Pa Lucey the hero as Macroom pull off great escape against Bandon in PIFC relegation playoff
Macroom's Cillian O’Donovan and Bandon’s Robert Long contest the throw-in. Picture: Noel Sweeney
Macroom staved off McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Premier IFC relegation in unbelievable fashion in Kilmurry on Sunday.
It was their third consecutive year in this play-off and it took a 60th-minute penalty conversion by Pa Lucey and the winning point two minutes later from Eolan O’Leary to seal the deal.
Referee Brian Coniry consulted with his officials before awarding the penalty after it was deemed sub Dylan Twomey was fouled. Lucey, who was in magnificent placed ball form all day, duly obliged.
The Macroom supporters could scarcely believe their eyes.
They had very little to shout about for the first 18 minutes as Bandon opened up a 1-7 to no score lead.
Michael Cahalane kickstarted their run with a two-pointer. They had seven points on the board when Mark Sugrue’s quick thinking yielded a goal after a one-two with Jack Cullinane.
Macroom finally got on the scoreboard in the 19th minute, and when they got going they couldn’t stop. Lucey’s free-taking was off the charts, he kicked three two-point frees and there were another two two-pointers from Seán Kiely and Shane Meaney.
Oisin O’Sullivan’s 25th-minute goal sent them to the dressing-room 1-11 to 1-9 up.
Tim Twohig bagged Bandon’s second goal three minutes after the resumption. A drawn match for the first time - his green flag in reply to Cillian Donovan’s point.
The two goalkeepers were in the thick of the action as Bandon managed to keep their noses in front. Sugrue’s converted 45 at the three-quarter mark put them 2-13 to 1-13 ahead.
Lucey kicked another two-point free and Eolan O’Leary levelled for the third time.
Darren Crowley incredibly found the range with a pair of two-pointers in one minute as Bandon remained in the driving seat with a third Crowley two-pointer in the 54th minute, 2-19 to 1-18.
A Lucey free left just one score in it. Then came that late 1-1 from Macroom.
P Lucey 1-12 (1-0 pen, 0-5 2pt f, 0-1 45, 0-1 f), O O’Sullivan 1-0, E O’Leary 0-3, S Kiely, S Meaney 0-2 (1 2pt) each, C Donovan 0-1.
M Sugrue 1-4 (0-1 f, 0-1 45), D Crowley 0-7 (3 2pt), M Cahalane 0-4 (1 2pt), T Twohig 1-0, J Mulcahy 0-2, C Calnan, P Callinan 0-1 each.
D Kiely; S Meaney, M Corrigan, J Murphy; P O’Farrell, R Buckley, T Dineen (Capt); C Donovan, C Dineen; A Quinn, E O’Leary, S Kiely; M Hunt, P Lucey, O O’Sullivan.
D Creedon for T Dineen (39), F Goold for M Hunt (43), D Twomey for O O’Sullivan, M Condon for C Dineen (both 58).
C McCarthy; D O’Donovan, B Crowley, E McSweeney; C Calnan, P Murphy, J Mulcahy; R Long, T Twohig (Capt); D Crowley, M Cahalane, C Lynch; P Callinan, M Sugrue, J Cullinane.
C Long for T Twohig (47), T McCarthy for C Calnan (57).
Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).
App?
