IAFC: Four-goal Mitchelstown hold off Gabriel Rangers

Mitchelstown: 4-11 (4-1-9) 

Gabriel Rangers: 0-15 (0-1-13) 

Goals win games, they say, and that couldn’t have been more true in Ahiohill on Thursday evening as Mitchelstown had just enough to see off Gabriel Rangers in the McCarthy Insurance Group IAFC.

This Group 2 Round 1 clash had plenty of bite and served up an entertaining contest. The Town carried just enough quality and pace to get the job done by eight points.

They never panicked, even when four points down in the first half during a spell when they weren’t clicking.

Denis Reen’s side struck for green flags at crucial stages, with Cork footballer Cathail O’Mahony finishing with 1-4. He was forced off in the second half with what looked like a hamstring injury.

Gabriel Rangers will take plenty of positives. Had they been more clinical, the result may well have been different.

In Mitchelstown’s first attack, they could have goaled, but O’Mahony’s effort was deflected away from danger.

Shane Beston opened Mitchelstown’s account, but his point was cancelled out by an Eddie Goggin effort.

The sides traded scores before Seán Kelleher — influential throughout in midfield — split the posts to give Gabriel Rangers a 0-3 to 0-2 lead after eight minutes.

Goggin and Ger O’Callaghan pushed their team’s advantage out to three, and it was fully deserved.

The excellent Jordi O’Brien, with the outside of his boot, added another to extend the lead further.

O’Mahony, largely a peripheral figure early on, kicked a much-needed free for Mitchelstown, though it didn’t immediately spark them into life.

O’Brien added his second as the game continued with plenty of bite.

It took Mitchelstown 22 minutes to find their groove.

Cormac Hyland and Ronan Murphy struck tidy goals within a minute to turn the game, making it 2-3 to 0-7.

Keith O’Driscoll and Kelleher raised white flags for Gabriel Rangers before the break, but Mitchelstown hit four scores in response — including a goal from Beston and an O’Mahony two-pointer — to lead 3-7 to 0-9 at half-time.

A two-point free from Kelleher was exactly the start Gabriel Rangers needed in the second half, and he soon added a white flag as they stayed in touch.

But Mitchelstown were awarded a penalty after 37 minutes when Steve Kenneally was fouled in the square.

O’Mahony stepped up and finished to the net, pushing the Town 4-7 to 0-12 ahead.

Gabriel Rangers never buckled. They kicked three of the next four points to trail 4-8 to 0-15 with nine minutes left, O’Driscoll’s effort the highlight.

They dominated this spell, but wides proved costly.

Mitchelstown were the opposite. Three unanswered points gave them breathing space heading into added time, with sub James Sheehan among the scorers as the Town prevailed by eight points.

Scorers for Mitchelstown: C O’Mahony 1-4 (1 2pt, 1-0 pen, 0-1 f), S Beston 1-1, R Murphy, C Hyland 1-0 each, A O’Brien 0-2 (0-1 f), Conor Walsh, Cathal Walsh, J Sheehan, M Walsh 0-1 each.

Gabriel Rangers: S Kelleher 0-5 (1 2pt f), J O’Brien, E Goggin (0-2 f), K O’Driscoll 0-3 each, G O’Callaghan 0-1.

MITCHELSTOWN: L Hanna; L Finn, F Herlihy, E Geary; K Roche, R Murphy (c), C McNamara; S Walsh, C Hyland; S Kenneally, S Beston, Cathal Walsh; A O’Brien, Conor Walsh, C O’Mahony.

Subs: J Mullins for S Walsh (20-22, temp), J Sheehan for C O’Mahony (43, inj), L Keane for C McNamara (49), M Walsh for A O’Brien, P Magee for S Kenneally (both 54), J Mullins for K Roche (59).

GABRIEL RANGERS: L Hegarty; L Hodnett, D O’Regan, R Roycroft; D O’Shea, L Bowen, J O’Brien; K O’Brien (c), S Kelleher; G O’Callaghan, M Vearncombe, G Coughlan; E O’Brien, K O’Driscoll, E Goggin.

Subs: D McSweeney for R Roycroft, F Hurley for G Coughlan (both h-t), L O’Brien for M Vearncombe (51).

Referee: John Enright (Glengarriff).