O’Donovan Rossa 1-15
Bandon 3-8
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
THEY don’t come much closer than this. Level on five occasions, this splendid Clona Milk Carbery U21B football championship quarter-final at balmy Bandon on Sunday went down to the wire, the visitors hanging on to win by one point.
With Jack Calnan the leader of the Bandon attack, Stephen Collins and Jack Cullinane dominant in the middle of the park and Rory Desmond, Hugh O’Mahony and Aaron O’Reilly threatening in possession, the home side was well worth their interval lead of 1-4 to 0-4.
Jack Calnan’s opening goal came after a superb solo dash down the right wing and a clinical finish in the 11th minute. Two lovely scores by Kevin Hannon made it 1-3 to 0-1 at the close of the opening quarter. But every time Bandon looked to pull clear, the brilliance of Niall Daly, the tenacity of the outstanding Frank Hurley at full back and the exuberance of Ciarán Coombes, Jack Grace and the O’Brien duo of Cian and Jack were major bulwarks to their progress.
So, it proved as a brace by Niall Daly and a delightful score from Cian O’Brien cut the deficit, an astute reply by the hardworking Hugh O’Mahony leaving a goal between the sides at the interval.
Two more excellent points by Niall Daly trimmed the margin to the minimum. When Jack Grace was fouled a penalty ensued. However, Niall Daly’s piledriver from the spot was diverted for a fruitless 45 by Bandon goalkeeper William Allen in the 35th minute.
It looked a golden opportunity lost, but two more beauties by the outstanding Daly saw Rossas’ noses in front by the minimum, 0-8 to 1-4. This thriller has as many twists and turns as the old Mallow road. Firstly, Hugh O’Mahony bisected the uprights and when Jack Calnan powered home a second goal, the heat was on Rossas again. They responded magnificently, three unanswered points on the bounce by Niall Daly, Jack O’Brien and Isaac Harte restoring the status quo, 2-5 to 0-11, as the home straight beckoned.
Jack Calnan and Jack O’Brien traded scores, Cian O’Brien bisected the uprights and when the latter was on hand to usher home Rossas only goal in the 53rd minute, the game looked to be slipping away from the Lilywhites. Far from it, as a somewhat fortuitous Bandon goal in the 55th minute by Rory Desmond made for a frenetic finale. Jason Nott and Alan Daly came up with two invaluable scores, only for Rory Desmond and a Jack Calnan (free) ensuring a cliffhanger in the last couple of minutes, Rossas clinging on for a merited victory. Next up is either Owen Gaels or Ahán Gaels in the semi-final.
‘We had two playmakers in Frank Hurley and Niall Daly out there today and the likes of Cian O’Brien, Jack Grace, Dylan Hourihan, Brian O’Driscoll and others all responded to grind out this win,’ Rossas manager Gene O’Donovan said. ‘There is a big drive in Skibbereen at the moment to take us to a higher level and the commitment of these young players is really positive.’
OUR STARS: Two in fact, it was impossible to separate Cork U20 football panellists Frank Hurley and Niall Daly, the former for his sustained resistance at full back and enacting several marvellous block downs, the latter for his positivity, off-the-ball running and scoring of 0-8.
Scorers - O’Donovan Rossa: N Daly 0-8 (2f); C O’Brien 1-2; J O’Brien 0-2; I Harte, J Nott, Al Daly 0-1 each. Bandon: Jack Calnan 2-2 (1f); R Desmond 1-1; K Hannon, H O’Mahony 0-2 each; S Collins 0-1.
O’Donovan Rossa: D Heaton-Jones; J Goulding, F Hurley, A Daly; D Hourihan, J Nott, O Hurley; B O’Driscoll, C Coombes; J Grace, N Daly, F Coombes; I Harte, J O’Brien, C O’Brien. Sub: L O’Sullivan for F Coombes (45).
Bandon: W Allen; G Murphy, S Ahern, S McCarthy; R Tarrant, E Twomey, D Crowley; J Cullinane, S Collins; R Desmond, J Calnan, K Hannon; A Barry, A O’Reilly, H O’Mahony. Subs: D Whelton, C O’Flynn.
Referee: Kevin Crowley (Ballinascarthy).
