Cloughduv's second team prove their worth in Mid Cork junior hurling final

Cloughduv 1-12 Éire Óg 0-12

CLOUGHDUV secured Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship glory again thanks of this victory over Éire Óg.

It was a competitive contest, but in the end Cloughduv just about had that greater cutting edge.

However, it shows the strength of these two clubs that their respective second string outfits made it to this final played in Macroom.

Cloughduv’s first team won this competition last year and now ply their trade in the intermediate grade. Now their second string have followed suit and secured the premier prize in Mid Cork hurling.

Éire Óg got the opening score of the contest through Cork football panelist Ronan O’Toole. Cloughduv, though, responded with a free by Darragh Walsh.

Scores were exchanged as the sides remained level early on, through Eoin Lyons for the men from Ovens, with Aodh Twomey and Walsh replying for Cloughduv.

Then, Cloughduv found the back of the net with 16 minutes on the clock. Some good work by Jack Kelleher set up Con Dunne, who clinically buried the ball from close range.

That was the start of a fruitful 10-minute spell, which saw Cloughduv add to their tally through further points by Walsh and a fine long ranged score by Luke Elliott.

Although Éire Óg got a point just shy of the half hour mark from Sean Desmond, Cloughduv led at the half time break courtesy of a 1-6 to 0-4 scoreline.

It was Éire Óg that began the second half intently. Colm O’Callaghan, an All-Ireland U20 winner with Cork, made an impact right away when he was sprung from the bench.

By the midway stage of the second half, the Ovens side cut the gap down to just a single point, courtesy of scores from that man Lyons, who was deadly from placed efforts throughout.

However, Cloughduv found a late second wind and ended the game well. Kelleher capped off a fine individual man of the match display with a further contribution to the score board, while Aidan Ahern also score a close ranged free.

Both of these two teams will now face into the Cork County Junior Hurling championship battlefield over the next few weeks.

Crucially on this particular evening, though, it was Cloughduv that did enough to bask in the glow of championship glory.

Scorers for Cloughduv: J Kelleher (0-4 f) 0-5, D Walsh (0-3 f) 0-4, C Dunne 1-0, A Twomey, L Elliott, A Ahern 0-1 each.

Éire Óg: E Lyons (0-7 f, 0-1 65) 0-9, S Desmond, R O’Toole, C O’Callaghan 0-1 each.

CLOUGHDUV: C Crowley; K McNamara, L Long, L McCarthy; T Dineen, D Cronin, S Curzon; A Twomey, M Dunne; D Walsh, C Canty, J Kelleher; K Walsh, C Dunne, L Elliott.

Subs: E Curzon for McCarthy (33), A Ahern for Walsh (42), C Lehane for Elliott (55).

ÉIRE ÓG: C Keane; S O’Flynn, J Kelleher, D Kelly; C O’Mahony, T O’Leary, A O’Mahony; C Mullins, S Desmond; M O’Shea, D McCarthy, R O’Toole; F Brennan, E Lyons, J Kelleher.

Subs: C O’Callaghan for Brennan (h-t), D Murphy for Desmond (36), J Dineen for Kelleher (52).

Referee: Brendan Barry-Murphy (Aghabullogue).