Hamilton HS 3-7
Clonakilty CC 1-9
TOM LYONS REPORTS
A GOLDEN goal by outstanding Hamilton High School centre forward Jack Hennigan, in the 59th minute, was the decisive score in the exciting Cork colleges U16A football championship final in misty Enniskeane.
The Bandon school led Clonakilty Community College by a single point when Hennigan rattled the back of the net.
The Hammies had looked certain winners in the first half against the diagonal breeze and mist, as they forged a well-deserved five-point half-time lead but Clonakilty staged a courageous comeback in the second half to cut the deficit to a single point.
It looked as if the Clon school would earn a draw but then came Hennigan’s palmed goal to snatch the silverware.
Clonakilty Community Colleges' Michael O'Donovan tries to hold the ball under intense pressure from Hamilton High School's duo Jack Hennigan and James O'Driscoll.
‘We played very well in the first half but failed to put the game to bed,’ stated Hamilton mentor Paddy Lordan, a Dromcollogher-Broadford clubman, who took up a teaching post in Bandon last year.
‘We were well on top but Clon never gave up. Even though we were five up at the break, we knew they would have a good patch. That came in the third quarter when we seemed to take a bit of a rest but credit the lads for battling back in the closing minutes to clinch the win.’
It was all Hammies in the opening stages, against the breeze, after Hennigan and Liam Dooley had swapped points. The first of their three goals arrived in the eighth minute when the tall Daniel Coughlan broke a high ball down one-handed and first-timed a piledriver to the net.
With Coughlan and Eddie O’Sullivan dominating midfield and man-of-the-match Humphrey Canty, Jack Hennigan, Andrew Lane and Donagh Flynn impressing up front, O’Sullivan and Lane stretched the lead to five.
Clon finally began to show a spark of life in the second quarter, driven on by Dylan Harrington, Andrew McCarthy and Michael O’Donovan. When a Sean Whelton point was followed by an Emmet Nolan goal in the 26th minute, they were really back in the game. However, within 60 seconds, the ball was in the back of their net again when Humphrey Canty waltzed through for Hammies’ second goal. A quick follow-up point by Canty and it was Hamilton in front by five at the break, 2-4 to 1-2.
Hamilton High School's Humphrey Canty tries to get around Clonakilty Community College's Kevin Hennessy during the Cork PPS U16 A county football final. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
A number of substitutions and positional changes saw Clon in a different mood in the second half, and three points in a row from Whelton (free), Jack Byerly and Olan Murphy cut the lead to two by the 40th minute. An important Canty point halted the Hamilton slide. Hammies led by 2-5 to 1-5 at the end of the third quarter but Clon kept up the pressure. Points from Luke Murphy and Whelton left the minimum between the sides with ten minutes remaining.
Jack Hennigan, who finished the game in style, kicked a vital Hammies’ point but Jack Byerly blazed over the crossbar to again cut the lead to one amid great excitement. Hennigan’s goal in the 59th minute, set up by Eoin O’Callaghan, was greeted by a huge cheer from the Hamilton supporters but Clon battled back in injury time with a Whelton point.
Three between the sides, Hennigan won a marvellous ball in the air to set up Canty for the final point, 3-7 to 1-9. There was great rejoicing as Seán Ó Briain, chairperson of the Cork Colleges, presented the cup to winning captain James O’Driscoll.
‘We won the Dr Herlihy Cup, U14 football, last week and this is a huge boost now for our Corn Uí Mhuirí team for next season,’ added a delighted Paddy Lordan.
Scorers
Hamilton HS: Humphrey Canty 1-3; Jack Hennigan 1-2 (1f); Daniel Coughlan 1-0; Luke O’Sullivan, Andrew Lane 0-1 each.
Clonakilty CC: Sean Whelton 0-4 (2f); Emmet Nolan 1-0; Jack Byerly 0-2; Liam Dooley, Olan Murphy, Luke Murphy (1f) 0-1 each.
Hamilton HS: Alan O’Regan (Bandon); Tadhg O’Riordan (do.), Ben Coffey (Clonakilty), Richard Tarrant (Bandon); Hugh Flanagan (Newcestown), James O’Driscoll (Bandon), Adam Griffin (Kilbrittain); Daniel Coughlan (Bandon), Eddie O’Sullivan (Valley Rovers); Jack Twomey (Ibane Gaels), Jack Hennigan (Sam Maguires), Andrew Lane (Bandon); Humphrey Canty (Newcestown), Donagh Flynn (Ibane Gaels), Eoin Maguire (Castlehaven).
Sub: Eoin O’Callaghan (Bandon).
Clonakilty CC: Ruairí O’Sullivan (Kilmeen); Jerry O’Leary (Ballinascarthy), Andrew McCarthy (do.), Seán Maguire (Castlehaven); Oisín Harrington (Kilmeen), Michael O’Donovan (Bandon), Kevin Hennessy (Ibane Gaels); Dylan Harrington (Clonakilty), Olan Murphy (Kilmeen); Liam Dooley (St James), Luke Murphy (Ibane Gaels), Cathal Hennessy (do.); Emmet Nolan (Clonakilty), Seán Whelton (St. James), Jack Byerly (Clonakilty).
Subs: Tim Bailey (Kilmeen) for J O’Leary (14), Robert Hennessy (Ibane Gaels) for O Harrington (22), James Collins (Ibane Gaels) for S Maguire (28), Aaron Fleming (Ibane Gaels) for L Dooley (40).
Referee: Liam O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).
