Clonakilty show class and cruise to victory over Nemo Rangers in P2 U16 Football League final
The Clonakilty team after defeating Nemo Rangers in the Rebel Og Premier 2 U16 Football League final, at The Mardyke. Picture: David Keane.
Despite amassing a total of 13 wides – Clonakilty never looked like being beaten as they triumphed against Nemo Rangers in the Premier 2 U16 Football League final at the Mardyke on Thursday evening.
A superb attacking performance capped off by the prowess of Jack Byerley and Tom Whooley who scored 3-8 between them, Clonakilty were full value for the victory.
They established a commanding lead from the off when Whooley got their first goal inside two minutes, as he ran at the Nemo defence and shot for goal. While his effort was deflected it wouldn't be knocked off course.
The teams thrice traded leaving the west Cork side 1-3 to 0-3 ahead after the first quarter.
20 minutes into the contest Byerley raised their next green flag as Ben Coffey kicked it to his full-forward, unmarked and with space to fire. His unstoppable effort across goal was only ever going to end up in one place, 2-3 to 0-4.
A fisted effort from Finn O’Mahony was chalked off by the Morgan Corkery, brother of Nemo senior footballer Ross, but Clon kept landing jabs as Whooley assisted Mattie Lyons for a white flag, leaving it 2-5 to 0-5 at the break.
On the resumption Clon were just as deadly – Lyons sent over a free before Byerley, Shay O’Donovan and Christos Delis combined to set up Whooley for another point.
Byerley’s next effort put nine points between the teams with 35 minutes elapsed.
Rangers, with a long way back, did outscore their opponents 0-3 to 0-1 in the next 10 minutes, but it should have been 2-3 – as two big goal opportunities went begging.
The first saw Shay O’Donovan’s superb block deny Michael Karuru’s thunderous shot, but the second was a costly miss from close range, and in response, Byerley and Whooley would put the final nail in the coffin.
Whooley assisted Byerley in the 51st minute putting Clon 2-10 to 0-8 ahead, and they reversed the order three minutes later as Byerley forced a turnover and found Whooley, and he was never going to miss one-on-one from point blank, goal.
They went on to extend their lead to 12 before the full-time whistle and finished comfortable winners.
J Byerley 1-7 (0-1 f, 0-1 m) T Whooley 2-1, M Lyons (1 f) F O’Mahony 0-2 each.
O Jordan (1 f), L Butler (1 45) 0-2 each, M Scott, C Twohig, R Denn, M Corkery, C Sheehan 0-1 each.
C Harrington; L Kelleher, J Costello, E Minihan; M F Collins, B Coffey, I Smyth; S O’Donovan, E Nolan; F O’Mahony, J Byerley, E Deiseach; C Delis, T Whooley, M Lyons.
F O’Donovan for O’Mahony (HT), N O’Donovan for Lyons (53), B Bennett for Smyth (55), A Ahern for Minihan (60+2).
M Hennessy; R Deasy, L Smyth, L O’Leary; D Murphy, A Quinlivan, D Kelleher; L Butler, C Twohig; M Corkery, R Denn, M Scott; M Lynch, O Jordan, C Herlihy.
C Sheehan for Murphy (HT), M Karuru for Herlihy, M O’Keeffe for Lynch (both 36), Herlihy for Corkery (49, inj), S O’Flaherty for Kelleher (56), S O’Connor for Denn (58).
PJ Dennehy (Glanmire)
App?
