BY GER McCARTHY
WEST Cork clubs got their Cork LGFA county championship campaigns underway with Clonakilty, O’Donovan Rossa, Rosscarbery and Bantry Blues recording important wins.
Clonakilty gained revenge for their recent West Cork Division 1 final defeat to Kinsale by overcoming the latter in Group 1 of the Cork LGFA senior football championship.
Leading 2-3 to 0-7 at the interval, Clonakilty fell behind before rebounding to claim a 4-5 to 1-7 triumph. Sinead O’Donovan (2-0), Katie O’Driscoll (1-2), Ciara Ryan (1-0), Siofra Pattwell (0-2) and Millie Condon were on target for the winners.
Cork senior Katie O'Driscoll scored 1-2 in Clonakilty's win against Kinsale.
In the same group, Orlaith Cremin and Ali Hayes goals weren’t enough to prevent Éire Óg from losing 0-12 to 2-5 at home to Aghada. Emma Farmer scored 0-9 for the winners with Hannah Looney and Róisín Phelan also impressing.
In Group 2 of the senior championship, Mourneabbey will be without Cork senior Ellie Jack due to injury this coming season. The reigning champions overwhelmed Fermoy, scoring eight goals, to get their championship campaign off to the best possible start. Elsewhere in Group 2, Castlehaven lost 2-15 to 1-9 to St Val’s despite a spirited second-half display. Ellie McCarthy (0-5), Amy McCarthy (1-0), Grainne O’Sullivan (0-2), Ellen Buckley and Niamh O’Sullivan (0-1 each) were on target for the West Cork club.
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Last year’s All-Ireland junior champions O’Donovan Rossa began life as an intermediate club with a stirring 2-10 to 1-9 win away to Inch Rovers. Éabha O’Donovan (1-5) top scored with Kate O’Donovan (1-1), Emer McCarthy, Laura O’Mahony, Aoife O’Driscoll and Kate O’Connell also contributing.
The Skibb side then beat Donoughmore away on Tuesday, 5-19 to 1-6, with Éabha O’Donovan (2-9), Aoife O’Driscoll (2-2), Laura O’Mahony (0-3), Jessica Beechinor (0-3) and Triona Murphy (0-2) all on target. Elsewhere in the intermediate grade, Naomh Abán got their campaign off to a flier with a 4-13 to 1-9 win over Abhainn Dalla. Lydia McDonagh (1-9) top scored for the Ballyvourney club. Joanne Kelly, Grace Murphy, Gráinne Lucey, Annie Maher and Amy McDonagh also featured on the winners’ scoresheet.
Abhainn Dalla were quickly back in action, hosting Rosscarbery this past Sunday. It was the West Cork club who came out on top however, registering a 1-10 to 0-9 win. Sandra O’Donoghue (1-1), Gráinne O’Brien (0-4), Kellianne French (0-3), Sarah Hayes and Etaoin Hayes were amongst Rosscarbery’s scorers.
Dáire Kiely, Eimear Kiely, Cliona O’Riordan, Eve Dwyer and Shona Cronin impressed for Valley Rovers in their 2-14 to 0-14 IFC victory at home to Donoughmore in Brinny.
Dohenys enjoyed a comprehensive 5-18 to 0-5 win over Araglen Desmonds Buí in the same grade.
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Bantry Blues opened their account in the Cork LGFA Junior A Football Championship with a resounding 5-7 to 3-9 defeat of Douglas in Wolfe Tone Park. Sarah Bishop had an afternoon to remember, scoring 3-3 of the Blues’ winning total. Mairead Dullea, Eve Murphy (1-0 each), Rachel Murphy (0-2), Lucy Coakley and Zara Barry (0-1 each) were also on target.
In the junior C county grade, Beara made an early statement of intent thanks to a 6-7 to 1-4 win over St. Michael’s. Ellie O’Sullivan and Clare O’Shea were the stars of the show. O’Sullivan netted a hat-trick with O’Shea adding 2-3. Sarah Hanley (1-3) and Miriam Sheehan (0-1) also impressed for a Beara side that restricted their opponents to two points in the second period.
A West Cork derby in the junior D county championship saw Ilen Rovers defeat Bandon 2-15 to 2-10 following a cracking encounter. Rovers’ Maebh Collins was in top form and notched 2-4. Kate Carey (0-5), Carla O’Regan (0-3), Keelin Murphy (0-2) and Amy Harte (0-1) were Ilen’s Rovers’ scorers in a positive start to the campaign. Muintir Gabriels lost to Knocknagree in their junior E opener.
