Premier JFC: Millstreet edge out Kinsale to advance to the quarter-finals

Millstreet: 1-16 

Kinsale 2-11 

MILLSTREET have progressed to the knockout stages of the Bon Secours Hospital Premier JFC following victory over Kinsale at sun-splashed Cloughduv on Friday evening.

Millstreet will face Urhan in the quarter-final while Kinsale will face St Michael’s second team in the relegation play-off.

This encounter was a fine game of football watched by a sizeable attendance which included Cork senior football boss John Cleary. 

Millstreet were the better team early on and that was reflected on the scoreboard as they kicked the first two points inside the first four minutes through Michael Vaughan and James Linehan. The sides traded points before the experienced Brian Coughlan converted a free from an acute angle for the Carrigdhoun side, 0-3 to 0-2 after eight minutes.

Millstreet raised a green flag after nine minutes. An excellent sweeping move resulted in Hugh Linehan setting up Alan O’Leary and the latter dispatched the ball into the corner of the net.

The teams exchanged white flags until Hugh Linehan pointed from a close-range free for the Duhallow club, 1-5 to 0-3 after the first-quarter. Kinsale kicked two of the next three points to trail 1-6 to 0-5 after 20 minutes, but Millstreet took control in the last ten minutes of the half as they led 1-10 to 0-6 at the interval.

The sides traded points inside the first two minutes of the new half before the accurate Coughlan kicked a point through a free to cut the deficit down to six points. A James Linehan white flag restored the eventual winners seven-point advantage, 1-12 to 0-8 after 37 minutes.

Kinsale roared into the match with 1-1 in the space of a minute. John O’Brien with the crucial scores, 1-12 to 1-9 after 41 minutes. A pair of Coughlan frees cut the gap down to a single point as we were all set up for an entertaining final quarter.

James Linehan landed a much needed score for Millstreet, a fine point, 1-13 to 1-11 after 50 minutes. The same player bisected the posts before Coughlan billowed the back of the net to level proceedings, 2-11 to 1-14 after 55 minutes.

Kinsale were reduced to 14 players when Charlie Sheehan received a straight red card for an off the ball incident in injury-time. Millstreet had the composure to claim the win as points from Alan Murphy and Hugh Linehan nudged them home.

Scorers for Millstreet: J Linehan 0-5, A O’Leary 1-2, H Linehan 0-4 (0-1f), A Murphy, D Cashman, K Crowley, C O’Leary, M Vaughan 0-1 each.

Kinsale: B Coughlan 1-8 (0-8f), J O’Brien 1-1, M Murphy, J Murphy 0-1 each.

MILLSTREET: C Twomey; L O’Donoghue, B Murphy, A Murphy; D Cashman, K Crowley, E O’Mahony; J Linehan, P Dineen; C O’Leary, M Ellis, N Flahive; A O’Leary, M Vaughan, H Linehan.

Subs: R Murphy for B Murphy, T Sheehan for C O’Leary, D O’Leary for C Twomey (all 48), S Murphy for P Dineen (53), M Thornton for K Crowley (61, inj).

KINSALE: S O’Neill; S O’Brien, K O’Callaghan, C Fitzpatrick; B O’Neill, C McCarthy, D O’Mahony; N McCarthy, G Kearney; K O’Callaghan, J O’Brien, J Murphy; B Coughlan, M Murphy, D Looney.

Subs: C Sheehan for D O’Mahony (18, inj), F Ahern for S O’Brien (h-t), H Sheehan for K O’Callaghan (43), G Finn for J O’Brien (53).

Referee: Michael O’Leary (Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas).