In-form Carrigaline footballers beat Éire Óg
Kevin O'Reilly, Carrigaline, holding off John Mullins, Éire Óg, during their McCarthy Insurance Division 1 match at Carrigaline. Picture Dan Linehan
GOALS from Niall Coakley and Kevin O’Reilly were decisive as Carrigaline defeated Éire Óg in Division 1 of the McCarthy Insurance Group Football League.
They hit the back of the net during a commanding second half for the home side, who trailed by three points at the break.
It finished as a comfortable victory for Carrigaline, who went into the game looking to bounce back from their recent defeat to Nemo Rangers on home soil.
Éire Óg, on the other hand, arrived looking to build on a recent victory over Ballincollig and they stormed in front through well-taken scores from Rian O’Flynn and Brian Hurley. The team from Muskerry also hit three wides during this spell, while Carrigaline missed the target just once during this spell.
Eanna Desmond ended this barren run by converting a free and O’Flynn immediately responded for his club.
Niall Coakley then put over a quick brace, and the two teams were level for the first time in Carrigaline.
Éire Óg finished the first half with Mark Griffin, O’Flynn, and Hurley splitting the posts and that made it 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.
Carrigaline did not change anything when the game restarted. They continued to play short passes and find free players in space, and out of the commitment came a 1-6 run that gave them a commanding lead.
This started with a brace by Desmond, and points from Adam Coughlan and O’Reilly, who hit the back of the net with a fine goal in the 37th minute.
Carrigaline built on their advantage by slowly rotating their team throughout the second half. The fresh legs brought a new sense of energy, and the club used this to create scoring opportunities for Chris O’Herlihy and Desmond.
The only thing that Éire Óg could create during this was a solitary point from a Hurley free.
Carrigaline shrugged this off and went long. The ball fell into the hands of Coakley, who ran onto the edge of the square with an acre of space around him. The former Cork inter-county hit the goal’s top corner and his club led 2-9 to 0-7 with eight minutes left to play.
Éire Óg finished strong, and points by Conor McGoldrick and Sam O’Driscoll meant there was just two goals between the two sides in stoppage time. There was no moment of drama, instead Carrigaline came through.
N Coakley 1-2 (0-1 f), K O’Reilly 1-1, E Desmond 0-4 (0-2 m, 0-1 f), A Coughlan, C O’Herlihy 0-1 each.
R O’Flynn 0-3, B Hurley 0-3 (0-1 f), M Griffin 0-1, C McGoldrick, S O’Driscoll 0-1 each.
S Mellett; Niall Qurike; I Sheehan, D King, Kevin Kavanagh, C O’Herlihy, J McCarthy, P Mellett, Kieran Kavanagh, A Coughlan, B Coakley, E Ryle, N Coakley, K O’Reilly, E Desmond.
N O’Keeffe for Kieran Kavanagh (42); L Boyle for King (42), T Cronin for Desmond (52), T Vaughan for Coughlan (52), C Barry for P Mellett (55), C Kearney for Ryle (55).
E Kelleher; D Herlihy, J Mullins, J Kelleher, M Corkery, C McGoldrick, M Griffin, Eoin O’Shea, R O’Flynn, B Hurley, M Murphy, Eoin O’Shea, D Healy, H Murphy.
D Murphy for Murphy (56); S O’Driscoll for Eoin O’Shea (56).
Brian Conriy (Crosshaven)
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