Carrigaline strike late to send Éire Óg into relegation playoff
Brian Coakley, Carrigaline, kicks a point against Éire Óg in the Bon Secours PSFC game at Ballygarvan. Picture: Larry Cummins
Carrigaline 1-12 Éire Óg 1-10
CARRIGALINE produced a miraculous recovery in the closing minutes to maintain their Bon Secours Premier Senior Football Championship status when edging out Éire Óg at Ballygarvan.
Strange game with referee David Daly delaying the start by 12 minutes when short of a linesman and the overall play in the first half for a game of this importance was lethargic.
Éire Óg looked a far better side in the opening exchanges with Daniel Goulding opening their scoring in the second minute with a point from a placed ball.
A minute later a storming solo run by the Éire Óg centre-back and former Kerry senior Mark Griffin saw him find Colm O’Callaghan who drilled his shot to the back of the net.
Carrigaline playing against the wind took 10 minutes to open their scoring courtesy of Rhys McCarthy point with the same player adding a second 10 minutes later.
Despite having plenty of possession the favourites didn’t look to be firing among their forwards but a Brian Hurley point with four minutes remaining to the interval gave them a seven-point cushion.
The Ovens side should have increased their lead a minute later when Goulding somehow failed to find the target from a fisted effort in front of goal. However, Goulding finished with the closing point of the half that ensured his side went in at the break commanding a 1-7 to 0-3 lead.
The second half saw the tempo pick up as Carrigaline finally realised this was a championship game with special significance.
To be fair Éire Óg can have few excuses as with the exception of Colm O’Callaghan they won little possession when the game was on the line. Hard to believe following a Ronan O’Toole point in with 13 minutes remaining they still commanded a six-point lead but that’s as good as it got for them in the scoring department.
Carrigaline sensed Éire Óg were there for the taking and they went for the jugular coming down the stretch.
A David Drake point in the 54th minute reduced the deficit to two points and when Nathan O’Keeffe and McCarthy had shots blocked in the last minute Carrigaline looked doomed.
Éire Óg were now on the ropes and they were punished in the 63rd minute in what proved to be the killer blow goal.
Poor defending by Éire Óg saw the ball fall into the path of Nathan O’Keeffe who drilled a low shot to the corner of the net.
Corkery added the sealing point as Éire Óg must now concentrate on another do-or-die game against Newcestown that will decide their destiny for next season.
N O’Keeffe 1-1, D Drake 0-3, B Coakley 0-3 (0-1 f), R McCarthy 0-2 (0-1 f), N O’Keeffe, K O’Reilly, C Barrett 0-1 each.
D Goulding 0-6 (0-5 f), C O’Callaghan 1-1, J Cooper, B Hurley, R O’Toole 0-1 each.
C Dungan; N Quirke, I Sheerin, C O’Herlihy; K Kavanagh, C Barry, J McCarthy; Kieran Kavanagh, N O’Keeffe; E Desmond, D Drake, C Barrett; R McCarthy, K O’Reilly, B Coakley.
C Kelly; M Corkery, J Mullins, J Kelleher; D McCarthy, M Griffin, D O’Herlihy; D Kelly, R O’Toole; J Cooper, C O’Callaghan, J Kelleher; K Hallissey, D Goulding, B Hurley.
R O’Flynn for K Hallissey (48), D Foley for B Hurley (48), D Dineen for D O’Herlihy (inj 50), H Murphy for D Kelly (55).
David Daly (Brian Dillons).
App?
