Cork footballer Cathail O'Mahony fires Mitchelstown into the IFC final

Mitchelstown 2-13 Aghabullogue 0-7 

A DOMINANT performance from Mitchelstown saw them book their place in the final of the Bons Secours Cork IFC final at the expense of a gallant Aghabullogue in a wind-swept Mallow yesterday afternoon.

They led from the start, but it was a two-goal burst in the third quarter from their Cork star, Cathail O’Mahony, that mad their victory comfortable. 

The first came after 37 minutes when he slipped the ball home past John Buckley after good work from James Sheehan and Michael Walsh to give his side a 1-9 to 0-4 lead.

His second drifted into the top corner ten minutes later, with the aid of the swirling breeze, to make it 2-9 to 0-6 after two Luke Casey frees had kept Aghabullogue in touch.

Mitchelstown kept the scoreboard ticking over from there to the end with scores from O’Mahony, Sean Walsh, Michael Walsh and Seamus Coleman while Matthew Bradley had the mid-Cork side’s last score.

Mitchelstown played into the elements in the opening period and adapted to it well, moving the ball at pace through the hands while keeping enough men back to limit Aghabullogue’s options in attack.

In truth, it took the wind out of the Muskerry side as they struggled to get the ball into their full-forward line. 

A Cathal O’Mahony free and two points from Shane Cahill gave them a three-point lead after 15 minutes.

Aghabullogue had kicked four wides at this stage but a free from Luke Casey got them on board before they broke for water.

The Avondhu side then re-affirmed their supremacy after the break with two points from O’Mahony and another from Sean O’Sullivan. Scores from Bradley and Casey meant Aghabullogue trailed by 0-6 to 0-3 but two injury-time scores from O’Mahony and Michael Walsh did real damage to their prospects.

Then came O’Mahony’s two-goal burst to secure the Mitchelstown men a final spot against Rockchapel next weekend.

Scorers for Mitchelstown: C O’Mahony 2-5 (0-3 f), S Cahill, M Walsh (0-1 f) 0-2 each, S Walsh, P Magee, S O’Sullivan, S Coleman 0-1 each.

Aghabullogue: L Casey 0-4 (0-3 f, 0-1 45), M Bradley 0-2, E O’Sullivan 0-1 f.

MITCHELSTOWN: L Hanna; K Roche, F Herlihy, L Finn; G Carroll, S Beston, P Molloy; S Walsh, C English; P Magee, M Walsh, S O’Sullivan; J Sheehan, S Cahill, C O’Mahony. 

Subs: A O’Brien for Sheehan (47 min), D Dineen for Magee (47 min), S Coleman for Cahill (56 min), M Maher for Finn (58 min), O Burke for Beston (58 min), L Keane for O’Mahony (61 min).

AGHABULLOGUE: J Buckley; P Dilworth, C Smith, P Twomey; B Casey, P Ring, A Murphy; S O’Connell, S O’Sullivan; M Dennehy, D Thompson, N Barry-Murphy; L Casey, E O’Sullivan, M Bradley. 

Subs: P O’Sullivan for L Casey (inj, 46 min), J Corkery for Dilworth (47 min), C O’Sullivan for Thompson (51 min), J Murphy for Barry-Murphy (60 min).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).