Carbery footballers have too much depth for Imokilly in championship opener

Carbery 2-18 Imokilly 1-10

AN outstanding final quarter from Carbery secured them a victory over a tenacious Imokilly in the opening round of the divisional section of the Bons Secours Cork PSFC in Ballincollig. 

In the final analysis, the West Cork side had a bit more class up front where Randal Óg’s Sean Daly and Gabriel Rangers’ Ger Callaghan kicked 0-10 between them across the hour. Mike Kelly was Imokilly’s most potent attacking threat as he kicked 0-5 but he didn’t get enough support from his teammates.

Carbery led by 1-11 to 1-8 with 15 to play but from there to the end they outscored their rivals from East Cork by 1-7 to 0-2 as they stamped their authority on the game. Kevin O’Driscoll kicked a point, the impressive Paddy O’Driscoll struck for a goal, Callaghan tapped over his third score, impressive midfielder Sean Ryan kicked his first, Daly knocked over his seventh while substitutes Kevin Keohane and Keith O’Driscoll kicked 0-3 between them. 

Pearse O’Neill and Kelly replied for Imokilly, but it was not enough to stop the West Cork tide.

There was nothing between the sides before that. They were level at 0-2 apiece with eight minutes played before scores from Tim Hartnett and Aaron Berry gave Imokilly a two-point lead at the end of the opening quarter.

Carbery then took control of the game, and with Ryan and O’Driscoll dominant at midfield, they kicked 1-4 without reply, Daly with 0-3 while Barryroe’s Dave O’Sullivan struck for 1-1. The sides shared the last four scores of the half evenly to leave Carbery leading by 1-8 to 0-6 at the break.

Imokilly had the perfect tonic on the resumption when Conor McLoughlin goaled to reduce the deficit to two, but Carbery were never to let them get any closer than that. Daly and Callaghan share 0-3 between them and while Kelly kicked two points for Imokilly, it was Carbery who were to finish the stronger.

Scorers for Carbery: S Daly 0-7 (0-4 f), D O’Sullivan, P O’Driscoll 1-1 each, G Callaghan 0-3, K O’Driscoll 0-2, C O’Driscoll, K O’Driscoll, K Keohane, S Ryan 0-1 each.

Imokilly: M Kelly 0-5 (0-2 f), C McLoughlin 1-0, S Bennett, A Berry, T Hartnett, C Spriggs, P O’Neill 0-1 each.

CARBERY: C Ryan (Ballinascarthy); K Coakley (Bantry Blues), B Murphy (St Colum’s), D Scannell (St Mary’s); R O’Connor (St Mary’s), D Kiely (Barryroe), B Everard (St Mary’s); S Ryan (Ballinascarthy), K O’Driscoll (Tadgh MacCárthaigh); G Callaghan (Gabriel Rangers), C O’Driscoll (Tadgh MacCárthaigh), O Scannell (Kilmeen); S Daly (Randal Óg), R Deane (Bantry Blues); D O’Sullivan (Barryroe). 

Subs: P O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers) for Scannell (24), K O’Driscoll (Gabriel Rangers) for O’Connor (48), K Keohane (Kilmeen) for Coakley (54).

IMOKILLY: C O’Shea (Aghada); S O’Reilly (Glenville), N Motherway (Dungourney), K O’Shea (Aghada); T Hartnett (Aghada), C McLoughlin (Cobh), J Tynan (Aghada); J Aherne (Carraig na bhFear), PJ Dennehy (Glenville); A Berry (Aghada), M Kelly (Castlemartyr), D Byrne (Aghada); S Bennett (Aghada), E Condon (St Catherine’s), C Spriggs (Cobh). 

Subs: P O’Neill (Aghada) for Aherne (h-t), D Kelly (Castlemartyr) for K O’Shea (37), P Fitzgerald (Erin’s Own) for McLoughlin (44), D Kearney (Cobh) for Condon and A Joyce (Youghal) for Spriggs (both 54).

Referee: Pat O’Leary (Kilmurry).