Premier SFC: Castlehaven win but Clonakilty live to fight another day

Castlehaven 1-16

Clonakilty 1-14

There was something for everyone as Group A of the Bon Secours Hospital Cork Premier SFC concluded at Charlie Hurley Park on Sunday.

Castlehaven’s two-point win gave them top spot but, with Carbery Rangers losing to Valley Rovers in the other game, defeat was not fatal for Clonakilty, who advance in second place. The Haven meet Ballincollig in the quarter-finals, with Clonakilty taking on champions Nemo Rangers.

Having seen a five-point half-time lead wiped out, Castlehaven didn’t panic. James McCarthy’side ensured that they never fell behind they did enough thereafter to keep their noses in front.

A brace of points from Mark Collins – influential throughout in his new left half-back role – and two from Jack Cahalane down the stretch were key as Clonakilty kept coming but were unable to land a killer blow.

The story of the first half was the Haven staying in touch early on as Clonakilty began well, but Brian Hurley’s 13th-minute goal was a real turning point. It put the Haven 1-3 to 0-5 in front and, while Conor Daly levelled in the wake of that, the Castletownshend/Union Hall side kicked seven of the last nine points of the first half to retire with a five-point interval lead.

Hurley’s goal followed one of the Haven’s best passages of play, as Seán Browne, Jack Cahalane and Michael Hurley held possession before the latter’s pass found his brother in splendid isolation close to goal. From close range, he made no mistake.

The goal came just after Clon had fashioned a great opportunity to forge what would have been a five-point lead. Ahead by 0-5 to 0-3 after Darragh Gough’s point, Clon cut the Haven open through Ross Mannix and Seán McEvoy before the excellent Ben Ridgeway passed across goal. Odhran Bancroft looked to set to touch the ball home only for Mark Collins to make a superb intervention.

Before the goal, Clonakilty – missing Seán White – had led by two points on three occasions without ever escaping their oppoentns’ clutches. After Hurley’s strike, the Haven found their stride and they were a goal ahead, 1-7 to 0-7, as the Cork captain rounded off good play involving his brother and Jamie O’Driscoll. Jack and Damien Cahalane both provided assists for Michael Hurley points and Jack Cahalane’s point in injury time had them 1-10 to 0-8 to the good.

Despite losing Johnny Leahy – the scorer of two first-half points – to injury at the break, Clon produced a superb response on the restart. There were scarcely 45 seconds gone when Cork star Maurice Shanley was found in space and he drilled a low shot across Darragh Cahalane and frees from Daly and Gough tied the match at 1-10 apiece by the 35th minute.

Conor Cahalane did put the Haven back in front with a well-taken left-footed effort but soon after that they lost Brian Hurley to a black card for a foul on marauding Clon goalkeeper Mark White.

While Ross Mannix levelled for Clon with a fine point, a cheaply conceded close-range free allowed Mark Collins to make it 1-12 to 1-11. The former Cork player then made it a two-point game as his up-and-under was parried by White and Collins was able to fist the loose ball over.

Clon came back to within a point on three occasions but one of the players scoring those points, Ross Mannix, departed on a black card with three minutes of normal time left.

Scorers for Castlehaven: B Hurley 1-4 (0-1f), J Cahalane 0-4, M Hurley, M Collins (0-1f) 0-3 each, C Cahalane, S Browne 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: D Gough (0-1f), C Daly (0-3f) 0-4 each, M Shanley 1-0, R Mannix, J Leahy 0-2 each, B Ridgeway, T Clancy 0-1 each.

CASTLEHAVEN: Darragh Cahalane; T O’Mahony, R Maguire, J O’Regan; Damien Cahalane, C O’Sullivan, M Collins; C Cahalane, R Minihane; A Whelton, B Hurley, S Browne; J O’Driscoll, M Hurley, J Cahalane.

Sub: J O’Neill for Minihane (38).

CLONAKILTY: M White; D Peet, D Lowney, L O’Donovan; J O’Mahony, T Clancy, C Kenneally; M Shanley, B Ridgeway; O Bancroft, D Gough, C Daly; J Leahy, R Mannix, S McEvoy.

Subs: N Barrett for Bancroft (26, injured), T O’Connell for Leahy (half-time, injured), D O’Sullivan for Ridgeway (56).

Referee: J Regan (Lough Rovers).