Premier JFC: Diarmuid Kearney's goal sets up Cobh and Kilmurry showdown
Cullen goalkeeper Fachtna O'Connor made a fine save but could not keep out the second shot by goalscorer Diarmuid Kearney, Cobh. Picture: Larry Cummins
VICTORY for Cobh in atrocious conditions at Donoughmore on Saturday in a hard-fought Bon Secours Premier JAFC quarter-final.
By virtue of this win, Cobh will meet Kilmurry in the semi-final and they will be hoping for better underfoot conditions than what they endured in this game.
Credit to Cullen they gave their all but when they look back on this game they will rue a disappointing opening 30 plus minutes as playing with the wind all they could accumulate was a mere three points.
Ironically the wind fever seemed to affect Cobh in the second half as all they muster up was one point and it took them 22 minutes to raise their only white flag.
It was evident both teams were cagey in the opening exchanges as Cobh’s Adam McCarthy and Luke Murphy exchanged points in the seventh minute.
A superb Cobh move four minutes later exposed poor Cullen defending as full forward Diarmuid Kearney was allowed too much space before unleashing his shot that was superbly parried by the Cullen keeper Fachtna O’Connor.
The ball fell back into the path of Kearney who blasted the ball to the roof of the net as they played controlled football for the remainder of the half to command a five-point lead at the interval: 1-5 to 0-5.
On the restart Cullen dominated possession but lacked ideas in the final third up to pose Cobh’s sharp defence problems.
Luke Murphy did open the Cullen second-half account in the 37th minute but they didn’t raise another white flag for 14 minutes, which reduced the deficit to three points. Cobh scored their only point of the second half on the next possession that gave them a cushion they never relinquished again.
Murphy did have the final say for Cullen with a late point and although they continued to pound the Cobh square with high balls they were easily dealt with.
Next up for Cobh is a semi-final against the highly rated Kilmurry side and they will be under no illusions that they will need a season best to reach the decider.
D Kearney 1-1 (0-1 45), D Heelan 0-2 f, N O'Connell (f), C Spriggs A McCarthy 0-1 each.
L Murphy 0-3 (0-2 f), A Regan 0-2, C Walsh 0-1.
E Walsh; C McLoughlin, T Wilk, J McCarthy; M O’Rourke, G Keating, A McCarthy; S Cummins, D Heelan; E Hastings, N O’Connell, A Hastings; D Kearney, C Spriggs, E Cullimore.
G Rasmussen for E Cullimore (52), E Kidney for M O’Rourke (58).
F O’Connor; C Hickey, P Fleming, D Twomey; G Twomey, D Hickey, C Moynihan; A Nolan, C Walsh; B O’Connell, J O’Connor, F Cronin; A Regan, M Twomey, L Murphy.
C Kerins for F Cronin (45), T O’Keefe for M Twomey (50), P Murphy for B O’Connell (52), W O’Keefe for G Twomey (60).
Cathal Nolan (Bishopstown).
App?
