Duhallow too good for MTU as they advance to the divisional final on Sunday

Duhallow 2-18 

MTU Cork 1-9 

DONNCHA O’CONNOR rolled back the years to help Duhallow qualify for the final of the Bon Secours Divisions/Colleges section of the PSFC at Glantane on Wednesday.

Duhallow led by 1-11 to 0-6 at half-time with Donncha heavily involved throughout and finishing the period with 0-7, five frees.

MTU settled quickly, too, and were only 0-4 to 0-3 in arrears by the eighth minute, courtesy of David O’Connor’s free, but the divisional side cut loose.

They compiled 1-3 in five minutes, the goal coming in the 11th minute from Seamus Hickey after good build-up play with Luke Murphy playing him in following a stray MTU pass in their half-forward line.

The students rallied with 0-3 only for their opponents to end the half with a similar surge, points from two Donncha frees and a punched effort from Gerry O’Sullivan for an eight-point advantage at the break.

MTU received a timely boost 10 minutes on the resumption, when a high ball into the danger zone ended with Danny Lenihan poking the ball home to cut Duhallow’s lead to 1-12 to 1-7.

But, the north-west representatives didn’t panic and cancelled it out with three points on the spin to snuff out any threat of a student revival.

And Duhallow ensured their participation in Sunday’s decider with a second goal four minutes from the end, when debutant Mikey McAuliffe pounced.

Scorers for Duhallow: D O’Connor 0-7, 5f, M McAuliffe 1-4, G O’Sullivan 0-4, S Hickey 1-1, L Murphy and J Curtin 0-1 each.

Scorers for MTU: D Lenihan 1-0, S Walsh and C O’Donoghue 0-2 each, David O’Connor 0-2, 1f, 1 ‘mark’, A O’Shea, N Donohue and D O’Leary 0-1 each.

DUHALLOW: K Holland (Kanturk); S Curtin (Rockchapel), J McLoughlin (Kanturk), D Buckley (Boherbue); S Hickey (Millstreet), K Cremin (Boherbue), D Cashman (Millstreet); P Walsh (Kanturk), S Hickey (Rockchapel); C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), D O’Connor (Ballydesmond), G O’Sullivan (Boherbue); L Murphy (Cullen), J Curtin (Rockchapel), M McAuliffe (do).

Subs: C Murphy (Castlemagnier) for Cashman, E Murphy (Dromtarriffe) for Curtin, T O’Riordan (Castlemagnier) for O’Connor, 56, J Kelleher (Dromtarriffe) for Cremin 58, B Murphy (Dromtarriffe) for O’Callaghan 59.

MTU: L Hanna (Mitchelstown); A McAuliffe (An Ghaeltacht), N Donohue (Firies), P Ring (Aghabullogue), captain; C O’Shea (Kilshannig) T Walsh (Kanturk), D Lenihan (Castlemagner); C Donovan (Macroom), C Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials); C O’Donoghue (Glenflesk), J Dolan (Churchill), S Walsh (The Nire), D O’Connor (Castletownroche), D O’Connor (Boherbue), R O’Donovan (Barryroe).

Subs: N O’Riordan (Buttevant) for McAuliffe and A O’Shea (Listry) for Dolan, D O’Leary (Naomh Aban) for Dylan O’Connor, half-time, D Collins (Glengarriffe) for O’Donovan 52, B Scannell (St Patrick’s) for Walsh 59.

Referee: C Walsh (Nemo Rangers).