Extra-time epic as two-pointers key to Ilen Rovers pipping Adrigole to county final

Ilen Rovers 0-24 (0-5-14) Adrigole 0-22 (0-3-16) (after extra time)

Ilen Rovers won their first county semi-final in 17 years following an epic encounter with Adrigole to reach the 2025 McCarthy Insurance Group Intermediate AFC decider.

An instant classic went down to the wire in both normal and extra time and will be remembered as one of the games of the year.

It is fair to say that the winning West Cork side has been on a downward spiral in recent times.

Having narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier SFC in 2020, the club that draws players from Aughadown, Rath and Baltimore suffered successive demotions to the fourth-tiered Intermediate A football championship.

Now, a rejuvenated Rovers has a county final to look forward to.

It was 0-19 to 0-15 in Adrigole’s favour as the clock ticked past 60 minutes. Then, Dan MacEoin – who would finish with 12 points - converted a two-point free. Amazingly, the same player repeated the feat two minutes later to force extra time.

Ilen were down a point early in the second period when a fisted Kevin O’Driscoll score levelled matters, 0-22 each, once again. Roared on by their vociferous supporters, late Dermot Hegarty and Dan MacEoin points put the seal on a memorable victory.

A crestfallen Adrigole exited the IAFC at the penultimate stage for the third consecutive year. The Beara club lost nothing in defeat but an inability to reach a county decider, especially after three superb group wins, will make for another long winter.

Ilen led 0-11 to 0-9 at the end of an even opening half. There was still little to choose between the sides by the conclusion of the third quarter.

Charlie O’Sullivan and Ben O’Sullivan scoring bursts had the Beara men 0-16 to 0-13 ahead with a quarter of an hour to go. Tom O’Connor’s converted free extended that advantage before a MacEoin free left a goal in it once again.

Micheal Sheehy and Ben O’Sullivan swapped points before another Tom O’Connor free on the stroke of full-time looked to have wrapped it up for Adrigole.

It wasn’t to be as MacEoin’s brace of two-point frees preceded an extra-time period in which the West Cork club deservedly edged the result.

Scorers for Ilen Rovers: D MacEoin 0-12 (0-3 f, 2 2pt f, 1 2pt), M Sheehy 0-6 (2 2pts), D Hegarty 0-2, S Connolly, A O’Driscoll, B Collins, K O’Driscoll 0-1 each.

Adrigole: C O’Sullivan 0-5 (0-1 f), B O’Sullivan (1 2pt), C O'Shea (1 2pt) 0-4 each, T O’Connor 0-3 f, D Collins (1 2pt f), D O’Sullivan 0-2 each, L Harrington, D Harrington 0-1 each.

ILEN ROVERS: D O’Sullivan; D Coakley, J Collins, C O’Dwyer; A O’Sullivan, J Hickey, D O’Driscoll; D Hegarty, P O’Driscoll; B Collins (vc), S Connolly, A O’Driscoll; D MacEoin, M Sheehy, S Minihane.

Subs: A Holland for S Minihane (38), S Carey for D O’Driscoll (43), K O’Driscoll for A O’Driscoll (49), E Hourihane for A O’Sullivan (et), C O’Driscoll for D Coakley (et, inj).

ADRIGOLE: W O’Sullivan (c); C O’Shea, F Carey, D Collins; M Downing, S O’Shea, C O’Sullivan; N O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; G O’Shea, B O’Sullivan, C O’Shea; L Harrington, T O’Connor, D Harrington.

Subs: D O’Sullivan for C O’Shea (33), C Carey for C O’Sullivan (43), D O’Sullivan for C O’Sullivan (58), O Sullivan for D Collins (et).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).