Goals help O’Donovan Rossa overcome Clonakilty in the Cork LGFA senior football championship
The O'Donovan Rossa team that marked their first ever club championship game as a senior club with a Cork Credit Unions Cork LGFA SFC victory over Clonakilty, 3-9 to 2-9, in Ahamilla last Sunday. Photo: Ger McCarthy.
Three first-half goals helped O’Donovan Rossa overcome Clonakilty in the Cork Credit Unions Cork LGFA senior football championship at Ahamilla on Sunday afternoon.
It was an historic afternoon for O’Donovan Rossa, playing in their first county championship match as a senior club.
The Skibbereen side defeated Clonakilty in the West Cork (divisional) final the previous weekend and repeated the feat thanks to Laura O’Mahony (two) and Éabha O’Donovan’s goals.
Aoife Whooley, Eadaoin Fitzgerald, Sarah Hurley and Emer McCarthy also impressed.
As for Clonakilty, the hosts relied too heavily on Sinéad O’Donovan (2-4) for scores on a day Katie O’Driscoll, Millie Condon and Moira Barrett toiled hard.
Clonakilty began with the aid of a strong wind but were 1-1 to 0-2 behind after 10 hectic minutes.
Cork minor Éabha O’Donovan provided both of the visitors opening scores including a sixth minute goal.
Sinéad O’Donovan and Cork senior Katie O’Driscoll replied for Clon. There was little between the teams as O’Driscoll and Skibb’s Fionnuala O’Driscoll swapped scores.
Having been under pressure, the home team pushed up on their opponents kick outs resulting in a Sinéad O’Donovan goal just shy of the quarter hour.
A point behind, O’Donovan Rossa dominated the remainder of the half as an Éabha O’Donovan free and Sinead Farrell point preceded two moments of magic from another Cork senior, Laura O’Mahony.
The inter-county midfielder found the net on two occasions in as many minutes to edge Rossa’s 3-4 to 1-3 ahead.
Clonakilty responded with three Siofra Pattwell frees and a Sinéad O’Donovan effort reducing the deficit.
Sinead Farrell’s second point made it 3-5 to 1-7 to the visitors at the interval.
The second half proved much tighter with Laura O’Mahony’s point edging Rossa’s further ahead.
Sinéad O’Donovan replied in devastating fashion however, brilliantly finding the net to leave two in it after 38 minutes.
There would be no further scoring until the closing ten minutes however, thanks to physical and robust defending from both sides.
Kate O’Donovan’s point was a welcome one for Skibb, making it 3-7 to 2-7 with less than 9 minutes to go.
Next, the hosts lost substitute Kyia O’Mahony to a yellow card and O’Donovan Rossa took full advantage.
Éabha O’Donovan and Allie Tobin points stretched Rossa’s lead to five.
Clonakilty refused to go away and two late O’Donovan points, the second when a goal looked likelier, made for a nervy ending.
O’Donovan Rossa held on and were full value for their maiden senior championship win.
Scorers for Clonakilty: S O’Donovan 2-4 (1-3 f), S Pattwell 0-3 (0-3 f), K O’Driscoll 0-2.
O’Donovan Rossa: L O’Mahony 2-1, É O’Donovan 1-3 (0-1 f), S Farrell 0-2, F O’Driscoll, K O’Donovan, A Tobin 0-1 each.
CLONAKILTY: M O’Brien; N Kennedy, S Callanan, E O’Sullivan; M O’Donovan, K O’Donovan (captain), C McCarthy; M Barrett, K O’Driscoll; M Condon, S Pattwell, E Meade; S O’Donovan, C McEvoy, A O’Flynn-Meade.
Subs: K O’Mahony for McEvoy (38), L Daly for O’Flynn-Meade (45), R Twomey for Meade (50), S Crowley for Pattwell (58).
O’DONOVAN ROSSA: T O’Regan; A Bohane, A Whooley, E Fitzgerald; F Leonard, S Hurley, A Tobin; L O’Mahony (captain), E McCarthy; T Murphy, A O’Driscoll, M O’Neill; É O’Donovan, F O’Driscoll, S Farrell.
Subs: O McCarthy for Farrell (35, inj), K O’Donovan for O’Neill (42).
Referee: Sean Ryan (Glanmire).
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