Kilmacabea 1-13
St Marys 1-9
IGNORE the final scoreline: this cracking Bandon Co-op junior A football semi-final was much closer than the final score suggests. With 40 minutes elapsed, Kilmacabea, last season’s beaten finalists, had stretched a two-point half-time lead into a six-point advantage and seemed to be cruising into their second successive final, as Mary’s only registered one score from play up to that 40th minute.
Then St Mary’s made a tactical switch, putting influential midfielder Olan Corcoran into the full-forward line, and suddenly the complexion of the game changed. Kicking six points in answer to a single score from the Kilmacs in the space of 12 minutes, Marys’ found themselves within a point of the opposition and their supporters in the large crowd were in
full voice.
The great escape was on the verge of happening but just when they needed it most, Kilmacabea produced a touch of genius to swing the game back solidly in their favour. A free, 40m out on the right wing, looked like an opportunity for a Kilmac point but quick as a flash, Damien Gore, so determined all day, hit an unexpected quick free to Liam McCarthy, lurking inside the large parallelogram. McCarthy appeared to be fouled in the act of shooting but, somehow, managed to force the ball over the goal line and the winners were four to the good and on the way to the final.
McCarthy was Kilmac’s only scorer in the last quarter, kicking 1-2, all vital scores, but it was the talented Gore who took real watching on the day. Despite tight marking by Marys’ David Curtin, and often double marked, Gore still kicked five points, three glorious efforts from play. For the Enniskeane/Ballineen side, Olan Corcoran gave his all at midfield and
then nearly won it for his side when switched inside. He kicked 0-6 of St Mary’s’ 1-9.
‘We made it hard for ourselves today but Mary’s weren’t going to give it up easy,’ said Kilmac boss Donie O’Donovan. ‘We felt we didn’t really play in the last game and we were disappointed with ourselves, so we put a lot into this game. We did well in the first half, limited them to 1-3. We gave away a softish goal, kept them in the game but we began the second well again. We were under the cosh for a while, the lads could have gone for a point from that free but went for the goal and got it.
‘That game should really stand to us, as tough a game as we have played in championship for a long while. They had it over us in 2021 and again in 2023 so we’re delighted with the win and to be back in the West Cork final.’
The scoreboard at half time read 0-7 to 1-2 and the scoreline tells its own story. Mary’s kicked their two points from frees and the goal was the only score from play. It came completely against the run of play when Mary’s were in serious trouble, struggling to get their game going against a dominant Kilmacabea, trailing by 0-4 to 0-1. Gearóid Harrington floated a high ball into the Kilmac goalmouth in the 15th minute and, somehow, Aaron O’Driscoll managed to get a touch to turn the ball into the net.
All square at the end of the first quarter, 0-4 to 1-1. Damien Gore, looking a class act, kicked three, one mark and one free, while Eamonn Shanahan kicked the other. Corcoran converted the Marys’ free. With Darren Whooley, Darragh Tobin and Donncha McCarthy leading in defence, hard- working Martin Collins and, especially, Ian Jennings at midfield, and Gore, Shanahan, Ruairí Hourihan and Joe Collins driving them forward, the Kilmacs kicked three more points in the
second quarter from Shanahan, Gore and Colin McCarthy, free. Marys’ only score came from another Corcoran free.
Leading 0-7 to 1-2 at half time, Kilmacabea surged forward in the third quarter and kicked four unanswered points to lead by six points. Shanahan, Owen Tobin, Gore, and a McCarthy free, all found the target. But just when we were writing Marys’ obituary, they suddenly came to life. Corcoran’s move to the inside line was vital while further out, Ryan Scannell,
Cillian McGillicuddy, Gearóid Harrington, Aaron O’Driscoll, and subs, Dylan Scannell and Stephen Keohane, were getting a grip on proceedings. However, the loss of ace forward, Niall Kelleher to injury was a big blow.
Their first point from play finally came in the 41st minute, a Michael O’Driscoll effort. This was followed by scores from Olan Corcoran (0-3), Aaron O’Driscoll and corner back, Jack Hurley, with a single Liam McCarthy point in reply, and by the 52nd minute the lead was down to one and Marys’ were really motoring.
Gore’s moment of genius and Liam McCarthy’s opportunism put an end to Marys’ gallop in the 56th minute with the decisive goal, McCarthy then following with his second point. Mary’s applied a lot of pressure in the closing minutes, providing a few tremendous goalmouth tussles, but a pointed free from Corcoran was their only reward and it was Kilmacabea celebrating their advance to the final, 1-13 to 1-9.
Scorers:
Kilmacabea – Liam McCarthy 1-2, Damien Gore (1m, 1f) 0-5, Éamonn Shanahan 0-3, Colin McCarthy 0-2f, Owen Tobin 0-1.
St. Mary’s – Olan Corcoran (3f) 0-6, Aaron O’Driscoll 1-1, Michael O’Driscoll and Jack Hurley 0-1 each.
Kilmacabea: Karl McCarthy, Liam Tobin, Darren Whooley, Darragh Tobin, Owen Tobin, Diarmuid O’Callaghan, Donncha McCarthy, Martin Collins, Eoin Jennings, Colin McCarthy, Liam McCarthy, Ruairí Hourihane, Éamonn Shanahan, Damien Gore, Joe Collins. Subs used, Ray Shanahan for J. Collins (ht), Daniel O’Donovan for C. McCarthy (43), Joe Collins for É.Shanahan (55).
St. Mary’s: Peter Daly, Jack Hurley, Ryan Scannell, Mark O’Driscoll, Cillian McGillicuddy, William Hennigan, Eoin Cullinane, David Curtin, Olan Corcoran, Michael O’Driscoll, Darren O’Donovan, Gearóid Harrington, Niall Kelleher, Jason Collins, Aaron O’Driscoll. Subs used, Dylan Scannell for W. Hennigan (14), Stephen Keohane for N. Kelleher (34), Rory Baggott for J. Collins (55).
Referee: Liam O’Shea, Carbery Rangers.
