IAFC: Andrew O'Connor's late free rescues Boherbue in dramatic draw with Mitchelstown

Boherbue: 0-10 Mitchelstown: 1-7 

BOHERBUE and Mitchelstown couldn’t be separated in the Bon Secours Hospital IAFC following an entertaining encounter at Mourneabbey on Wednesday evening.

This opening Group C encounter pitted two teams against each other who would have strong aspirations of lifting silverware at the end of the season.

Cork senior footballer Cathail O’Mahony was unavailable for Mitchelstown due to injury but he could feature in the next group-stage game in three weeks’ time.

Mitchelstown made a solid start to the game, kicking the first point after 20 seconds which was followed by a Killian Roche white flag from an acute angle after Dylan Reidy Price did great work. Boherbue got their first score after four minutes through a David O’Connor free.

Mitchelstown were reduced to 14 players after ten minutes after James Sheehan received a black-card. The Avondhu club pointed a minute after the black-card from Shane Beston, it could have very easily been a green flag.

The Town did get their goal after 13 minutes, Shane Cahill’s free from 20 metres out dipped under the cross bar and went into the net to the surprise of everyone inside the ground. Andrew O’Connor converted a free for Boherbue, a much needed score for the Duhallow side, 1-3 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.

A pair of long-range Gerry O’Sullivan points brought the Duhallow team back into contention as Sheehan came back onto the pitch with the ten minutes having elapsed. Boherbue hit two of the final three points of the half to leave just a point between the sides at the break, 1-4 to 0-6.

On the resumption, Boherbue levelled a very keenly contested game when CJ O’Sullivan bisected the posts. The Duhallow side went into the lead for the first time after 34 minutes when the impressive Gerry O’Sullivan landed a point, 0-8 to 1-4. There was a lull in scoring with both sides guilty of wayward shooting.

Boherbue extended their advantage out to two points when David O’Connor split the posts courtesy of a free with 15 minutes remaining. Mitchelstown were struggling to get into their rhythm but did reduce the lead down to a point when sub Aaron O’Brien converted a splendid long-range free before a Cahill free levelled matters with ten minutes remaining. Mitchelstown were reduced to 14 players after 52 minutes when Sheehan was given a black card for a second time which resulted in a red card.

The Avondhu team despite being a man down nudged ahead through a Darragh Flynn white flag but Andrew O’Connor drew the game going into injury-time from a long-range free. Both sides had chances to win the game but both will have to settle for a point.

Boherbue face Ballinora in the next group-stage game on Sunday, August 20 at 4pm in Coachford. The day before, Mitchelstown take on divisional rivals Kildorrery in Glanworth at 5pm.

Scorers for Boherbue: D O’Connor 0-3 f, G O’Sullivan 0-3, A O’Connor 0-2 f, CJ O’Sullivan, J Corkery 0-1 each.

Scorers for Mitchelstown: S Cahill 1-2 f, K Roche, D Flynn, J Sheehan, A O’Brien (f), S Beston 0-1 each.

BOHERBUE: D Cremin; M O’Gorman, D O’Sullivan, P Daly; D Buckley, A O’Connor, C O’Keeffe; G O’Sullivan, B Murphy; K Cremin, D O’Connor, CJ O’Sullivan; L Moynihan, J Corkery, B Herlihy.

Subs: A Murphy for B Herlihy (37), N Murphy for P Daly, D Moynihan for G O’Sullivan (both 55).

MITCHELSTOWN: L Hanna; L Finn, F Herlihy, K Roche; J O’Sullivan, J Mullins, C Hyland; R Donegan, S Walsh; D Flynn, J Sheehan, K Fox; D Reidy Price, S Cahill, S Beston.

Subs: P Magee for D Reidy Price, S O’Sullivan for R Donegan (both 37), A O’Brien for K Fox (44), S Kenneally for D Flynn (60).

Referee: Cathal McAllister (Aghada).