BRENDAN KENNEALLY rounds up the latest action in the Mid Cork Junior Football Championship
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Éire Óg 0-13
Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh 0-5
ÉIRE Óg set up a very attractive semi-final meeting with Inniscarra in the Ross Oil Mid Cork Junior Football Championship with a comfortable win over Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh in the quarter-final at Cloughduv.
Éire Óg started well and led by 0-5 to no score at the end of the first quarter. Béal Átha then had a good period before Éire Óg finished the half with a brace to lead by 0-7 to 0-2 at the break. The Ovens side dominated the second half, led by 0-12 to 0-3 at the three-quarter mark and never looked in danger.
Early points from Jerome Kelleher and David Casey got the Ovens side off to a good start, and their defence coped well with the Béal Átha incursions; Kevin Cooper, Denny Murphy and Matt Brady very prominent in a mobile defensive sextet. Andí Ó Coinceannain was the main threat up front in a Béal Átha attack which found it difficult to open up the opposition.
Matt Brady was denied a goal by a fine save from the Béal Átha goalkeeper Barra Ó Súilleabháin in the 11th minute, the ball deflected over the bar. Casey and Oisín O’Shea added points to extend the lead to five. Béal Átha’s efforts were rewarded with a superb point from Gearóid Ó Loinsigh in the 17th minute.
The sides failed to add to the scoring until the 29th minute when the wily Liam Sheehan pointed a free and Denny Murphy sent over from over 50 metres to give Éire Óg a 0-7 to 0-2 interval lead.
Points from Oisín O’Shea, Sheehan and Johnny Galvin increased the Éire Óg advantage on the restart, Andí Concannon pointed a free for Béal Átha, but David Casey kicked his third point to maintain the eight-point advantage, 0-11 to 0-3. There was no likelihood of the Ovens men letting Béal Átha back into contention, even when they withdrew Kevin Hallissey and Denny Murphy, and the sides shared four points evenly between them in the final quarter.
Scorers – Éire Óg: D Casey 0-3; L Sheehan 0-3 (f); O O’Shea, J Galvin 0-2 each; J Kelleher, M Brady, D Murphy 0-1 each. Béal Átha: A Ó Coinceannain 0-3 (f); G Ó Loinsigh, B Ó Duinnín 0-2 each.
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Donoughmore 2-12
Ballincollig 0-9
League champions Donoughmore have been impressive this season and the memory of an unexpected defeat by Kilmichael in the championship group stage in mid-August has been banished by their performances since.
This latest win over a good Ballincollig side at Ballyanley will have Aghinagh worried as the teams prepare for the semi-final clash. Ballincollig started well and led by 0-4 to 0-1 after 18 minutes. A goal from David McDonnell a minute later for Donoughmore changed the course of the game and ignited the Donoughmore challenge.
The winners led by 1-3 to 0-5 at half time and had extended their lead to 1-8 to 0-7 by the three-quarter stage. A goal from a penalty by Declan Keating on 47 really drove on the winners and they forced the pace to the final whistle.