SAFC: Repeat final pairing follows recent history

Back in July, Cill na Martra and Knocknagree played out a cracking draw on the opening weekend of the McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC.

While Cill na Martra had assembled a 2-9 to 0-3 lead in the first half, as second-half injury time began, they were staring at defeat as they trailed by 3-12 to 2-12. And, yet, the excitement was only building.

After the Gaeltacht side were awarded a 45, they opted to play it short and Ciarán Ó Duinnín kicked the game’s first two-pointer - despite the late stage, it was the third-last two-pointer.

Cill na Martra had the lead again when Seán Ó Forréidh raised another orange flag, but the momentum swung again when Knocknagree won a free and goalkeeper Patrick Doyle came up to convert from outside the arc - 3-14 to 2-16 for the Duhallow men.

There was still time for more drama, though, as Ciarán Ó Duinnín pointed for Cill na Martra to give himself a personal tally of 1-6 and the sides one point each in the table.

The importance of that draw was shown as the sides went on to beat both Clyda Rovers and Fermoy to finish level on five points each at the top of the Group 2 table, Cill na Martra taking top spot and an automatic semi-final place on scoring difference.

Even then, though, there was a sense that the sides might meet again and so it has proven - Knocknagree overcame neighbours Kanturk after extra time in a pulsating quarter-final to reach the last four for the fourth year in a row - there, they beat Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh while the four-week lay-off was no impediment to Cill na Martra overcoming the challenge of Éire Óg.

Perhaps it should not be a surprise that the second-tier final is a repeat meeting: such a scenario has played out in three of the previous five editions of the senior A grade.

In August 2020, Mallow beat Éire Óg by 0-14 to 0-7 but the Ovens side bounced back to beat a Kiskeam team that had already overcome Mallow - the sides finished level on four points, with Kiskeam missing out on scoring difference.

It took until the following June for the competition to be completed but, when it was, Éire Óg and Mallow were in opposition again, this time with the outcome reversed, 2-13 to 1-7 for the mid-Cork outfit.

The 2022 renewal saw the first of three final appearances for Knocknagree - unfortunately for them, the defeat to St Michael’s mirror the group-stage loss to the city side earlier that season. A year on, the decider was once again a repeat, this time an all-west Cork affair, with Newcestown bouncing back from a 0-9 to 0-8 loss to Dohenys to beat them by 0-13 to 0-8.

Beyond that high rate of incidence, three of the other four tiers have one example each, with the Premier IFC so far avoiding the phenomenon.

Given that all but one of the Premier SFC finals have been contested by two of Castlehaven, Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s, it’s hardly surprising that it’s the outlier we are looking at.

The 2021 group stage saw the Barrs get the better of Clonakilty by 1-12 to 1-5 but when they met again with the Andy Scannell Cup on the line, matters were tighter - Steven Sherlock’s late point gave the Barrs a 0-14 to 0-13 win.

The other two examples both came last year, with contrasting fortunes for the sides involved. In the IAFC, Glanmire edged Boherbue by a point in the group and again in the final, while in the Premier JFC Canovee beat an already-qualified Kilmurry by five points to secure progression to the knockouts - the neighbouring clubs both made it to the final but there Kilmurray prevailed by the minimum.