Kevin Davis sparkles as super sub Hourihane fires winner for Skibb

O’DONOVAN ROSSA 1-14

FERMOY 0-16

MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS

WHEN Dylan Hourihane (senior) struck the decisive point in O’Donovan Rossa’s McCarthy Insurance Cork senior A football championship win in Bandon, manager Gene O’Donovan’s instant reaction was relief.

Substitute Hourihane kept a cool head in striking the winner after Skibb turned the ball over in the middle of the park.

‘We came here last year and left the championship behind us,’ O’Donovan said. ‘We have great belief that everything we do is one game at a time, that’s part of our philosophy.’

‘What we were very pleased with was we got these fellas onto the pitch, knowing what they can offer. It is down to a group effort again,’ he explained. ‘We’re trying to get a family feel, a comraderie. This is within the club.’

Fermoy got the first two points through Ben Twomey and Tomás Clancy. The Skibbereen outfit hit back to level as David Shannon and Niall Daly both hit scores inside the fourth minute. Twomey nailed another free to put the Avondhu side back in front.

After a scoreless seven minutes, Elliott Connolly injected pace and after a one-two with Thomas Hegarty, the wing forward roofed the ball to the net. Fermoy hit back with the ideal response with four points without reply. The in-form Twomey hit the next three scores (one from a free) before Padraig De Roiste joined in on the scoring act.

It was the West Cork side who finished the half stronger with a Kevin Davis score, but they trailed 0-7 to 1-3 at the short whistle. It was a half where Skibb hit eight wides, something that concerned O’Donovan.

‘It worried me who was missing them rather than the actual wides themselves,’ he noted.

‘It’s not as if they haven’t been practising. We have been strenuous on our shooting training. It was one of those days, but we got away with it.’

It was the Avondhu-based side who got the first score of the second half with a Twomey free before Davis got one back for Skibb. Twomey once again split the posts from a free before Rossa forward Daly made it a one point game again.

Fermoy went three points ahead as De Roiste and Twomey both scored from play but Skibb battled back. Hegarty and a David Shannon free cancelled out two more Twomey scores before the West Cork side hit three on the spin. Shannon hit a well-worked score while Davis hit two (one from a free). Centre forward Davis, who is also club legend Don’s son, was in top form all afternoon.

‘He is normally targeted but one thing about him is his attitude is absolutely fabulous. He is a warrior without being physical and he pulls this team along with him as well,’ Skibb boss O’Donovan said.

Fermoy sub Arlen Aherne hit one back to level it and set up a grandstand finish.

Davis (2) and Twomey swapped frees before De Roiste levelled it again. That set up Hourihane to be the hero.

Crucial to get the win on the first day out but the focus quickly moves to Kanturk for O’Donovan.

‘Big game in three weeks’ time. I was at the (Kanturk v Dohenys) game. There was very little between them. We are well aware of what they are capable of after playing them last year. Hopefully, we can get one or two points out of that.’

Scorers

O’Donovan Rossa: K Davis 0-7 (4f); D Shannon 0-3; E Connolly 1-0; N Daly 0-2; T Hegarty, D Hourihane Snr 0-1 each.

Fermoy: B Twomey 0-11 (7f); P De Róiste 0-3; T Clancy, A Aherne 0-1 each.

O’Donovan Rossa: R Price; S Fitzgerald, D Daly, P O’Neill; D O’Donovan, P Crowley, D Hourihane Jnr; C Coombes, D Shannon; B Crowley, K Davis, E Connolly; I Harte, T Hegarty, N Daly.

Subs: R Byrne for I Harte (ht), D Hourihane Snr. for D Hourihane Jnr. (48), L Connolly for D O’Donovan (58).

Fermoy: L Coleman, A Creed, S Shanahan, R O’Sullivan; P Murphy, D O’Carroll (capt.), G Lardner; J O’Brien, S Aherne; T Clancy, P De Roiste, D Lardner; B Twomey, G O’Callaghan, D Dawson.

Subs: L Aherne for G Lardner (temp, 11-12), D Daly for D Dawson (45), M Brennan for S Aherne (46), R Morrison for S Shanahan (51), A Aherne for J O’Brien (52), J Carr for G O’Callaghan (59).

Referee: P O’Leary (Cloughduv).