Kanturk minors bounce back from hurling loss to reach football final

Kanturk 3-10 Carbery Rangers 1-6

THREE goals fired Kanturk into the Premier 2 Minor Football Championship final, helping the Duhallow club to offset the disappointment of losing the hurling decider last wee.

Kanturk produced a solid showing throughout after a slow opening quarter and were worthy winners by full-time. 

Carbery Rangers got off to a perfect start when Ciarán Santry almost ripped the net when he got a goal in the opening minute.

Santry slotted over a point for the West Cork men moments later, which was added to by a Conor Twomey score.

Kanturk gradually grow into the contest as the opening half went on.

Colin Walsh was to get a number of well-taken points to reduce the gap back down to a point by the quarter of an hour mark.

Peadar O’Rourke was then to respond in kind to extend the Ross advantage.

But it was Kanturk that ended the opening half on a high when Sam Hopkins finished off a fine passing move on the break to the back of the net.

Kanturk got another Colin Walsh point, as they lead 1-5 to 1-3 at the half time interval, with everything to play for heading into the second half.

It was Kanturk who got the first scores after the break, with Brian Healy, Rory Sheahan and Grantas Bucinskas calmly slotting the ball over the bar. 

Alan Walsh also was to score in what was a fruitful early second half Kanturk spell, with Carbery scoring through Michael Maguire to see the West Cork side trailing by five points with 20 minutes remaining.

Then Kanturk found the back of the net, courtesy of what was a cracker of a finish by Cian O’Sullivan in the 45th minute of play. Rangers, who scored through a Niall Keane free, threw everything at them and put an almighty effort to get a late lifeline back into the contest and had two decent goal opportunities.

But Kanturk put the icing on the cake when Grantas Bucinskas finished with a fine goal in second-half stoppage time.

Scorers for Kanturk: G Bucinskas 1-2, C O’Sullivan 1-1, C Walsh 0-3, S Hopkins 1-0, B O’Sullivan, B Healy, A Walsh, R Sheahan 0-1 each.

Carbery Rangers: C Santry 1-1, P O’Rourke 0-2, M Maguire, N Keane (f), C Twomey 0-1 each.

KANTURK: D O’Connor; E McAuliffe, J O’Connor, M Hooton; E Hayes, T Walsh, C Sheahan; B O’Sullivan, A Walsh; G Bucinskas, C O’Sullivan, D Grey; S Hopkins, C Walsh, B Healy.

Sub: R Sheahan for Grey (h-t).

CARBERY RANGERS: A O’Brien; D O’Dwyer, C Hayes, C Eady; S Linehan, S O’Mahony, K Scannell; B Kerr, M Maguire; D Calnan, C Twomey, N Keane; C Santry, E Browne, P O’Rourke.

Sub: G O’Donovan for Browne (50).

Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).