Chris Óg Jones shines as Iveleary grab vital victory over Macroom

Iveleary 2-13 Macroom 1-11

IVELEARY beat their rivals Macroom to get back into contention to qualify for the knockout stages of the Bon Secours PIFC.

In their clash at Cill na Martra a blistering start to the second half, where they scored 1-5 without reply in nine minutes put them on the road to victory.

Having lost to Bantry Blues they were determined to get back to winning ways in a group that also features Naomh Abán, who defeated Macroom in their opener.

In a tight first half, where there were only two points in it at the break, it was the free-taking of Cathal Vaughan that kept Iveleary in contention as they played against the wind. He opened the scoring before Alan Quinn and Jack O’Riordan pointed for Macroom.

The three more frees from Vaughan made it 0-4 to 0-2. It took until the 27th minute when Ciaran O’Riordan scored for Iveleary to get their first point from play. A late score from Macroom’s Eolan O’Leary made it 0-5 to 0-3 at half time.

Iveleary burst into life after the break with Cork star Chris Óg Jones increasing their lead. A second from him, along with a white flag from Horgan made it 0-8 to 0-4.

With 39 minutes gone, they raised their first green flag when Vaughan played Liam Kearney in. Vaughan added a point from a free, with Horgan replying, to make it 1-11 to 0-5. Two more from Horgan reduced the deficit before the killer blow came when Conor O’Leary got Iveleary’s second goal: 2-11 to 0-7.

Credit to Macroom they kept going with two from Sean Kiely, either side of a Quinn score making it 2-11 to 0-10. A late goal from Dylan Twomey put four between the sides, but Iveleary responded with two more from Jones to secure their win.

Scorers for Iveleary:  C Óg Jones 0-5, C Vaughan 0-5 f, C O’Leary, L Kearney 1-1 each, C O’Riordan 0-1.

Macroom: D Horgan 0-5 (0-4 f), D Twomey 1-0, A Quinn, S Kiely 0-2 each, J O’Riordan E O’Leary 0-1 each.

IVELEARY: J Creedon; D O’Donovan, D O’Riordan, B Murphy; K Manning, S O’Riordan, S O’Leary; C O’Riordan, C O’Leary; B O’Riordan, C Vaughan, I Jones; B O’Leary, C Óg Jones, L Kearney.

Subs: T Roberts for B O’Leary (18 inj), S Pickering for I Jones (49), B O’Riordan for L Kearney (55), I Jones for C O’Riordan (60).

MACROOM: B O’Connell; C Condon, M Corrigan, B O’Gorman; A Quinn, R Buckley, S Meaney; F Goold, D Horgan; M Cronin, E O’Leary, J O’Riordan; J Murphy, S Kiely, D Twomey.

Subs: T Dineen for J Murphy (22), D Creedon for J O’Riordan (40), J Murphy for R Buckley, D Cotter for M Cronin (both 56).

Referee: Andrew Whelton, Clonakilty.