Kevin O’Donovan kicks 0-5 as Castlehaven set up Carbery JAFC quarter-final with Argideen

CASTLEHAVEN 0-11

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT’S 0-10

MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS

IN A tight and nervy Bandon Co-op JAFC winner-takes-all clash, it was Castlehaven’s second string that got the better of a dogged St Oliver Plunkett's in Rosscarbery.

‘First of all, we knew we had to win. We knew it was going to be a tough game. We saw Plunkett’s play in a couple of games – they are a very strong team, plenty of dangerous players,’ Castlehaven manager Vivian O’Callaghan told The Southern Star.

‘We knew we had a lot to do but I think we went out and had a very good first half. Played good football. Probably made hard work of it in the second half but overall very happy. Out of the group, into a quarter-final and see where that takes us.’

Liam McCarthy opened Haven's account in the opening minute from a free. Plunkett’s Mike Keohane equalised four minutes later. Castlehaven’s Kevin O’Donovan and Plunkett’s Padraig Healy swapped scores before Patrick O’Brien edged the Moneyvollahane side back in front.

Plunkett’s goalkeeper Brian Walsh kept his side in contention after a point-blank save from O’Donovan while Keohane levelled matters again down the other end. Roland Whelton for the Haven and Keohane traded scores, leaving it 0-4 apiece after 18 minutes.

The Haven would then outscore Plunketts by 0-4 to 0-1 leading up the break with O’Donovan pointing three superb scores while Mark Crowley also got in on the act. Healy kept Plunketts in touch to leave it 0-8 to 0-5 at half time.

‘The football we played in the first half was, what I would say, exceptional. We would have wanted to back that up a little bit more but at the same time, when the challenge was really put up to us in the last five or ten minutes, we had lads who were prepared to dive on every ball and make sure we won that game,’ O’Callaghan added.

Castlehaven’s Roland Whelton gets away from Plunkett's Seán O’Donovan.

After a scoreless eight minutes at the start of the second spell. Donnacha O’Donovan ended the drought with a mark for Haven. Keohane was deadly accurate all night from frees and pointed two more before Kevin O’Donovan bagged his fifth from play. Three points down, the Ahiohill men never gave up and Keohane pointed once more but Shane Nolan struck over to cancel it out.

Sean Crowley hit one of the scores of the evening for a battling Plunketts before Mark Kelly made it a one-point game. Knowing they needed to win the game in order to progress to the quarters, Plunketts bombarded the Haven goal late on but it was Castlehaven that held on to set up a quarter-final against Argideen Rangers at the end of the month.

‘There’s no question we would have wanted to have more scores in the second half. We felt we played reasonable football in the second half but we missed a lot of scores by a foot or two, wasn’t too much in it,’ the Castlehaven boss said.

‘We would have liked to finish that game stronger. At the same time, they are a very good side, Plunketts really put it up to us and it could have been anyone’s game in the end.’

Our Star: When you score 0-5 from play, you deserve serious recognition and Kevin O’Donovan did just that.

Scorers -  Castlehaven: Kevin O’Donovan 0-5; Liam McCarthy (f), Patrick O’Brien, Roland Whelton, Mark Crowley, Donnacha O’Donovan (m), Shane Nolan (f) 0-1 each. St Oliver Plunkett’s: Mike Keohane 0-6 (5f); Padraig Healy 0-2; Sean Crowley, Mark Kelly 0-1 each.

Castlehaven: Stephen Collins; Sean Bohane, Joseph Bohane, Tom O’Leary; Roland Whelton, Sean Walsh, Shane Hurley; Liam McCarthy, Shane O’Connell; Mark Crowley, Kevin O’Donovan, Patrick O’Brien; Fiachra Collins, David Whelton, Donnacha O’Donovan. Subs: Shane Nolan for D O’Donovan (40); Liam O’Mahony for P O’Brien (44); Sean Dinneen for M Crowley (54); James Buckley for S Hurley, Donal O’Callaghan for S Bohane (both 59).

St Oliver Plunkett’s: Brian Walsh; Niall O’Driscoll, Ciaran Dullea, Cormac Lyons; Mark Kelly, Ronan McCarthy, Gary McCarthy; Conor McCarthy, Sean White; Mike Keohane, Padraig Healy, David White; Sean Crowley, Roy O’Driscoll, Sean O’Donovan. Subs: Mike Collins for D White (34); Alan McKennedy for S O’Donovan, Christopher O’Flynn for C McCarthy (both 51).

Referee: Conor McCarthy (Carbery Rangers).