Premier JFC: Cobh stroll to easy victory over Kinsale to seal knockout spot

Cobh: 1-11 (1-1-9) 

Kinsale: 0-3 (0-0-3) 

A slicker Cobh side breezed past Kinsale in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier JFC clash at Ovens on Friday night.

This Group 2 Round 3 tie was a winner-takes-all contest with the men from Imokilly leading from pillar to post in this one.

The foundation for their win was done in the opening 30 minutes, leading by six points at one juncture in a half where it took 24 minutes for Kinsale to get up and running.

The winners never at any stage looked in trouble in what was pretty much a training exercise in the second half for them in a game that meant so much to both teams.

It took Kinsale 29 minutes into the second half to get their first and only score of the half.

The game was played in difficult weather conditions with driving rain on a frequent basis. It made the performance from the men from East Cork more impressive.

Cobh will now meet last year’s County JAFC winners Inniscarra in the quarter-finals in two weeks’ time.

They handled the conditions better from the minute referee Luke Knight threw in the ball. Jack Ronan, Timmy Wilk and a Diarmuid Kearney free registered points inside four minutes.

Fionn Duggan landed a two-pointer for Cobh before the forward set up Adam McCarthy for a great goal chance, but it was deflected away from danger.

Forward Noah Ryan did go off for a short period for Kinsale, which didn’t help their cause, but they were starved of possession with Wilk, Mark O’Rourke and George Keating dominating around the midfield area for Cobh.

O’Rourke pushed Cobh 0-6 to 0-0 clear after 16 minutes. They wouldn’t score again for another 17 minutes.

In Kinsale’s second scoring opportunity, they got their first score after 24 minutes when Michael Murphy converted a close range free. It was followed a minute later by a nice point from Cork U20 footballer Gearóid Kearney.

Cobh did get the last score of the half as weather conditions deteriorated, Diarmuid Kearney landing a free, 0-7 to 0-2 at half-time.

A pair of Ronan efforts gave Cobh a comfortable advantage as they remained in control with 22 minutes remaining.

There was no wind of note, it was just the fact that the Imokilly team were far superior.

They effectively put the game to bed after 43 minutes when Adam Lynch’s goal-bound shot fell nicely for sub Darragh Burke to finish to the net, 1-9 to 0-2.

It was a low-scoring second half, which suited Cobh. A Diarmuid Kearney effort and a free from sub Darragh Heelan pushed Cobh 12 points clear.

Kinsale finally got their first and only score of the second 30 minutes through a Michael Murphy free after 59 minutes, 1-11 to 0-3.

They bow out, but Cobh power on.

Scorers for Cobh: D Kearney (0-2 f), J Ronan 0-3 each, D Burke 1-0, F Duggan 0-2 (1 2pt), T Wilk, D Heelan (f), M O’Rourke 0-1 each.

Kinsale: M Murphy 0-2 (0-2 f), G Kearney 0-1.

COBH: E Walsh; A Stanton, B Geary, A McCarthy; T Wilk, C McLoughlin, S Cummins; M O’Rourke, G Keating; A Hastings, F Duggan, D Kearney; A Lynch, J Ronan, E Hastings.

Subs: D Heelan for E Hastings (29, inj), D Burke for A Hastings (h-t), N O’Connell for J Ronan (47).

KINSALE: S O'Neill; D O'Leary, K O’Callaghan, C O'Leary; C Fitzpatrick, N McCarthy, C McCarthy; D Looney, J Murphy; B Coughlan, G Kearney, H Sheehan; N Ryan, M Murphy, B O'Neill.

Subs: J Byrne for N Ryan (14-30, temp), J Byrne for H Sheehan (38), C Sheehan for B Coughlan (50), D Coughlan for J Murphy (57).

Referee: Luke Knight (Kilmurry).