Dohenys 2-14
Cill na Martra 0-14
TOM LYONS REPORTS
FIFTY minutes into this lively and McCarthy Insurance Group senior A football quarter-final under lights in Macroom on Friday, the sides were level, all the momentum with Cill na Martra who had just kicked four points in a row.
Then came the moment that changed the game and swung it firmly in Dohenys’ favour.
Having just survived a goal scare, Dohenys moved down the pitch but a long ball into the Cill na Martra goal area was well covered by the goalkeeper and a defender. Then in the blink of an eye a breakdown in communication between both saw the ball ricocheting into an empty net.
Gleefully, Dohenys accepted the unexpected gift of an own goal and took full advantage of Cill na Martra’s dismay to kick four points in a row to open a seven-point gap.
Game over as the Muskerry side were only able to respond with two points in the closing minutes, losing a game that definitely seemed to be heading their way in the middle of the second half.
‘The slow start in both halves didn’t worry me at all. I just think the press doesn’t give us enough credit for what we’ve done over the past few seasons. They forget that Dohenys were in a county final last year, but it was all about Cill na Martra. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a super club and maybe it was perfect for us in a way, everybody talking about them. But we’ve a great bunch, we score heavily in every game and the backs are outstanding,’ said a delighted Doheny manager Declan O’Dwyer.
Dohenys' Fionn Herlihy tries to get past Cill na Martra's Tadhg Ó Corcora.‘To a man the lads were absolutely outstanding. You need a bit of luck and that second goal, I don’t know how it went in, you just need that bit of luck and it came for us tonight.
‘You can laud the lads up front, everybody knows the forwards we have, but when you have a defender like Donal Rice who gave a display tonight, he was out of this world. We gave him a job to do and, boy, did he do it.’
Cill na Martra, playing at a ferocious pace, dominated the early exchanges but were unable to show it on the scoreboard due to the tenacious defending of the Doheny backs. Jason McCarthy and Rhys Coakley swapped points before Ciarán Ó Duinnín and outstanding centre back Seán Ó Foirréidh shoved Cill na Martra in front.
Dohenys were now up to the pace of the game with Keith White and Mark Buckley flying in the corners and Fionn Herlihy kicked a point to leave a point between the sides at the end of the first quarter, 0-3 to 0-2.
With Rhys Coakley dominating midfield, Eoin Lavers and Jerry Farrell highly impressive in defence and Donal Rice doing a great marking job on Daniel Ó Duinnín, the Dunmanway men got on top in the second quarter. Rhys Coakley kicked two great frees and the flying Keith White added three from play. Cill na Martra answered with points from Jason MacCárthaigh and Gearóid Ó Goillidhe but failed to take full advantage of a black card for Doheny’s Barry O’Donovan. It was Dohenys in front by 0-7 to 0-5 at half time.
Having dominated the Cill na Martra kickouts in the second quarter, Dohenys now experienced the opposite treatment in the third quarter as Cill na Martra pressed up on their kickouts. Fionn Herlihy opened the scoring but back came Cill na Martra with two from Jason MacCárthaigh. Just when they seemed to be getting on top, Cill na Martra got hit with a Doheny goal when Adam O’Donovan cut in from the wing on a superb solo run to billow the roof of the net in the 35th minute.
To their credit, the Muskerry men shook off the goal to take control, especially from kickouts, with Ciarán Ó Duinnín and Seán Ó Foirreidh leading the charge. The large crowd was getting really involved now as Ó Connaill and Herlihy swapped points. Sensing a lull in Dohenys’ effort, Cill na Martra upped the pace even more and a brace of fine points from Seán Ó Foirréidh, followed by a brace from Shane Ó Duinnín had the sides level by the 48th minute, 1-9 to 0-12.
Dohenys' Adam O'Donovan celebrates after scoring their first goal against Cill na Martra in the McCarthy Insurance SAFC quarter-final at Macroom on Friday night.Advantage Cill na Martra entering the closing ten minutes as they had all the momentum but then came Dohenys’ lucky break and Cill na Martra’s misfortune as the ball ended up in their net in the 50th minute.
Grabbing their opportunity in style, Dohenys kicked the next four points with scores from the hard-working Bill Murphy, Keith White, young Shane Barry and sub Colm O’Shea with his first touch of the ball.
With time running out Cill na Martra gave it everything but had to be satisfied with points from Daniel Ó Duinnín and Seán Ó Foirréidh against a tigerish Doheny rearguard. Dohenys’ closing point from wing back Cathal Daly was one of the best of the night and it was Dohenys’ supporters who were celebrating a great win and a place in the last four.
‘Last year we had a four-week break to the semi-final with Knocknagree, this year it’s a perfect scenario, two weeks. They’re a super group of lads and we’re back where we need to be,’ added Declan O’Dwyer.
Scorers
Dohenys: Keith White 0-4; Adam O’Donovan 1-0; Fionn Herlihy, Rhys Coakley (2f) 0-3 each; Bill Murphy, Shane Barry, Cathal Daly, Colm O’Shea 0-1 each.
Cill na Martra: Seán Ó Foirréidh, Jason MacCárthaigh (3f) 0-4 each; Shane Ó Duinnín 0-2; Danny Ó Connaill, Daniel Ó Duinnín, Ciarán Ó Duinnín, Gearóid Ó Goillidhe 0-1 each.
Dohenys: Stephen Daly; Donal Rice, Eoin Lavers, Jerry Farrell; Barry O’Donovan, Cullan Barry, Cathal Daly; Bill Murphy, Rhys Coakley; Adam O’Donovan, Fionn Herlihy, Shane Barry; Keith White, Gavin Farr, Mark Buckley.
Subs: Cathal O’Donovan for G Farr (44), Colm O’Shea for S Barry (53), Declan Collins for B Murphy (55), Oran McCarthy for M Buckley (60).
Cill na Martra: Mícheál Ó Deasúna; Daire MacLochlainn, Tadhg Ó Corcora, Finnéin Ó Faoláin; Danny Ó Connaill, Seán Ó Foirréidh, Cianie Ó Foirréidh; Daniel Ó Duinnín, Gearóid Ó Goillidhe; Fionnbarra Ó hÉalaithe, Ciarán Ó Duinnín, Jason MacCárthaigh; Maidhcí Ó Duinnín, Arran Ó hUidhir, Shane Ó Duinnín.
Subs: Damien Ó hUrdail for A Ó hUidhir (25), Cormac Ó Cróinín for F Ó hÉalaithe (53).
Referee: Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).
