Premier JFC: Canovee power past rivals Kilmurry
Canovee's Daire McMahon is tackled by Kilmurry's Gearóid O'Mahony during the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier JFC at Macroom. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
At the end of a feisty local derby, Canovee were too strong for Kilmurry in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier JFC at Macroom on Friday evening.
This final game in Group 1 had a lot on the line, but when all was said and done, both teams will head for the knockout stages, but it will be Canovee that will have that extra pep in their step going into the business end.
Kilmurry had their place in the knockout stages already sealed prior to throw-in while Canovee still required some sort of a result. Despite Cobh's victory, the Carrigadrohid-based club advance and top the group ahead of Kilmurry by a point. Canovee were heading for the semi-final due to Kinsale trailing Glenville but that game was abandoned due to a serious injury meaning it will be a waiting game now. That match will be refixed by the CCC.
There was a gulf in class in this one as Canovee dominated the Muskerry derby. They never trailed and once they scored their first goal in the early stages, they never looked back.
In front of a large attendance in the Castle Grounds, last year’s County JAFC winners were fast out of the traps hitting two of the first three points and they were awarded for their dominant start by raising a green flag after seven minutes. Following a long ball sent in by Connor O’Neill, the towering Brian McNabola made a great fetch and was fouled by Kilmurry goalkeeper Jason McDonnell and a penalty was given. James Moynihan stepped up and sent the netminder the wrong way.
A light drizzle throughout added to the occasion with the ball like a bar of soap. Kilmurry’s response to the goal was a Joe McGinn point before the excellent Jack Kelleher kicked over a fine effort for Canovee, 1-3 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.
The scores dried up in the second quarter with a mixture of wayward shooting and excellent defending from both teams.
Kilmurry did tack on two successive points from Liam Wall and Lloyd Aisling as they trailed by two points at the break, 1-3 to 0-4.
On the resumption, Canovee made a dream start two minutes in. McNabola did all the hard work as he laid the ball on a plate for Kelleher to palm the ball into the net. The team traded points before McNabola nearly added a third goal for John O’Brien’s side after 39 minutes but his effort went narrowly wide.
A boomer of a free from an acute angle from Kelleher pushed Canovee six points clear with 17 minutes left. The aforementioned Kelleher added another free as they now led 2-6 to 0-5.
A point from James O’Mullane was a much needed score for Kilmurry, but it failed to spark them into life as the game entered the final seven minutes. The teams swapped white flags as the contest went into added time. Lloyd Aisling did reduce the deficit down to five points but McNabola restored Canovee’s six-point buffer, 2-8 to 0-8.
McNabola did receive a black card for the winners late on, it merely mattered. Brian Hinchion bisected the posts for Kilmurry but the final whistle sounded seconds later.
J Kelleher 1-5 (0-4 f), J Moynihan 1-0 pen, B McNabola, M Healy, D McMahon 0-1 each.
J McGinn (0-1 f), L Wall (0-1 f), Lloyd Aisling 0-2 each, James O’Mullane, John O’Mullane, B Hinchion 0-1 each.
B Cheasty; B Ring, E Lehane, W Ahern; C Cronin, R Delaney, D O’Sullivan; A Murphy, C Dodd; C O’Neill, B McNabola, D McMahon; J Moynihan, J Kelleher, M Healy.
S O’Connor for D McMahon (55), C O’Driscoll for J Moynihan (62), P O’Leary for J Kelleher (63).
J McDonnell; O Keane, W Ronan, G O’Mahony; James O’Mullane, B Hinchion, A Aisling; Lawerence Aisling, Lloyd Aisling; L Wall, K Kelleher, R Duggan; T Collins, John O’Mullane, J McGinn.
P Berhanu for J McGinn (40), Joe O’Mullane for R Duggan (45), R Leahy for K Kelleher (49), A O’Mahony for Lawerence Aisling (55), D Linehan for T Collins (57).
Peter O’Leary (Cloughduv).
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