Tadhg MacCarthaigh win in Round 2 of South West JAFC
Tadhg MacCárthaigh 3-16
Clann na nGael 1-9
REJUVENATED Tadhg MacCárthaigh had too much firepower for gallant Clann na nGael in Round 2 of the Rowa/Rowex Pharma junior A football championship in Kealkill on Saturday evening.
Three second-half goals – from Colm O’Driscoll (2) and Killian Murray – paved the way for this impressive victory against a Scorchers’ side that had to line out without the injured Don O’Driscoll.
‘We did all the hard work in the first half against the breeze,’ said a satisfied Caheragh mentor Tony O’Driscoll.
‘We knew if we could hold them early on we would be okay and we worked very hard to do that.
‘The goals finished the job in the second half. It was a good performance.
‘We have a lot of young lads coming through and the progress of the U21 side to the county final has lifted the whole club.
‘It’s a new team really. People think that Caheragh are one of the top teams in West Cork but that’s not the case over the past few seasons and we have to build a new side. Get back to basics, build a new team.’
Clann na nGael led 0-2 to 0-1 after the first quarter but after this, Colm O’Driscoll, officially at full forward but popping up all over the pitch, emerged as the game’s dominant figure. Pointed frees from O’Driscoll and Gavin O’Neill (2) had Caheragh in front before William O’Mahony cut the gap to one.
O’Driscoll and Killian Murray added more scores as Caheragh led 0-6 to 0-4 at half time, Timmy Roberts pulling back a point for Clann na nGael.
The second half provided much better entertainment. It was wing back Mícheál O’Donovan who opened the Caheragh scoring with a point. When Colm O’Driscoll added one from play, set up by his brother Brian, who had moved from centre back to midfield, MacCárthaighs looked set to pull away.
But gallant Clann refused to accept the inevitable, with Paul Hickey, Tomás Connolly, and Conor Mahony in defence, Andy McCarthy and Jerome O’Brien at midfield, and Willie O’Mahony, Kevin O’Mahony, Timmy Roberts and Eoin Daly Snr all playing their hearts out.
Points from Damien O’Brien and Conor Mahony cancelled out Caheragh’s good start but the crucial score arrived in the 42nd minute when Killian Murray set up Colm O’Driscoll for a cracking goal.
Murray, Mark O’Driscoll and Brian O’Driscoll added points, and Caheragh were seven points to the good, 1-11 to 0-7, by the end of the third quarter.
After a tap-in goal for Clann by Seamus O’Regan in the 46th minute, Caheragh responded with a Murray goal.
The Caheragh men were in full flow now and following points from Brian, Mark, and Colm O’Driscoll, and Murray, Colm O’Driscoll put the icing on the cake with his side’s third goal in the 57th minute.
Scorers
Tadhg MacCárthaigh: Colm O’Driscoll 2-4 (2f), Killian Murray 1-4, Mícheál O’Donovan, Brian O’Driscoll, Mark O’Driscoll, Gavin O’Neill (2f) 0-2 each.
Clann na nGael: Damien O’Brien 0-4f, Seamus O’Regan 1-0, William O’Mahony 0-2 (1f), Conor Mahony, Tomás Connolly, Timmy Roberts 0-1 each.
Tadhg MacCárthaigh: Denis O’Sullivan; Kevin O’Regan, Donal Kingston, Tom Daly; Mícheál O’Donovan, Brian O’Driscoll, Leon Burke; Seán McCarthy, Kevin O’Driscoll; Gavin O’Neill, Killian Murray, Shane O’Driscoll; Mark O’Driscoll, Colm O’Driscoll, Gary O’Driscoll.
Subs: David O’Connor for G O’Driscoll (ht), Eoin O’Donovan for L Burke (50), Charlie McCarthy for G O’Neill (50), Damien Harrington for T Daly (55).
Clann na nGael: Shane Connolly; Eoghan Daly Jnr, JJ Collins, Tomás Connolly; Conor Mahony, Paul Hickey, Cathal Hurley; Andy McCarthy, Jerome O’Brien; Damien O’Brien, Eoin Daly Snr, Kevin O’Mahony; William O’Mahony, Timmy Roberts, James Cahalane.
Subs: Seamus O’Regan for C Hurley (13, black card), Daniel Fernandez for K O’Mahony (ht), Paul Crowley for J Cahalane (35).
Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).
