CARDS on the table, due to having visitors for the weekend, the only football I watched with my own two eyes were the two Carbery Rangers games, a form of football thievery on Friday night against St Mary’s in the junior championship and a draw salvaged from an unlikely position by the seniors against Clonakilty on Sunday afternoon. More about those anon.
In the premier senior, Friday evening saw Castlehaven confirm their status as newly-installed favourites for the championship with a facile 19-point win (2-18 to 0-5) over St Michael’s. The omens are building nicely for the Haven, as they qualify now for the quarter-finals with a game to spare. Top spot is secured, however the opportunity to proceed directly to the semi-finals is available with a win over Ross in the final game. For a single code club, albeit with a few notable dual players in their ranks, I’m not sure it’s the carrot it is for dual clubs as the four-week layoff after the group stage can lead to a little rustiness against a team that will have come through a tough quarter-final game. Nonetheless, I don’t expect the Haven men to be too worried and they will back themselves to manage that time-gap and take care of business against whoever might come their way in that semi-final.
Staying with Group 2, Sunday saw the aforementioned meeting between nearest and dearest neighbours Ross and Clon end in another draw, 0-12 to 1-9. Thankfully, the game provided much more action and incident than the same fixture in Enniskeane last year. After a promising Ross start against the breeze, Clon took control for the second and third quarters of the game. Darragh Gough’s penalty halfway through the second half gave Clon a six-point lead against a Ross team who only had five points on the board at that point, and who have been struggling to create and take chances for a couple of seasons now.
Sometimes, a team needs to see rock bottom to throw the shackles off and go on the attack again. Ross made five changes across the second half, all of whom made an impact, and with John O’Rourke thundering into the game, the team started to fire over some great points and eat into the Clon lead. With the gap down to the minimum and time nearly up, Ross carved out a great chance for impressive half-time substitute Darragh Hayes, which he fired over the bar under pressure from the out-rushing imposing figure of Mark White.
There was still time for Clonakilty to mount one more attack which ended with a robust challenge on a Clon forward which went unpunished, much to the palpable disappointment and anger of the Clon contingent. I thought it was a free, however the award of the penalty earlier in the half confused me. It’s all to play for then between Clon, Ross and St Michael’s for the second qualifying spot in Group 2, while Ross and Clon will need to get results in the last game to avoid being dragged into a potential relegation playoff.
Clonakilty's Sean McEvoy is tackled by Carbery Rangers' Brian Hodnett during the McCarthy Insurance Group PSFC in Dunmanway Sunday. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
In Group 1, Friday night saw Nemo Rangers claim a four-point win (0-16 to 2-6) over Éire Óg, the Ovens side hanging onto their coattails by virtue of a pair of goals, one in either half. The good form of Ross Corkery, Conor Horgan and Paul Kerrigan gives the city men cause for optimism in the continued absence of Luke Connolly. Nemo are all but assured of qualification to the knockout stages barring a pair of unlikely results in the final group games. Éire Óg will need to get a result against Ballincollig to avoid the relegation game.
Ballincollig themselves got a win against Newcestown by the narrowest of margins in another nervy encounter. Survival is now very likely for Podsie O’Mahony’s men but still not quite guaranteed. I will delve into the different permutations for the final games in advance of the final group games. Suffice to say there is something riding on the games for every single team even still. I include the already eliminated Douglas in that equation, as they need a win in their last game against Mallow after defeat to Valley Rovers (0-8 to 0-7) in another tight encounter on Friday night to avoid the dreaded relegation final.
They will be facing a Mallow side that produced the result of the round, turning around a 19-point defeat from last year to claim a famous win against the Barrs on Saturday. I did write last week that the Barrs had not impressed against Douglas the first day out and would need to improve, however I didn’t think Mallow had it in them to turn the tables in such spectacular fashion. Kudos then to Andrew Cashman and his team. The Barrs will expect to bounce back in the final game against Valleys, however the Innishannon men have qualification to play for without the fear of relegation and will hand nothing easy to the men from Togher.
In the senior A championship, most of the results went along the predicted lines, apart from 13-man Bishopstown turning over Newmarket. Dohenys did the needful against Fermoy to set up a qualification showdown with Skibb who were well beaten by Kanturk. Cill na Martra versus Beál Athán Ghaorthaidh did provide the game of the weekend, possibly along with Mallow’s superb win, with last year’s premier intermediate champions prevailing by a point, 2-15 to 2-14, in a high scoring cracker. Carrigaline saw off a stubborn Kiskeam while Knocknagree whalloped Clyda Rovers by 18 points. A cracker of a championship sees seven teams still in the hunt for ultimate glory while five others without a point to their name need final day results to evade that relegation match.
My predictions for PIFC were right on the money with wins for Bantry, Kilshannig, Castletownbere, Aghabullogue and Uibh Laoire and a draw between Naomh Abán and Nemo’s second string outfit. Bantry, Kilshannig, Uibh Laoire and Aghabullogue are already through to the knockout stages with two of Naomh Abán, Nemo, Castletownbere and Rockchapel fighting to join them. Macroom, Bandon, Ilen Rovers and Aghada are battling now to preserve their PIFC status.
Gabriel Rangers kept the West Cork flag flying high with a six-point win over Dromtariffe that sealed their qualification from the intermediate A group stage, with a special word for Mark Cronin scoring 10 points, not bad for a man near enough my own vintage. What was noticeable across the rest of the games at this grade was the closeness of the contests, apart from a big win for Glanmire over Na Piarsaigh. Elsewhere, Adrigole drew with Kildorrery, Boherbue edged the Barrs second string by a single point, Ballinora had just two to spare against a fancied Mitchelstown with Glanworth accounting for St Vincent’s by the same margin. It is indicative of teams finding their right level, while the trend of northside city teams struggling continues with Na Piarsiagh and St Vincent’s in danger of falling through another trap door.
St Nick’s did buck that trend in the premier junior competition with a three-point win over Urhan. St James gave a great account of themselves against overall favourites Kilmurry, only to lose out by a point. Again, all the games were tight affairs apart from Buttevant beating Millstreet comprehensively. Buttevant, Kilmurry, Kinsale and possibly Canovee look best placed for an assault on overall honours, while St James, Cobh, Ballydesmond and Milstreet look worst placed to avoid the drop to divisional junior ranks.
Speaking of which, the above mentioned late, late Colm Hayes goal sees us through to the West Cork quarter-finals. St Mary’s will be kicking themselves having controlled large parts of the game and now face a winner-takes-all showdown with champions Barryroe after their win over Clon’s second team. That is a game for the diaries in West Cork. Elsewhere, Kilmacabea, Caheragh, Timoleague, Ballinascarthy and Castlehaven had good wins, while there was a draw between St Colum’s and Kilbrittain.
Many of those voices who are so vocal about the split season being a complete failure would really do well to remember that virtually every club and player in the country are in meaningful action in the late summer/early Autumn now when it was never this before. Club players must ensure we can never go back to not being to plan a single event in your life for most of the year. It wasn’t good enough then, and going back would not be acceptable.
