Clonakilty 1-15
St Nick’s 2-6
BY TOM LYONS
THE Clonakilty U16 football team completed the county double on Monday evening in Páirc Uí Rinn when they added the premier 2 championship to the league title won two weeks previously.
Level at half time, Clon led by a point at the three-quarter stage and forcing the pace into the Blackrock goal in the closing quarter they took control of the game to race into a five-point lead.
The decisive blow arrived in the 55th minute when man-of-the-match Tom Whooley found the top corner of the Nicks’ net and there was no catching Clon subsequently, although Nick’s did close the final gap to six points with a penalty goal in the 62nd minute.
Clon entered this game as favourites with a big win over the Blackpool side in the league and when they dominated the opening ten minutes through the efforts of Ben Coffey, Jack Byerley and, especially, Tom Whooley, on the edge of the square, it looked as if a repeat of the league win might be on the cards. Byerley opened the scoring and the rampant Whooley kicked two fine points.
St Nick’s cut the lead to two with a pointed free from Josh Brosnan. The game was developing into a real contest now and points from Byerley and Whooley sandwiched a James O’Mahony score for Nick’s as Clon led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the end of a lively first quarter.
Clon knew they were in a game when Nick’s struck for goal in the 18th minute to tie the scores, Michael T Brosnan availing of a poor Clon clearance to finish to the net. It was defences on top subsequently, with James Costello, Louis Kelleher, Ben Coffey and flying blonde-haired winger, Illan Smith, impressing for Clon and Robert O’Callaghan, Robbie McNicholas and Steven Daly clearing well for Nick’s. Josh Brosnan and Whooley swapped points and it was all square at the break, 0-6 to 1-3, all to play for in the second half.
After Mattie Lyons (free), shoved Clon in front starting the second half, back came the city side to take the lead for the first, and only, time with points from Conor Burke and Michael T Brosnan. Clon’s response was superb as Byerley (two frees) and Emmet Nolan kicked points to go two in front. A Josh Brosnan free had the lead back to one at the three-quarter stage, 0-10 to 1-6.
It was the Clon lads who really got their act together in the last quarter, with a big influence from subs off the bench, especially Christos Delis and Fionn O’Donovan. Points from Byerley (play and free) and two more from subs O’Donovan and Bill Bennis had Clon in front by five before Whooley, constantly marked by two players, struck for the goal that clinched the issue when his shot for a point dipped into the top corner of the net in the 55th minute. A point by Delis had Clon nine to the good before Nick’s struck a late blow when James O’Mahony converted a penalty.
Our Star: Jack Byerley, Clonakilty, and Josh Brosnan, St Nick’s, were both outstanding but Clon full forward Tom Whooley was a class apart, kicking 1-4, and often taking two and even three players to mark him.
Scorers
Clonakilty: Tom Whooley 1-4; Jack Byerley 0-6 (3f); Emmet Nolan, Fionn O’Donovan, Bill Bennett, Christos Delis, Mattie Lyons (1f) 0-1 each.
St Nick’s: Michael T Brosnan, James O’Mahony (1 pen) 1-1 each; Josh Brosnan 0-3 (2f); Conor Burke 0-1.
Clonakilty: Christopher Harrington; Louis Kelleher, James Costello, Eoghan Minihan; Michael Francis Collins, Ben Coffey, Illan Smith; Shay O’Donovan, Conor O’Gorman; Eanna Déiseach, Jack Byerley, Emmet Nolan; Finn O’Mahony, Tom Whooley, Mattie Lyons.
Subs: Christos Delis for F O’Mahony (25), Nathan O’Sullivan for S O’Donovan (37), Fionn O’Donovan for MF Collins (45), Bill Bennett for I Smith (52), Isa Khan for M Lyons (59).
St Nick’s: Zak Healy-Lynch; Charlie Barrett, Robert O’Callaghan, Liam Woods; Robbie McNicholas, Steven Daly, Conor Cunningham; Conor Burke, Josh Brosnan; James O’Mahony, Shane McCarthy, Darragh Twomey; Cian O’Brien, Michael T Brosnan, Adam Mannix.
Subs: Niall Considine for C Barrett (40), Jay Moloney for L Woods (40), Seán Gale for A Mannix (57), Killian O’Keeffe for D Twomey (58).
Referee: Niall Hayes (Blarney).
