Whitechurch are the Cork City Council MacCurtain Cup champions after win over St Vincent's

Whitechurch 2-18

St Vincent’s 2-10

Whitechurch won the Cork City Council MacCurtain Cup as they saw off the stiff challenge of St Vincent’s in the decider, before a sizeable attendance at Ballinlough.

Whitechurch held the upper hand for most of the opening half, until St Vincent’s took the lead for the first time, shortly before the interval. Whitechurch moved within touching distance of St Vincent’s with their second goal after the break, before they held St Vincent’s scoreless for the final quarter.

Whitechurch opened the scoring with a point from play by David O’Sullivan, which was followed by a pointed free by Cian Egan.

Whitechurch continued to have St Vincent’s on the defensive as Egan drilled home a goal from the edge of the St Vincent’s square, to give Whitechurch a five-point advantage.

St Vincent’s began to turn the screw as Jonathan O’Mahony, and Aaron O’Donoghue slotted over points from play. 

O’Donoghue and Egan exchanged pointed frees before O'Donoghue reduced the margin to the minimum with a goal from the corner of the Whitechurch square in the 18th minute. 

O’Donoghue tied the scores at 1-6 apiece as he converted a long range free.

Two unanswered points put Whitechurch ahead, but St Vincent’s took the lead for the first time in the contest with a long-range goal from a difficult angle by Michael O’Leary. 

This gave St Vincent’s an interval lead of 2-8 to 1-9.

O’Donoghue converted his fifth free for St Vincent’s within a minute of the restart, but Whitechurch levelled matters with a goal by Jamie Hegarty in the 38th minute.

O’Donoghue put St Vincent’s back in the driving seat with his sixth pointed free, before Whitechurch took a grip on proceedings.

Persistent fouling was to be St Vincent’s undoing in the final quarter, as they were held scoreless for the remainder of the game.

Scorers for Whitechurch: C Egan 1-6 (0-6f); J Hegarty 1-1; S O’Reilly 0-2; M Callanan 0-1f; D O’Sullivan, R O’Connell, Dylan Blake, S Keane, R Murphy, Daniel Blake, R Buckley, A Kelleher.

St Vincent’s: A O’Donoghue 1-7 (0-6f); M O’Leary 1-1; C O’Neill, J O’Mahony 0-1 each.

Whitechurch: J Scanlan; C Kelleher, B Sullivan, J Dennehy; R O’Connell, M Callanan, R Buckley; A Kelleher, Sean O’Reilly; J Hegarty, S Keane, D O'Sullivan; R Murphy, Dylan Blake, C Egan.

Subs: Daniel Blake for O’Sullivan (h/t), Cathal Dennehy for Keane (42), B O’Reilly for Dylan Blake (45), D Kelleher for A Kelleher (57), Ciarán Dennehy for C Kelleher (60+).

St Vincent’s: D Clarke; D Butler, K Sorensen, Sean O’Reilly; E O’Brien, C Lynch, R Fielding; C O’Neill, K Murphy; J O’Donovan, J O’Mahony, C Whitley; A O’Donoghue, M O’Leary, L Callanan.

Subs: P Cullinane for O’Mahony (36, inj), A Sorensen for Fielding (40), D McCarthy for Whitley (56), C Desmond for O’Brien (57).

Referee: Pat Lyons (Bishopstown).