Rossa manager Gene O’Donovan didn’t hide his disappointment and frustration after their 17-point loss to Kanturk in the McCarthy Insurance Cork Senior A Football Championship.

‘It couldn’t have gone worse. There’s only way we can come from this and that’s up,’ said O’Donovan, whose team kicked only one score from play. 

‘It is as low as it has been with these boys in the last three years. I just said to the lads that if it’s any consolation we were beaten by a close community. Kanturk showed it there today. They just blew us out of the way.’

Their final Group 2 game, a local derby against Dohenys on September 15th, now has huge significance – it’s a winner takes all clash.

‘The only consolation is we have four weeks now before our next game, which is a good thing. There’s very little between ourselves and Dohenys in the last few years. We want to get as many fellas back on the pitch as we can,’ O’Donovan added.

Kanturk hit three points inside the first nine minutes without reply and they didn’t look like being troubled from there, as Ian Walsh, Daniel O’Connell and former Cork senior Aidan Walsh all scored before the West Cork side’s first score in sunny Kilmichael came from a Kevin Davis free.

Davis pointed a mark three minutes later before a boomer from Grantas Bucinskas gave Kanturk a two-point advantage. Davis pointed another free before Kanturk’s Cian Clernon cancelled that score out. Davis hit Skibb’s final score of the half before the Duhallow side bagged four without reply to give Kanturk a 0-9 to 0-4 lead.

‘The run into half time and the knocks (cost us),’ Skibb boss O’Donovan admitted. 

‘It might sound like excuses but we were riddled with injuries today and we had a few boys in physio during the week. We have to put up with what we have and not make excuses. I’d still trust the lads I put out there any day of the week.’

Paul Walsh, Ian Walsh and Clernon continued their scoring spurt before David Shannon got one back for Rossa with a free.

Skibb’s faint hopes of a comeback were dashed on 40 minutes. Ian Walsh hit his shot off the post, O’Connell was fastest to react and palmed it to Lorcan McLoughlin who placed it into the net, 1-12 to 0-5.

Skibb kept battling with Davis converting another free and Sean Fitzgerald got their first from play on 50 minutes. Paul Walsh and Skibb’s Davis traded scores before O’Connell and Bucinskas piled on more Kanturk scores.

After Skibb missed a goal chance through Thomas Hegarty down one end, Paul Walsh punished them down the other as O’Connell played it in the Cork player’s path before the net rustled. O’Connell pointed an easy free before Tommy Walsh set up his namesake Alan to roof it past Ryan Price.

Skibb now have to beat West Cork rivals Dohenys in their final group game to stay in the championship.

Scorers - Kanturk: Paul Walsh 1-2; Ian Walsh 0-4 (1f); Daniel O’Connell (1f), Grantas Bucinskas (1f) 0-3 each; Lorcan McLoughlin, Alan Walsh 1-0 each; Cian Clernon 0-2; Aidan Walsh, Tommy Walsh 0-1 each. O’Donovan Rossa: Kevin Davis 0-6 (5f, 1m); David Shannon (f), Sean Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

Kanturk: Jordan Fullerton; John McLoughlin, Tommy Walsh, Brian O’Sullivan; Lorcan O’Neill, Ryan Walsh, Mark Healy; Paul Walsh, Aidan Walsh; Alan Walsh, Cian Clernon, Daniel O’Connell; Grantas Bucinskas, Ian Walsh, Lorcan McLoughlin. Subs: Chris Mullane for I Walsh (41, inj); Bryan Healy for L McLaughlin (55); Liam O’Keeffe for G Bucinskas (58); Gavin Kenehan for C Clernon (61).

O’Donovan Rossa: Ryan Price; Darren Daly, Sean Fitzgerald, Dylan Hourihane jnr; Kevin Hurley, Paudie Crowley, Dylan O’Donovan; Rory Byrne, David Shannon; Ciaran Coombes, Kevin Davis, Elliot Connolly; Isaac Harte, Thomas Hegarty, Niall Daly. Subs: Padraig O’Neill for P Crowley (ht, inj); Dylan Hourihane snr for N Daly (39); Luca Harte for C Coombes (52); Shane Crowley for T Hegarty (57, inj).

Referee: David Murnane (Macroom).