SAFC: Éire Óg hold off Bishopstown after dramatic finish

Éire Óg: 0-15 (0-3-9) 

Bishopstown: 1-11 (1-1-9) 

Éire Óg held on to edge out Bishopstown in the McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC at Ballincollig on Friday evening.

The Muskerry side also defeated Bishopstown at the quarter-final stage last year, and this one similarly went down to the wire. It wasn’t a classic, but Éire Óg won’t mind. They prevailed by the bare minimum, having looked comfortable for the vast majority without ever pulling away.

There was late drama, though. Bishopstown could have snatched it when the influential Conor Dunne was unable to land a two-point free from outside the arc. Having done so just a minute beforehand, you would have backed him to raise the orange flag.

Éire Óg were able to breathe easily at full-time in this Group 3 Round 1 clash.

Not for the first time, Daniel Goulding was key, with the 2010 All-Ireland winner landing 0-5. Chris Kelly’s kick-outs and a tight defensive structure were also vital in securing the win.

Éire Óg did so without Cork player Darragh Clifford, who is abroad but should be back for the next championship game.

A pair of Jack Murphy points got Éire Óg up and running, but in a cagey opening ten minutes, Dunne pointed an easy free for Bishopstown. A Goulding two-point free stretched Éire Óg’s advantage to three, 0-4 to 0-1 after 13 minutes.

Cork U20 footballer Gary Holland, who caused problems throughout, kicked a splendid point for Bishopstown, but they continued to struggle to break down a tough Éire Óg defence.

A Mark Griffin orange flag gave Éire Óg a four-point buffer, but Bishopstown goaled after 18 minutes. An excellent fetch from Holland resulted in the forward playing in Simon Collins, who finished to the net, 0-6 to 1-2.

Éire Óg always had the answers. Another Goulding two-point free steadied the Muskerry men.

In a low-scoring opening 30 minutes, there were just four more scores, evenly shared. Oisín O’Shea and Griffin raised white flags for Éire Óg, while Odhran Foley and Patrick Casey pointed for Bishopstown, leaving it 0-10 to 1-4 at half-time.

A Colm O’Callaghan fisted effort gave Éire Óg a small bit of breathing space on the resumption before the sides exchanged points, 0-12 to 1-5 after 39 minutes.

Two Holland points kept Bishopstown in touch, but Brian Thompson replied with a fine individual score.

The sides traded points as Éire Óg led 0-14 to 1-8 with five minutes remaining.

Kieran McFadden bisected the posts for the Town, only for O’Callaghan to respond likewise, and it looked like Éire Óg had done enough.

Not so. A Dunne two-point free in added time left just a point between the teams, and with the last play Bishopstown had the opportunity to snatch victory — but unfortunately from their point of view, their leader Dunne was unable to convert a kickable two-point free. 

Scorers for Éire Óg: D Goulding 0-5 (2 2p f, 0-1 f), M Griffin 0-3 (1 2pt), J Murphy, C O’Callaghan 0-2 each, B Thompson, C McGoldrick, O O’Shea 0-1 each.

Bishopstown: C Dunne 0-5 (1 2pt f, 0-3 f), G Holland 0-3, S Collins 1-0, K McFadden, O Foley, P Casey 0-1 each.

ÉIRE ÓG: C Kelly; C Murphy, M Corkery, J Mullins; B Thompson, M Griffin, D McCarthy; D Kelly, C McGoldrick; O O’Shea, C O’Callaghan, J Kelleher; D Goulding, J Galvin, J Murphy.

Subs: E O’Shea Snr for C Murphy, S Hurley for J Galvin (both 44), R O’Toole for D Kelly (50), M Brady for J Kelleher (58).

BISHOPSTOWN: C Hynes; M Murphy, H Wixted, M Scally; K McFadden, B McCarthy, K Murphy; J Murphy, S Sheridan; P Casey, C Dunne, O Foley; S Collins, G Holland, B Cahill.

Subs: N Crowley for S Sheridan, C Daly for B Cahill (both 44), J Tompkins for P Casey (55), L Hogan for B McCarthy (59).

Referee: Brian Crowley (Castlehaven).