Canovee capture the Muskerry Division 1 League against Grenagh

Canovee 1-13 Grenagh 1-7 

CANOVEE won the EPH Controls Muskerry Division 1 football league title following victory over Grenagh in the final at Ballyanly last Sunday afternoon. 

The Carrigadrohid side have made up for losing last year’s league decider to Kilmurry as the Mid-Cork JAFC favourites head into their opening game of the group stage against Ballincollig's second team next Saturday in buoyant mood. 

Disappointment for Grenagh but it’s a game that should stand to them ahead of their championship opener against Inniscarra next Thursday.

Canovee were just that little bit sharper than Grenagh over the hour. 

The beaten team gave a very good account of themselves and will take a lot of positives from this match especially after they were reduced to 14 players after 29 minutes following a straight red card given to Shane Dorgan for an off-the-ball incident.

The winners made a great start to the game with 1-1 inside four minutes. Paul Healy with the green flag after Brian McNabola set him up. 

Evan McCarthy converted a free for Grenagh before Canovee were denied a second goal after 11 minutes, Grenagh defender Alex Kiely magnificently blocked a certain goal. 

Dara Cronin’s well-struck effort looked like it would end up in the back of the net. Canovee slotted over three consecutive white flags and just when it looked like they would push on, Grenagh pounced for a goal at just the right time. 

Christopher Buckley’s effort for a point was half blocked and the ball fell nicely for Dorgan who finished with aplomb.

James Moynihan pointed for John O’Brien’s team seconds after Kevin O’Neill put his body on the line to deny Canovee a goal after it looked like Eoghan Lehane would raise Canovee’s second green flag. 

The sides exchanged the next four points until goal scorer Dorgan was shown a red card after 29 minutes by referee Ted Hayes. A pivotal moment in the game. 

The impressive David Coleman clipped over a beauty for Grenagh on the stroke of half-time to leave a goal between the teams, 1-7 to 1-4 at the interval.

The winners kicked two of the three points scored inside the first eight minutes of the new half, with Evan Dodd’s long-range kick the pick of the scores before Canovee sub Denis O’Sullivan was given a black card. 

O’Sullivan came back on ten minutes later with Canovee ahead 1-10 to 1-6. Coleman split the posts to leave just one score between the sides after 54 minutes. 

Canovee finished strongly and points from Cronin, Dodd and a Mark Healy free gave the Carrigadrohid team a six-point win, but it was certainly hard-earned against a plucky Grenagh team.

Scorers for Canovee: M Healy 0-5 (0-4 f), E Dodd 0-4, P Healy 1-0, J Moynihan 0-2, O O’Driscoll, D Cronin 0-1 each.

Grenagh: D Coleman 0-3, S Dorgan 1-0, D O’Shea 0-2 (0-1 f), E McCarthy (f), D Twomey 0-1 each.

CANOVEE: B Cheasty; C Cronin, E McNabola, D Moynihan; E Dodd, O O’Driscoll, S Riordan; C Dodd, A Murphy; P Healy, D Cronin, E Lehane; J Moynihan (c), B McNabola, M Healy.

Subs: P O’Leary for A Murphy (22, inj), D O’Sullivan for C Dodd (36), B Ring for P Healy (51), J O’Neill for D Cronin (58), K Walsh for E Dodd (59), S Hughes for D Moynihan (64).

GRENAGH: C Cronin; A Kiely (c), P McSweeney, N Coleman; A McCarthy, K O’Neill, M O’Riordan; J Lehane, C Buckley; D Twomey, P Barry Murphy, D Coleman; D O’Shea, S Dorgan, E McCarthy.

Subs: K Cummins for E McCarthy (h-t, inj), P O’Connell for D O’Shea, J O’Keeffe for N Coleman (both 47).

Referee: Ted Hayes (Éire Óg).