Kinsale survive Premier Junior Football relegation decider against St Michael's

Kinsale 1-11 St Michael's 0-9  

KINSALE avoided relegation from the Bon Secours Premier JFC by defeating St Michael’s second team in a play-off at Ballygarvan.

James Murphy – who finished the game with 1-3 – scored a first-half goal that gave the club from Carrigdhoun an advantage they never once relinquished.

That made the scoreboard read 1-5 to 0-1, with a Paul Cronin free the only thing that St Michael’s were able to get during that period.

Kinsale were relentless, but they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities when the ball was thrown in. They did win three early frees and Brian Coughlan put two of those over the bar.

It was an impressive opening considering the conditions and Kinsale continued to get scores with Michael Murphy fisting over their first point from play and Murphy opened his account by driving the ball over from distance.

All of St Michael’s points in the first half were frees that Cronin converted, and that made it 1- 7 to 0-4 at the break.

Kinsale should have been further in front as they got a penalty when the game restarted and Mikey O’Connell saved this.

If there was any hint of a comeback after that; it came from a white flag that Stephen Ahern raised. Then Kinsale broke and Murphy got his second point which made it 1-8 to 0-5.

Billy Cain was the only other player in green and yellow to get into double figures for Michael's, and one of those scores was a free.

With two minutes left, the scoreboard read 1-11 to 0-8 and Eoghan Buckley tried to goal from close range. He was denied by Stephen O’Neill, with the Kinsale shot-stopper making a stretched save to keep his side’s six-point lead intact.

Cronin put over his last free in injury time and that was too little too late for St Michael's in their bid to avoid relegation.

Scorers for Kinsale: J Murphy 1-3, B Coughlan 0-5 f, M Murphy 0-2, D Looney 0-1.

St Michael's: C Cronin 0-6 f, B Cain 0-2 (0-1 f), S Ahern 0-1.

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

Subs: B Gray for O’Brien (47); H Sheehan for Rooney (51), F Ahern for O’Mahony (60), S O’Brien for Looney (60).

ST MICHAEL'S: M O’Connell; J Lenihan, A Nolan, R Ahern; S Ahern, C Hanley, O Hanley; S O’Sullivan, B Cain; T Grainger, P Cronin, M Carroll; D O’Sullivan, E Buckley, D Cremin.

Subs: Pat Doyle for Grainger (40); S Murphy for Hanley (42).

Referee: Peter O'Leary (Cloughduv).