In-form Clonakilty footballers blitz St Finbarr's to grab Division 1 top spot
Clonakilty's Darragh Gough shoots over a point from St Finbarrs' Eoin Hurley during the McCarthy Insurance Group FL Division 1 game at Clonakilty. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Two Darragh Gough goals helped a rampant Clonakilty overcome St Finbarr’s in a McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 Football League top-of-the-table clash at Ahamilla on Sunday morning.
Something had to give as the top two ranked Division 1 clubs, neither having dropped a point in their opening five fixtures, met in Clonakilty.
There was added interest in St Finbarr’s visit to West Cork as Brian Roche’s side has been drawn to face Clon in Group 2 of the Cork Premier SFC later this summer.
Disappointingly, Steven Sherlock was one of several St Finbarr’s absences while their opponents were also down a couple of regular starters.
The home team took full advanatage playing an attractive brand of fast-paced football throughout the hour. As for an understrength Barr’s, they toiled hard but could have no complaints with the outcome.
Nonetheless, a free-flowing game, despite searing temperatures, developed right from the start.
It was two points apiece after 6 minutes. David Lowney and Liam O’Donovan scores were answered by the Barrs’ Eoin McGreevey and Cian O’Sullivan (free).
A slick Clonakilty move opened their opposing defence for Conor Daly to find Darragh Gough who palmed to the net after 7 minutes.
Clon lost Jack O’Mahony and the Barrs Dylan Quinn to early injuries before Dara Ó Sé and Daly (free) extended Clon’s lead. Substitute Jonathan Wigginton-Barrett reduced the deficit, 1-4 to 0-3, prior to Clonakilty moving up the gears.
Dominating midfield and switching play intelligently, Tom Clancy, Conor Daly, Ben Ridgeway and David Lowney scores made it 1-8 to 0-4 after Cian O’Sullivan notched a St Finbarr’s reply.
A Dara Ó Sé two-point free preceded a fisted Sean McEvoy effort before Clon put the seal on an impressive first-half display.
A ten-man move, emanating from a Mark White kick-out ended Darragh Gough netting his second goal to send the West Cork men in 2-11 to 0-4 up at the break.
Gough added a point immediately after the restart as Clonakilty maintained a high tempo. St Finbarr’s, shorn of possession around the middle third, were unable to stem the tide as additional Ross Mannix, Chris Kenneally and Dara Ó Sé efforts made it 2-15 to 0-4.
Thomas Egan scored at the opposite end but their West Cork opponents’ response was devastating.
Moving the ball at pace, Gough kicked a point and a superb two-pointer prior to Dara Ó Sé raising another white flag. Then, after 45 minutes, another multi-player hand-passing move concluded with Clonakilty corner-back Chris Kenneally finding the net.
That ended the tie as a contest with both managers emptying their respective benches during the final quarter. Egan added another Barrs' point before late Tom Clancy and David Lowney scores put the gloss on a 3-22 to 0-6 victory.
Clonakilty remain undefeated atop the Division 1 standings but both clubs know things will be a lot tighter come championship.
D Gough 2-4 (1 2pt), D Ó Sé 0-5 (2pt f), C Kenneally 1-1, T Clancy (1 2pt), D Lowney 0-3 each, C Daly 0-2 (1 f), L O’Donovan, B Ridegway, S McEvoy, R Mannix 0-1 each.
C O’Sullivan (1 f), T Egan 0-2 each, E McGreevey, J Wigginton-Barrett 0-1 each.
b M White (c); D O’Sullivan, D Darragh, C Kenneally; L O’Donovan, T Clancy, J O’Mahony; D Ó Sé, B Ridgeway; S White, D Lowney, S McEvoy; C Daly, R Mannix, D Gough.
B White for J O’Mahony (3, inj), M Scally for S White (40), L Griffin for D Gough (50), C Ryan for L O’Donovan (56), C O’Donovan for T Clancy (56).
C Haines; F Crowley, D Quinn, J Kennefick; M Aherne, J Burns, E Hurley; T Egan, T O’Keefe; A McCarthy, C Doolin, S Kirby; C O’Sullivan, E McGreevy (c), E Hallihan.
J Wigginton-Barrett for D Quinn (5, inj), A Lyne for S Kirby (40), C Barrett for A McCarthy (40), C Jordan for M Aherne (48, inj).
Brian Crowley (Castlehaven).
App?
