Premier SFC: St Finbarr's survive raft of injuries and Ilen fightback
Steven Sherlock of St Finbarr's trying to get past Ilen Rovers' Sean Minehane in the Bon Secours Cork PSFC at Ballinascarthy. Picture: Denis Minihane.
St Finbarr's 0-17 Ilen Rovers 1-11
ST Finbarr's survived another fightback as they got their second win in the Bon Secours Premier SFC at Ballinascarthy.
In their first outing, they had to withstand a late surge by Ballincollig and this time they withstood the challenge of Ilen to secure their win in an entertaining game.
Early on it looked like it was going to be a relatively easy afternoon for the Togher side as they hit three points in the first three minutes and were well in control. By the time there were nine minutes on the clock they were five points to the good and it looked like all was going to plan.
However, Ilen finished the half much the better of the two sides, and by the time John Ryan blew the half-time whistle, the sides were level. A goal from Sean O'Donovan was a key score for Ilen, but the Barrs weren't helped by a number of injuries.
In the first half they had to make three changes, with Eoin Comyns, Colin Lyons, and Conor Dennehy all having to go off through injury. With Ian Maguire still not fully fit to start these three changes further upset their side and it took them a bit of time to settle again.
But when they needed players to stand up late on they had key marksmen in Steven Sherlock and Cillian Myers Murray to see them over the line to make it two out of two. Others to impress for the winners included the likes of Conor McCrickard, who opened the scoring and added three more over the hour.
Just 15 seconds in McCrickard raised the first white flag of the afternoon, with Brian Hayes adding a second for the Barrs. A free from Sherlock increased their lead before Stephen Leonard got Ilen off the mark.
Sherlock got his second, with O'Donovan replying, to make it 0-4 to 0-2 with five minutes played.
Two in a row from McCrickard, followed by another white flag from Sherlock stretched the Barrs lead, with O'Donovan replying just before the water break to make it 0-7 to 0-3 at that stage.
Dylan Quinn increased the Barrs lead on the resumption, but that proved to be their last score of the first half as Ilen took over. First, the Barrs had keeper John Kerins to thank as he saved well from Leonard before Alan Holland reduced the deficit.
In injury time a good ball from Dan MacEoin set up O'Donovan for Ilen's goal and when Peter O'Driscoll pointed from the restart the sides were level, 1-5 to 0-8, as the half-time whistle went.
Barrs started the second-half strongly with points from Hayes and Myers Murray, with McEoin replying at the other end. Peter O'Driscoll and O'Donovan raised white flags for Ilen, with McCrickard and Colm Barrett doing the same at the other end and at the second-half water break the sides were still level, 1-10 to 0-13.
But with Ian Maguire and Michael Shields on the pitch at this stage the Barrs steadied the ship and started to take control again. MacEoin put Ilen in front but this was their last score, with Barrett equalising in the 56th minute.
Sherlock put them in front before Ilen were down to 14 when Peter O'Driscoll was black carded late on.
Two late points from Myers Murray put the result beyond doubt as the Barrs now move on to four points and Ilen have yet to get off the mark.
App?
