SAFC: Anthony O'Connor kicks 1-5 as Knocknagree pull clear in closing stages to reach another final

Knocknagree 1-18 

Dohenys 0-10 

While it was comfortable in the end, Knocknagree had to work for their second appearance in the final of the McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC in three years.

A dominant last third from the beaten finalists of 2022, making advantage of a 15-v-14 situation, saw them outscore Dohenys – who lost last year’s decider – by 1-6 to no score. It sets up a clash against Carrigaline in a fortnight.

Prior to the red card, the Duhallow side were not reeling but they were certainly in more of a game than one might have expected after 25 minutes, when they held an 0-11 to 0-2 advantage. Keith White’s fourth point for Dohenys had left them trailing by just two, 0-12 to 0-10, but Knocknagree’s next attack saw Cork panellist Eoghan McSweeney produce a lovely pass to Niall O’Connor, who rounded Eoin Lavers before being pulled down.

Unfortunately for Lavers, the booking he received was his second of the game and he departed – Denis R O’Connor’s free gave Knocknagree breathing space and the subsequent kickout was won by sub Matthew Dilworth, who marked his arrival just beforehand by making it 0-14 to 0-10.

Anthony O’Connor’s fourth moved them five clear again as Dohenys failed to convert three consecutive placed balls and Eoghan McSweeney left six in it with ten minutes left.

Any doubts about the outcome were made safe when Anthony O’Connor slotted home a penalty, won when Dilworth was fouled after a free by goalkeeper Patrick Doyle broke inside, and the goalscorer brought his tally to 1-5 moments later.

Eoghan McSweeney rounded off the scoring to leave 11 points in it at the end, reflective of the majority of a first half where they had been on top before Dohenys came charging back.

While the first two points were shared, Rhys Coakley answering Niall O’Connor’s first-minute opener from a mark for Knocknagree, Dohenys were to fall six points behind before they scored again.

There a cohesive effectiveness to the Knocknagree play, with their all-O’Connor full-forward line – Denis R, Niall and Anthony – on target inside the opening nine minutes. Though he didn’t register a point in that spell, Eoghan McSweeney knitted the play together and he was the provider for his brother Michael to make it 0-6 to 0-1 before Killian Cronin set up rampaging wing-back Gearóid Looney to extend the advantage.

While Dohenys centre-back Cullan Barry did come forward to land a good left-footed free, it was just brief respite for the West Cork men. Anthony O’Connor had his third following good work by David O’Connor and Cronin and Cork defender Daniel O’Mahony was involved as Michael McSweeney made it 0-9 to 0-2 by the 20th minute.

Corner-back and captain Michael Mahoney pushed them further clear before a fine Denis R O’Connor point left it 0-11 to 0-2 with five minutes of normal time left in the first half.

Up to that point, Dohenys had struggled to make headway and then been wasteful with their shooting when they did but a superb Mark Buckley point signalled a change in fortunes, followed immediately by one from Shane Barry after a flowing move.

A driving run from Fionn Herlihy – who had been well-contained by Daniel O’Mahony up to then – led to a foul and Keith White’s free had them within six. Buckley fired over another beauty to leave it 0-11 to 0-6 at the break, a not-insurmountable deficit.

It became all the more manageable as White and Cathal Daly pointed on the restart. After a Denis R O’Connor point from a mark, two more from White left them trailing by just two with 21 minutes left.

The sending-off made the challenge just too difficult for them, however, and Knocknagree managed the game well to ensure a second final appearance in three years.

Scorers for Knocknagree: A O’Connor 1-5 (1-0 penalty, 0-6f), DR O’Connor 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1m), N O’Connor (0-1m), E McSweeney, M McSweeney 0-2 each, M Mahoney, G Looney, M Dilworth 0-1 each.

Dohenys: K White 0-4 (0-3f), M Buckley 0-2, C Barry (0-1f), C Daly, R Coakley, S Barry 0-1 each.

KNOCKNAGREE: P Doyle; M Mahoney, D O’Mahony, G O’Connor; G Looney, K Buckley, T O’Connor; T O’Mahony, D O’Connor; K Cronin, E McSweeney, M McSweeney; DR O’Connor, N O’Connor, A O’Connor.

Subs: M Dilworth for T O’Mahony (43), D Mahoney for T O’Connor (52), D Moynihan for Cronin, J Dennehy for N O’Connor (59).

D OHENYS: S Daly; E Lavers, J Farrell, D Rice; C Daly, C Barry, B O’Donovan; A Mannix, R Coakley; S Barry, B Murphy, A O’Donovan; K White, F Herlihy, M Buckley.

S ubs: D Collins for B Murphy (47), C O’Donovan for Mannix (52), C O’Shea for S Barry (55).

Referee: R Whelan (Gleann na Laoi).