Kinsale 1-14
Gabriel Rangers 0-18
JJ HURLEY REPORTS
GABRIEL Rangers landed a free deep into injury-time to beat Kinsale in a tight McCarthy Insurance Group Football League Division 5 game at Dunderrow on Sunday.
With Brian Coughlan sending over a two-pointer to tie up the sides on 59 minutes, this looked destined for a draw but Sean Kelleher sent over the winner with the last kick of the game. It’s now two wins from two games for Gabriels.
In truth, points shared would have been a fair result as both sides used the wind to their advantage in either half. Kinsale will also rue a penalty opportunity that was driven wide on 49 minutes, after Michael Murphy was upended.
It was the home side that went ahead after a minute, with a Michael Murphy goal. Rangers’ response was a pair of two pointers from Kelleher and Mark Cronin. The home side had their goalkeeper Thomas Douglas to thank, tipping a goal-bound shot over the bar from a Dillon Green effort. The sides were level on 13 minutes, 1-2 to 0-5, thanks to Murphy taking a delightful score.
Kinsale lost their way for the next 15 minutes as the visitors hit five unanswered scores. One of those chances could have easily gone under the bar as over, after the wizardry of Paddy O’Driscoll had set up Shane O’Mahony. Regaining their composure, Kinsale hit three points in a row as the break came into view, with James Murphy claiming two of the all-important points, leaving the half-time score at 0-12 to 1-5 in the Carbery club’s favour.
Two early second-half points from Murphy and Coughlan gave the Kinsale side an early foothold, but a free to the visitors kept their noses in front.
Coughlan was back again with another score, but the West Cork men then hit three on the bounce, from Kelleher, Cronin and Lorcan O’Brien, as they led 0-16 to 1-8 on 46 minutes. As Niall McCarthy steadied the Kinsale ship, a brace of points from James Murphy and the hard-working John O’Brien had four points between the sides.
A free from Kelleher seemed to stir Kinsale into action, as subs Harry Sheehan and James Rooney added points, and Coughlan tied up proceedings on 59 minutes, but parity didn’t last as Rangers secured the late winner.
Scorers
Kinsale: B Coughlan 0-6 (2f, 1 2pt); M Murphy 1-2; J Murphy 0-3; J O'Brien, J Rooney, C Sheehan 0-1 each.
Gabriel Rangers: S Kelleher (3f, 1 2pt), M Cronin (2f, 1 2pt), K Roycroft (1f, 2 2pt) 0-5 each; Shane O’Mahony, D Green, L O’Brien 0-1 each.
Kinsale: T Douglas; D O’Leary, C O’Callaghan, K O’Callaghan; C McCarthy, N McCarthy; J Byrne; D Coughlan, Brian Coughlan; S O’Callaghan, J O’Brien, J Murphy; M McCarthy, M Murphy, B Gray.
Subs: David Looney and Cathal O’Leary for M Murphy and Barry Gray (ht), J Rooney for David Coughlan (39), C Sheehan for S O’Callaghan (49).
Gabriel Rangers: L Hegarty; D Roycroft, L Hodnett, O Barrett; R Hurley, K Roycroft, T Ryan Purcell; D Green, S Kelleher; L O’Brien, P O’Driscoll, G O’Callaghan; M Cronin, S O’Mahony, E O’Brien.
Sub: C McCarthy for Shane O’Mahony (ht).
Referee: Cathal Dineen (Douglas).
