PSFC: Late Douglas goal enough to keep season alive despite defeat to St Finbarr's
Conor Russell of Douglas attempts to get past the challenge of Jamie Burns and Alan O'Connor of St Finbarrs during the Bon Secours Premier Senior Football Championship match in Pairc Ui Rinn. Picture: Howard Cfrowdy
Brian Hartnett’s late goal for Douglas proved invaluable despite the defeat, as it kept them in the championship where they will now contest a playoff with St Michael’s, as both teams are level on scoring difference.
St Finbarr’s powered through in the second half to defeat Douglas comfortably, in what can only be described as a disappointing affair in Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday.
Douglas were in contention for much of the game but lethargic for the final quarter, while St Finbarr’s struggled with shooting accuracy for three quarters of the match.
With their hopes of securing a quarter-final resting on the final group game against their neighbours, Douglas provided the sense of urgency in the opening period that they certainly needed, and were rewarded for it as Conor Russell pointed twice, both from play and from a free.
As Reese McInerney’s free fell short for St Finbarr’s, Douglas went up the other end and managed an excellent team move that was finished off by Cork hurler Shane Kingston to put them three up after six minutes.
William Buckley got the Barrs off the mark with his curling effort from a difficult angle, though the pace of the game slowed after the opening few minutes.
The Barrs struck three wides, while Douglas hit one before either side managed the next score, as Enda Dennehy raised a white flag for St Finbarr’s to put a point between the teams.
In what can certainly be considered a period of lull, neither side managed a score for a lengthy 13 minutes, with William Buckley eventually finishing off an impressive piece of play from Ian Maguire and Brian Hayes to get his second score of the game, and level it on minute 25.
As the poor shooting from both teams continued, St Finbarr’s eventually went ahead when McInerney split the posts from a free.
Douglas closed out the half with a point from Russell, a strike that ended their 25-minute run without a score in a game that saw six wides from each team, as they headed into the dressing rooms with four scores each.
Cork senior Sean Powter was shifted into the half forward line, and after receiving the ball from Kevin Flahive, Powter used his pace to get wide and get one between the posts to give Douglas the lead.
Conor Kingston doubled their lead with his score moments later, but after making a couple of changes St Finbarr’s found their feet, with Cillian Myers Murray pointing from a free, before Hayes pumped life into the game with his goal, after an excellent pass from Eoin McGreevy to set up the midfielder.
Hayes then assisted his Cork hurling teammate, Ethan Twomey who got his first score of the game, and he followed it up with another superb point to put Finbarr’s 1-7 to 0-6 ahead after 40 minutes.
Douglas responded with scores from Russell and Shane Kingston to reduce the Barrs lead, but a Myers Murray double ensured they kept Douglas at arm’s length.
Scores from Twomey, McGreevy and Myers Murray put St Finbarr’s seven in front and well clear of their opponents in the closing stages, with the two substitutes having changed the game for the Togher side.
The Barrs had scored 0-7 without reply, but Brian Hartnett’s additional time goal from a clever free kick to end Douglas’ 15-minute scoreless run was enough to ensure they stay in the championship, though had Maguire not pointed at the death, they would have been through on scoring difference.
C Myers Murray 0-6 (0-5 f), E Twomey 0-3, B Hayes 1-0, W Buckley 0-2, R McInerney (f), I Maguire, E Dennehy, E McGreevy (f) 0-1 each.
C Russell 0-4 (0-2 f), B Hartnett 1-0 f, S Kingston 0-2, C Kingston, S Powter 0-1 each.
D Newman; B Hennessy, S Ryan, C Scully; C Lyons, J Burns, A O’Connor; I Maguire, B Hayes; R McInerney, M Donovan, E Dennehy; W Buckley, E Twomey, J Wigginton-Barrett.
B O’Connell for Lyons (16, inj), C Myers Murray for McInerney (h-t), E McGreevy for Wigginton-Barrett (36), C Barrett for Donovan (48), C McCarthy for Burns (59).
C O’Leary; K Flahive, C Kenny, K Hayes Curtin; S Powter, C Kingston, S Wilson; B Hartnett, K Shanahan; C O’Keefe, A O’Hare, A Cantwell; S Kingston, D Kelly, C Russell.
B Lynch for O’Hare, E Nash for O’Keefe (both h-t), D Ward for Shanahan (45), R Hanley for Cantwell (53), N Lynch for Hayes Curtin (56, inj).
John Ryan (Macroom).
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