Ladies Football: Clonakilty defeat Castlehaven after six-goal battle

Castlehaven 3-6 Clonakilty 3-8 

Clonakilty edged Castlehaven in a cracking Cork Credit Unions Cork LGFA SFC clash at Moneyvohollane.

A West Cork derby between two clubs desperate to get off the mark in Group 1 saw Clon emerge with a two-point victory.

The Haven dominated territory and possession during the early exchanges. The home side’s patience reaped dividends when Áine Daly opened the scoring after five minutes.

Clonakilty hit back via a converted Siofra Pattwell free before quick hands released Sinéad O’Donovan to edge the Brewery Town ahead.

Niamh O’Sullivan had a goal ruled out for a square infringement prior to Katie O’Driscoll moving Clon 0-3 to 0-1 in front after 10 minutes.

Backed by a strong wind, the visitors were caught out by two counter-attacks in as many minutes.

Castlehaven capped off a dominant spell with first, Shelly Daly and then Gráinne O’Sullivan finding the net in quick succession.

Martina O’Brien made a fine stop but Alice O’Driscoll and Niamh O’Sullivan points handed a dominant Haven a 2-3 to 0-3 lead after 20 minutes.

Clon roared back into contention however, as Katie O’Driscoll and Millie Condon white flags preceded a fisted Sinéad O’Donovan goal from the edge of the square.

Clon weren’t finished and Siofra Pattwell’s superbly crafted goal handed her team a two-point interval lead.

The goals kept coming as Moira Barrett’s point attempt nestled in theHaven net immediately after the restart.

The home side retaliated with Emma Daly scorching a thunderbolt into the top corner at the opposite end.

Unanswered Gráinne O’Sullivan and Amy McCarthy (two frees) scores made it 3-6 to 3-5 in the Haven’s favour with 14 minutes left.

Two tired teams dropped the pace but not the intensity. It was Clonakilty who managed three additional points in the remaining period which included seven minutes of injury-time.

Katie O’Driscoll and a brace of terrific Siofra Pattwell efforts won a titanic battle for a relieved Clonakilty.

Scorers for Castlehaven: G O’Sullivan 1-1, S Daly, E Daly 1-0 each, A McCarthy 0-2 f, A Daly, A O’Driscoll, N O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: S Patwell 1-3 (0-2 f), S O’Donovan 1-1, K O’Driscoll 0-3, M Barrett 1-0, M Condon 0-1.

CASTLEHAVEN: A Salter; J McCarthy, E Maguire, A Santry; M O’Sullivan, N O’Sullivan, Á Daly; E Buckley, A O’Driscoll; E Daly, G O’Sullivan, S Daly (c); N O’Sullivan, A McCarthy, H Sheehy.

Subs: E Connolly for E Buckley (47), E McCarthy for M O’Sullivan (55), B Sheehy for N O’Sullivan (57), L O’Donoghue for E Maguire (60, inj).

CLONAKILTY: M O’Brien; E O’Sullivan, S Callanan, N Kennedy; M O’Donovan, K O’Donovan (c), C McCarthy; M Barrett, K O’Driscoll; M Condon, S Patwell, E Meade; S Crowley, C McEvoy, A O’Flynn-Meade.

Subs: A Moloney for E Meade (h-t), K O’Mahony for C McEvoy (47), L Daly for S O’Donovan (58).

Referee: James Kingston (Rosscarbery).