PIFC: Iveleary knock out Rockchapel to reach last four

Iveleary 1-16 Rockchapel 0-12 

IVELEARY remains hot on the trail of the Bon Secours Premier IFC after claiming a merited quarter-final victory over Rockchapel at Banteer on Sunday.

Having taken back-to-back county titles at Junior A and Intermediate grades, there is no substitute for class and Iveleary had it in abundance to see off a spirited Rockchapel. 

However, a shoulder injury to Cathal Vaughan threw a dampener on Iveleary’s triumph, the talisman key for his club.

With a huge crowd present, traffic congestion delayed the start by 10 minutes, Iveleary getting down to business quickly, Vaughan posting a point. However, Iveleary were left to rue a series of missed chances, shooting seven wides in the opening half.

Rockchapel rose to the challenge, Iveleary keeper Joe Creedon denied Jack Curtin a goal chance. Though the Inchigeela side doubled their advantage from a Chris Óg Jones effort, Rockchapel opened their account with a Cormac Curtin point.

That score lifted Rockchapel, their improving play ruffled the composure of the favourites, points from Curtin and William Murphy helped forge a 0-4 to 0-3 lead. However, Iveleary weathered a spell of pressure, regaining the initiative, drawing a positive response from the play of Ciarán O’Riordan, Ciarán Galvin and Alan O’Brien with Jones and Vaughan threatening up front.

Indeed the Iveleary response to the Rockchapel scoring burst was swift, Barry O’Leary pointed before the Jones brothers combined for the game’s lone goal in the 18th minute, Chris Óg’s precision pass to Ian saw the latter dispatch a blaster beyond Liam Collins.

Rockchapel dragged themselves right back into contention, points to Jack and Cormac Curtin cut the leeway 1-6 to 0-6 at half time. However Iveleary made an early statement of intent on the restart, midfielder Seán O’Leary might well have goaled only to blast over the crossbar.

A knock for Vaughan saw the target man leave the action yet Iveleary had able deputies with keeper Joe Creedon and Chris Óg Jones converting frees to forge ahead 1-10 to 0-7.

A Ciarán Curtin brought a Rockchapel response but Iveleary possessed a better cutting edge going forward with the O’Leary brothers on target. Hard though as Rockchapel attempted to get back into the game, very much plain sailing for Iveleary to rubber stamp a place in the last four and a semi-final meeting against Bantry Blues.

Scorers for Iveleary: C Óg Jones 0-4 (0-1 f); C Vaughan 0-4 (0-3 f); I Jones 1-0; B Cronin, B O’Leary 0-2 each, S O’Leary, J Creedon (f), C O’Leary, L Kearney 0-1 each.
Rockchapel: C Curtin 0-5 (0-4 f), J Curtin, W Murphy, M McAulliffe, J Forrest, K Collins, N Linehan (f), J McAulliffe 0-1 each.

IVELEARY: J Creedon; D O’Donovan, C O’Riordan, A O’Brien; K Manning, C Galvin, T Roberts; C O’Leary, S O’Riordan; B O’Leary, S O’Leary, B Cronin; C Óg Jones, C Vaughan, I Jones.

Subs: J O’Donovan for C Vaughan(35 inj), D Cotter for A O’Brien (44 inj), L O’Sullivan for T Roberts (52), L Kearney for B O’Leary (58).

ROCKCHAPEL: L Collins; B Carroll, E O’Callaghan, S Curtin; P Curtin, M O’Keeffe, K Collins; C Kepple, S Hickey; J O’Callaghan, W Murphy, J McAuliffe; C Curtin, J Curtin, M McAuliffe.

Subs: J Forrest for J O’Callaghan (ht), D O’Callaghan for C Kepple (ht), N Lenihan for W Murphy (40), N O’Callaghan for Cormac Curtin(45), Ciaran Curtin for J Curtin (58).

Referee: J Murphy (Castletownroche).