Premier SFC: Castlehaven see off Ballincollig to progress to the last four
Castlehaven's Damien Cahalane wins the ball from Ballincollig's Darragh O'Mahony during the Bon Secours Cork Premier SFC quarter final at Enniskeane. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
IN testing conditions, Castlehaven withheld a strong second-half comeback from Ballincollig in the Bon Secours Hospital Premier SFC quarter-final to prevail by three points in Enniskeane on Sunday evening.
James McCarthy’s side will face St Finbarr’s in the semi-final, a team they have had great battles with over the past number of years.
Castlehaven played some brilliant football especially in the first half despite playing against the wind. In tough conditions, the Haven made fewer errors and were much more economical. Ballincollig will have a lot of regrets, they just didn’t perform in the first half as they trailed by six points at half-time and even though they improved in the second half, they were left with too much to do in terms of overcoming their opposition.
Ballincollig were aided by the gale of the wind in the opening 30 minutes, but it was Castlehaven who were the better team early on. Brian Hurley kicked a beauty of a point after four minutes for James McCarthy’s team which was quickly followed by a Jack Cahalane white flag. Two quality scores against the wind.
Brian Hurley kicked his second point of the evening after seven minutes as the West Cork side were dominant in the early stages.
The team in blue and white pushed four points clear, a great team move resulted in young Seán Browne splitting the posts, 0-4 to 0-0 after the first quarter. Mark Collins, who was practically all over the pitch throughout the hour, raised a white flag, great football once again from the Haven.
Ballincollig’s first score finally arrived after 23 minutes, despite playing with the wind. Cian Dorgan converted a close-range free for the Muskerry side. The momentum was firmly with Castlehaven and a Collins white flag pushed his team five points clear, 0-6 to 0-1 after 24 minutes.
Brian Hurley was on song for the Haven, he landed a massive long-range free against the wind. Cian Dorgan pointed from a free for the Collig, but they struggled big time to create chances in the opening 30 minutes. That man Brian Hurley kicked a gorgeous point following a well-worked team move, 0-8 to 0-2 at half-time.
Despite the atrocious weather conditions we experienced over the weekend, the sun came out for the second half. Castlehaven were now aided by the wind in the new half but it certainly wasn’t as strong as the opening 30 minutes. Podsie O’Mahony’s side required a strong start after a disappointing first half from them, they did get the first score from a Cian Dorgan free five minutes in.
Patient build-up play from Castlehaven resulted in Cathal Maguire fisting the ball over the bar, 0-9 to 0-3 after 38 minutes. The Haven were reduced to 14 players for 10 minutes after 39 minutes when Michael Hurley received a black card.
That moment spurred on the Village and two points on the bounce from Seán Kiely and Cian Dorgan brought the Mid-Cork side to within four points of their opposition, 0-9 to 0-5 after 41 minutes. A fine point from Ballincollig’s Darragh O’Mahony left just a goal between the sides with 12 minutes remaining.
A Damien Cahalane point was a much-needed score for the West Cork side before the Haven were back to 15 players when Michael Hurley came back on after his black card. Castlehaven kicked a lovely point from Jack O’Neill after being set up by Jack Cahalane, which pushed the Havan's advantage out to five points, 0-11 to 0-6 after 53 minutes.
The Village stormed back into it with 1-2 without reply, sub Dara Dorgan with a great finish into the roof of the net and all of a sudden it was level, 1-8 to 0-11 after 58 minutes.
The Haven finished well though. Michael Hurley pointed from an acute angle to nudge the West Cork side into the lead heading into injury-time. Jack Cahalane and Michael Hurley points gave their side a three-point buffer and despite late Collig pressure, James McCarthy’s side march on.
B Hurley 0-4 (0-1 f), J Cahalane, M Hurley, M Collins 0-2 each, Damien Cahalane, S Browne, C Maguire, J O’Neill 0-1 each.
C Dorgan 0-4 (0-3 f), D Dorgan 1-0, C Kiely, T O’Connell, D O‘Mahony, S Kiely 0-1 each.
Darragh Cahalane; J O’Regan, R Maguire, R Walsh; T O’Mahony, Damien Cahalane, C Maguire; C Cahalane, M Collins; A Whelton, B Hurley, S Browne; J O’Neill, J Cahalane, M Hurley.
C O’Driscoll for S Browne (43), R Minihane for J O’Neill (56), C Nolan for A Whelton (56), C O’Sullivan for R Walsh (64).
J Gibbons; C Moore, L Jennings, S O’Donoghue; C Kiely, H Ahearne, M Oldham; P O’Neill, S Dore; S Kiely, L O’Connell, D O’Mahony; R Noonan, C Dorgan, D Murphy.
T O’Connell for D Murphy, S O’Neill for R Noonan (both h-t), D Dorgan for S Dore (41), E Cooke for S Kiely (42), S Kiely for S O’Donoghue (50).
James Regan (Lough Rovers).
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