Mark’s availability gives Mitcheltown's final bid against Rockchapel a Keane edge
James Sheehan and Cathail O'Mahony challenge for the ball against Aghabullogue in the semi-final. Picture: Jim Coughlan
MARK KEANE’S availability for Mitchelstown adds further intrigue to a game featuring two clubs with very similar upward trajectories.
The 21-year-old hero of last season’s dramatic Munster final win over Kerry is home after Aussie Rules club Collingwood allowed him return before the end of their season.
Keane is contracted to Collingwood again next year and will head Down Under before Christmas in time for pre-season.
Whether he starts for Mitchelstown is another matter and the likelihood is that Keane will be on the bench.
Rockchapel and the Town were county junior champions within a year; the Duhallow club winning in 2012 and the Avondhu side the following season.
The pair also tasted defeat in previous finals in the higher grade, Éire Óg and Bandon denying Rockchapel in 2014 and 2016 respectively while Mitchelstown were pipped by Kanturk in 2017.
Both are in the final on merit with Mitchelstown winning all five games en route and with plenty to spare too, while their opponents drew their opening game and won another by a point, both Duhallow derbies against Dromtarriffe and Ballydesmond respectively.
Mitchelstown scorched through Group 3 with comprehensive wins over Glanworth by 2-14 to 1-9, Adrigole by 4-12 to 1-7 and Mayfield by 0-17 to 2-3 to easily qualify for the knock-out phase.
Unsurprisingly, Cork’s Cathail O’Mahony, star of the All-Ireland U20 triumph two years ago, was their leading scorer in those three games, accumulating an impressive 3-14 in the process.
He scored 1-8, six from frees, against Glanworth and followed that with 2-1 against Adrigole and 0-5 in the win over Mayfield, the only game in which Mitchelstown didn’t find the net.
But, the goals returned during their 3-20 to 2-10 quarter-final victory over Kinsale and the 2-13 to 0-7 success against Aghabullogue in the semi-final.
O’Mahony contributed another 2-13 in those games, including 2-5 against Aghabullogue, to steer his side to another final.
His eye-catching tally of 5-27, a dozen frees, makes him the stand-out forward in the Town’s bid for premier intermediate football this season, which starts in a fortnight.
Others like Sean O’Sullivan, who hit the net three times along the way, Shane Cahill, and Aaron O’Brien, who was summoned from the bench to score twice, also have a nose for goal.
Rochapel have their own scoring sensation in Jack Curtin, who has 4-21 to his name, including a couple of penalties in the opener against Dromtarriffe.
Yet, it wasn’t enough to garner all the spoils because their Duhallow rivals managed a creditable 2-8 to 0-14 draw.
A nine-point, 1-17 to 1-8, win over Kinsale got the Rock on track in Group 2, when Mikey McAuliffe top-scored with 1-3.
They were made battle all the way in securing a quarter-final spot by Ballydesmond, who got to within a point before the Rock edged it by 0-16 to 1-12.
Seamus Hickey, who has inter-county experience, claimed 0-5 with James Forrest hitting 0-3 for the second game running.
Rockchapel enjoyed six-point victories in the knock-out stage, beginning with a 2-14 to 1-11 win over Ballinora, Curtin chalking up 1-6, three from frees, and Hickey adding 1-4.
Curtin was again centre-stage in the 1-13 to 1-7 triumph against Glanworth in the semi-final, this time contributing 1-5, four from frees.
Hickey’s importance to the cause from midfield is reflected in his 1-14 with McAuliffe contributing 1-7.
This season, Mitchelstown reached the Division 5 final of the Cork Credit Union league against Knocknagree, but it wasn’t played.
They won all three games, including a 3-10 to 1-12 victory over Knocknagree, en route to defeating Kinsale in the semi-final.
Rockchapel played in Division 4, where they defeated Bishopstown and lost to Naomh Aban and Bandon.
The clubs met in round 3 in 2018 with the Town recording a 10-point win, 1-18 to 1-8, before losing to Cill na Martra by a point in the semi-final.
The following year they were in the relegation play-offs, which shows how topsey-turvey form can be.
Shane Beston and the Walshs, Sean and Michael, are key for the Town while William Murphy and the O’Callaghans are important figures for Rockchapel.
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