Cork football legend Nicholas Murphy helps Carrigaline to Junior A final

Carrigaline 2-9 Valley Rovers 0-10 

Carrigaline eased past Valley Rovers in the Procure.ie South East Junior A Football semi-final in Ballygarvan, the club they'll now face in the final.

This game came down to two second-half goals as Sam Horan proved lethal in front of goal, one of which came from a pass from Nicholas Murphy, as he rolled back the years from the full-forward position.

Carrigaline made the better start in this game as they raced into an early lead as Thomas Vaughan, Cormac Ryan and Tim Cronin had three points in as many minutes.

Any possibility of Carrigaline dominating proceedings faded as Evan O'Shea and Jason Cronin fired over points, as a single score separated the sides.

Pa Mellet eased Carrigaline’s nerves as he sent over from distance but Valleys were hot on their heels as Shane Ryan and Brian Lordan had the sides equal at 0-4 to 0-4 after 15 minutes.

The loss of Lordan to injury affected Valleys as Carrigaline hit three unanswered points as Cronin, Cormac Ryan and Sam Horan all found the range. On the stroke of half time, Vaughan sent over a free as they finished the half leading by 0-8 to 0-4. 

The second half had hardly started when Nicholas Murphy palmed a ball off for Sam Horan to dispatch to the Rover’s net.

Valleys to their credit were not going to hand the game over to Carrig hitting three unanswered points from Jack Walsh, O'Shea and Ryan as the score read 1-8 to 0-7. The game ended as a contest on 50 minutes as Horan collected a pass from Ryan Kenneally and fired home.

Valleys to their credit never gave in as they chased this game as Darragh Keane reduced the deficit with a point and Jack Walsh tested Chris Laverty in the Carrigaline net.

Carrigaline now head to a South East final, a competition victory that has eluded them for the past 30 years.

Scores for Carrigaline: S Horan 2-1, T Vaughan 0-3 (0-2 f), Cormac Ryan, T Cronin 0-2 each, P Mellet 0-1 

Valley Rovers: S Ryan 0-4, E O'Shea 0-2, J Cronin, D Keane J Walsh, B Lordan 0-1 each 

CARRIGALINE: C Laverty; E Murphy, P Laverty, B Murphy; K McNulty, S Dwane, T Foley; P Roynane, P Mellet; S Horan; D Sutton, C Ryan; T Cronin, N Murphy, T Vaughan.

Subs: R Kenneally for P Ronayne (28 inj), L Ahern for C Ryan (52), J Crilly for D Sutton (59).

VALLEY ROVERS: J Woods; N Daly, A Sheehan, C O’Sullivan; L Casey, D Lynch, B Lordan; D Kearney, C O'Shea; E Crowley, J Walsh, J Cronin; S Ryan, D Carthew, E O’Shea.

Sub: Jack Walsh for B Lordan (17 inj). 

Referee: Alan O'Connor, (Ballygarvan).