Fermoy see off Bishopstown in Cork Senior A Football opener

Fermoy 0-16 Bishopstown 2-6

Fermoy got their Bon Secours SAFC campaign off to a winning start after their win over Bishopstown at Rathcormac.

Overall Fermoy were the better side, but all through there was little between them, with the Town missing a number of chances they would normally get.

On the flip side, they also had keeper Ken O’Halloran to thank as he made at least four top-class saves to deny Fermoy and on another night the winning margin could have been a lot higher.

Tomás Clancy and Padraig De Roiste impressed for the winners, with Adam Creed rock solid in defence.

Jamie O’Sullivan opened the scoring for the Town, with Ben Twomey and Shane Aherne raising white flags to put Fermoy in front. O’Sullivan pointed again before O’Halloran denied Martin Brennan what looked like a certain goal.

Dale Dawson pointed from the rebound, with Twomey, O’Flynn and De Roiste all raising white flags to make it 0-6 to 0-2.

Simon Collins reduced the deficit before a goal from Conor Dunne had the sides level. From the restart, he was denied a second goal, this time Fermoy having their keeper Liam Coleman to thank.

Late points from De Roiste, Aherne and a free from Coleman saw Fermoy 0-9 to 1-3 in front at half-time.

Aherne stretched their lead before Paul O’Flynn replied for the Town. Fermoy kept the scoreboard ticking over with James Molloy and Twomey extending their lead. O’Sullivan raised another white flag, before O’Halloran again denied Fermoy, this time saving from Dawson.

Points from Aherne and Coleman put Fermoy 0-14 to 1-6 in front with time running out. But late on the Town were given a chance of rescuing a point when David O’Sullivan got a touch to a free from midfield to find the net, to make it 2-6 to 0-14.

But Fermoy didn’t panic and late points from Darragh Daly and Coleman secured their win to see them get off to a winning start.

Scorers for Fermoy: S Aherne 0-4, L Coleman (f), B Twomey 0-3 each, P De Roiste 0-2, D Dawson, D O’Flynn, J Molloy, D Daly 0-1 each.

Bishopstown: C Dunne 1-1, D O’Sullivan 1-0, J O’Sullivan 0-3 (0-2 f), S Collins, P O’Flynn 0-1 each.

FERMOY: L Coleman; J Scannell, A Creed, A Baragry, James Molloy, D O’Carroll, G Lardner; G O’Callaghan, T Clancy; M Brennan, P De Roiste, D Dawson; B Twomey, S Aherne, D O’Fahy.

Subs: D Daly for B Twomey (55), P Murphy for G Lardner (60).

BISHOPSTOWN: K O’Halloran; J Murphy, M Power, D Costelloe; E Deasy, N Gough, L Hogan; P O’Flynn B McCarthy; C Connolly, C Dunne, O Devlin; S Collins, P Honohan, J O’Sullivan.

Subs: C Luttrell for E Deasy (30 inj), D Holland for O Devlin (35), D Vaughan for C Connolly (51), D O’Sullivan for D Vaughan (58 inj).

Referee: James Bermingham, Bride Rovers.