Talking points from football quarter-final weekend
Newcestown captain Luke Meade and goalkeeper Christopher White celebrate after Sunday's McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC quarter-final win over Carrigaline at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
It turned out to be an inspired substitution for Newcestown, but things could have gone so differently.
As their McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC quarter-final with Carrigaline moved into injury time in extra time and the sides still level, they made a change – number 1 Christopher White for number 16 Eoin McSweeney.
White, the long-serving goalkeeper, had been unable to start due to an injury that affected his kicking rather than his handling and so was being summoned for the impending penalty shootout.
The only problem was that Carrigaline had just levelled and the first job was a kickout. Perhaps a member of the full-back line taking it would have been the prudent course of action as White sent the ball into Carrigliane hands and, for one brief moment, it looked like they might win it.
Thankfully for Newcestown, the danger was averted and the final whistle ensured the game would be decided from the spot – White was the saved two Carrigaline kicks as Newcestown progressed 4-3 in the shootout.
Donncha O’Connor made his SFC debut for Duhallow in May 2001 against Mallow, scoring three points in an 0-11 to 0-10 win.
Eighty-nine appearances later, the Ballydesmond man, now 44, was still present and correct for Sunday’s quarter-final against Ballincollig.
He finished with 0-4, including the game’s two-pointer, and again there was just one in it, but unfortunately for Duhallow it went the way of Ballincollig, who finished well to triumph by 1-15 to 2-11.
That Newcestown-Carrigaline semi-final was a meeting of the last two winners of the SAFC.
En route to glory, both had beaten Kanturk in penalty shootouts – Newcestown in the 2023 quarter-final and Carrigaline in last year’s semi-final.
It meant that, since winning the Premier IFC in 2022, Kanturk had not lost a knockout game in 60 minutes and that record continued at the weekend – unfortunately for them, they fell to neighbours Knocknagree after extra time.
In the 2020 Premier IFC final against Knocknagree and the 2023 SAFC group-stage clash against the same opposition, Kanturk wore green jerseys.
While they had switched to favouring white tops with a green hoop, the fact that green had been the registered choice meant that Kanturk had to revert to the original look against their local rivals, who were allowed to remain in their usual white and blue.
However, with white’s supremacy now official for Kanturk, for Saturday’s semi-final in Kilbrin, the edict came from Cork County Board that both teams should change.
Switching to navy was not a problem for Knocknagree, though, as they moved to a fourth straight semi-final in the second tier.
If they make a third final in four years, they might be playing Cill na Martra, who also play in blue and white – if such an eventuality materialises, we might suggest a different match-up compared to the navy versus dark grey of the group match between the clubs.
We have seen teams win championship doubles and there have been clubs who have been caught up in relegation danger in both codes in the same year – but it’s rare that divergent fortunes are experienced.
It’s the kind of history you’d prefer not to be making, but it’s something that could happen Bandon in the current season. Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, they suffered a one-point defeat to Macroom in the Premier IFC relegation play-off – but for their dual players, there’s no time to dwell on the loss as there is an IAHC semi-final against Sarsfields coming down the track this weekend.
If they get over that, they will be just one game away from being the first Cork to club win a county championship in one code and be relegated from the other in the same year.
App?
