O'Donovan Rossa secure Senior A status as Fermoy footballers left to rue missed goal chances
Relief at the final whistle as O'Donovan Rossa secured victory in the SAFC relegation playoff at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Larry Cummins
Relief for O’Donovan Rossa as they avoided the dreaded drop from the McCarthy Insurance SAFC following a hard-earned relegation win over Fermoy at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday.
In a game that Fermoy could have stolen if they had executed four golden goal opportunities, a superb six-point exhibition of kicking from Kevin Davis ensured Skibb were safe.
We must praise the effort of the Fermoy centre-back Tomás Clancy as the former Cork footballer ran himself into the ground over the hour.
It only took two minutes for O’Donovan Rossa to be given a huge scare when goalkeeper Ryan Price fluffed a kickout as the ball went straight into the hands of the Fermoy half-forward Ben Twomey. Twomey kicked his shot straight at the relieved keeper.
Skibbereen settled and consecutive points from Kevin Davis gave them a two-point lead in the sixth minute.
After going eight minutes without scoring, Darragh Daly landed the opening Fermoy point but once again they fluffed a golden goal opportunity. Careless defending allowed Twomey another path through on goal and his pinpoint pass found Daly but with the goal at his mercy, his shot hit the post.
There was little to choose between the teams entering the second quarter with the West Cork side leading by the minimum 0-4 to 0-3.
Both teams looked vulnerable in defence and O’Donovan Rossa punished Fermoy in the 19th minute. Some classy fielding and running from full-back Frank Hurley saw his assist to Niall Daly finished with class to the back of the net.
Credit to Fermoy, they responded with a stunning two-pointer from Ben Twomey and a white flag from Dave Lardner to reduce the deficit to two points in the 23rd minute.
O'Donovan Rossa responded in style as four unanswered points saw them go in at the break commanding a healthy six-point lead, 1-9 to 0-6.
The second half was dominated by Rossa and although Fermoy did manage to reduce the deficit to three in the 58th minute, that’s as good as it got for them.
Points from subs Oisin Lucey (2) and Isaac Harte closed out the game for Rossa as wasteful Fermoy were left to wonder how they failed to put away their goal opportunities that ultimately ensured their drop.
K Davis 0-6 (0-2 f), L Harte 1-0, N Daly, O Leahy, K Hurley (1 2pt), D Hourihane jnr (1 2pt) 0-2 each, D Daly, B Crowley, T Hegarty, I Harte 0-1 each.
D Daly 0-5 (1-2pt), B Twomey 0-4 (2-2pt f), D Lardner 0-3, S Aherne 0-2 (1 2pt), J O’Brien, G Lardner, P De Roiste 0-1 each.
R Price; D Hourihane (jnr), F Hurley, L Connolly; D Daly, K Hurley, C Coombes; L Harte, D Hourihane (snr); B Crowley, K Davis, N Daly; T Hegarty, D Shannon, E Conghaile.
I Harte for L Connolly (40), O Lucey for D Shannon (55).
S Coughlan; L Aherne, J O’Brien, J Molloy; T Clancy, G Lardner, P Murphy; J Hutchings, S Aherne; P De Roiste, D O’Carroll, B Twomey; D Lardner, G O’Callaghan, D Daly.
M Brennan for J Hutchings (h-t), K Morrison for G O’Callaghan (37), D Kelly for D O’Carroll (37), B O’Sullivan for D Lardner (49).
Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).
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