Daniel Goulding rolls back the years as Éire Óg stun Carbery Rangers

Carbery Rangers: 3-12 (3-1-10) 

Éire Óg: 2-17 (2-2-13) 

Éire Óg produced a tremendous performance as they delivered a gutsy display to defeat Carbery Rangers by two points in the McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 Football League at sun-drenched Rosscarbery on Sunday morning.

The form book was totally flipped, the Muskerry club ending a run of three straight losses to climb out of the relegation zone. They now move to five points after seven games with two more to play. 

They were hanging on towards the end, having led by ten points at half-time. Éire Óg were the better team overall, packing more punch. 

They had former Cork goalkeeper Chris Kelly back after returning home recently from travelling, and he played an influential role with his kick-outs along with a huge save in the closing stages. 

They also had 2010 All-Ireland winner Daniel Goulding starting for the first time this year, and he showed his class with 1-4. Cork U20 captain Darragh Clifford underlined why he’s on the Cork senior training panel with a powerful showing in midfield.

A fifth straight win eluded Carbery Rangers, who remain on eight points. They can have no complaints about the result. Their second-half display was improved, but they didn’t do enough to win.

Éire Óg set the tone early with a 45 from Chris Kelly and a Mark Griffin two-pointer. Carbery Rangers replied with a two-pointer of their own from a Paul Hodnett free before the sides exchanged points, leaving it 0-4 to 0-3 after 11 minutes.

Dylan O’Neill and Timmy Cullinane briefly nudged Carbery Rangers in front, but Éire Óg began to take control in the key areas, most notably midfield, where Clifford was dominant. The Ovens side led 0-9 to 0-6 after 21 minutes, with Chris Kelly’s kick-outs proving invaluable.

Éire Óg added two further points before Jack Murphy found the net five minutes before the break following a bursting run. Carbery Rangers responded a minute later with a goal of their own through O’Neill, but Éire Óg finished the half strongly, kicking 1-2, with Goulding rolling back the years with a superb finish to the net. They led 2-13 to 1-6 at the short whistle.

The teams traded points on the restart before a tidy low finish into the bottom corner from Paul Hodnett gave Carbery Rangers a lifeline, 2-14 to 2-7 after 33 minutes. A beautiful O’Neill point from a difficult angle cut the gap to six.

Éire Óg maintained that buffer with a quarter of the game remaining, 2-16 to 2-10, before Carbery Rangers were awarded a dubious penalty after Paul Hodnett was adjudged to have been fouled. He took it himself and just about squeezed it to the net.

A fisted Brian Thompson effort pushed Éire Óg four clear, but Paul Hodnett pointed and was then was denied a certain goal by a point-blank save from Chris Kelly, 2-17 to 3-11 after 55 minutes. 

Cullinane left two in it, but Éire Óg held on, even though Paul Hodnett had a late two-point effort that dropped short.

Scorers for Carbery Rangers: P Hodnett 2-4 (1 2pt f, 1-0 pen), D O’Neill 1-2, D Hayes 0-3, T Cullinane 0-2, J O’Rourke 0-1.

Éire Óg: D Goulding 1-4 (1 2pt, 0-2 f), J Murphy 1-1, M Griffin (1 2pt), D Clifford 0-3 each, B Thompson 0-2, C Kelly (0-1 45), M Brady, C McGoldrick, R O’Toole 0-1 each.

CARBERY RANGERS: A O’Brien; C Daly, J Kevane, T O’Rourke; J O’Rourke, Jerry O’Riordan, B Hodnett; K Scannell, M Hodnett; B Kerr, P Hodnett, J Hodnett; T Cullinane, D Hayes, D O’Neill.

Subs: S Linehan for M Hodnett (h-t), P O’Rourke for B Kerr (36), James O’Riordan for T O’Rourke (42), C Santry for J O’Rourke (47, inj), M Maguire for K Scannell (55).

ÉIRE ÓG: C Kelly; C Murphy, M Corkery, D Dineen; M Brady, M Griffin, B Thompson; C McGoldrick, D Clifford; D Kelly, R O’Toole, J Kelleher; D Goulding, J Galvin, J Murphy.

Subs: D Foley for R O’Toole (h-t).

Referee: Andrew Whelton (Clonakilty).