Cork SAHC: Killeagh grab vital victory over East Cork rivals Cloyne

Killeagh 2-16 Cloyne 1-14

TWO early second-half goals saw Killeagh get their Co-Op Superstores SAHC campaign off to a winning start in the East Cork derby clash at Castlemartyr.

They led by three points at half-time with the goals extending that to nine and despite the best efforts of Cloyne they couldn't pull it back.

Overall Killeagh fully deserved their win and particularly impressive was their defence. Led by Christy Coughlan they didn't give Cloyne an inch all through.

Up front Eoghan Keniry led by example, hitting nine of their points. But they knew they weren't going to get it easy from Cloyne and like all good sides they rallied and brought it back to just a two-point deficit, thanks to a Paudie O'Sullivan goal, but Killeagh finished strongly to secure the win.

Keniry opened the scoring in the third minute, with McCarthy adding a second before Brian O'Shea got Cloyne off the mark.

Keith Dennehy had the sides level, before Killeagh has their first goal chance as Donal Óg Cusack saved well from Gary Leahy. Two white flags from O'Shea, with one from Keniry saw Killeagh 0-5 to 0-4 up at the water break.

On the resumption, Killeagh took over with Leahy and Shane Smiddy extending their lead. Keniry also raised a white flag as they led by six with five minutes to half-time. But Cloyne responded and three from O'Shea, along with one from O'Sullivan saw Killeagh's lead down to three at the break, 0-11 to 0-8.

Killeagh got the perfect start to the second-half when McCarthy burst past the Cloyne defence and set up Sean Long to goal. Four minutes later and they got their second as Leahy raised the green flag to put them 2-11 to 0-8 in front.

Cloyne rallied again, with Mikey Cahill and O'Shea pointing, and in the 43rd minute, O'Sullivan found the back of the net, to cut the lead to four 1-11 to 2-12.

Points from Brian Walsh and O'Shea had it down to two by the second-half water break. But Cloyne only pointed once again, another O'Shea free, as Killeagh were much the better for the final 10 minutes or so.

Long raised another white flag and three from Keniry secured their deserved win.

Scorers for Killeagh: E Keniry 0-9 (0-6 f), S Long 1-1, G Leahy 1-0, R McCarthy 0-3, A Walsh 0-2, S Smiddy 0-1.

Cloyne: B O'Shea 0-10 (0-9 f), P O'Sullivan 1-1, K Dennehy, B Walsh, M Cahill 0-1 each.

KILLEAGH: P O'Neill; A Keniry, P O'Brien, C Fogarty; D Hogan, C Coughlan, D Walsh; M Fitzgerald, S Long; J Fogarty, E Keniry, S Smiddy; R McCarthy, A Walsh, G Leahy.

Subs: K Kelly Budds for M Fitzgerald (49), A Leahy for R McCarthy (52).

CLOYNE: D Óg Cusack; S Beausang, A Sherlock, D Byrne; E Motherway, J Hallihan, B O'Shea; A Walsh, B Minihane; B Walsh, P O'Sullivan, D Jermyn; C Mullins, K Dennehy, C Cahill.

Subs: E Motherway for J Hallihan (34), M Cahill for D Jermyn (36).

Referee: Pa O'Driscoll (Bride Rovers).