Premier SFC: Relegation fears gone, Knocknagree can test their mettle against Castlehaven

At half-time in Macroom on Sunday, news came through that Castlehaven and Clonakilty had drawn their McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC Group 3 game in Rosscarbery.

It put both clubs on three points – and it meant that whoever lost the match between Knocknagree and Ballincollig at the Castle Grounds would be finishing bottom, eliminated with a round to spare.

At the time, Knocknagree trailed by 0-8 to 0-6 but by the end they were winners on a scoreline of 2-18 to 0-13. It means they will go into the last match against the Haven with a chance to qualify for the knockout stages in their first year in the top flight rather than worrying about the relegation play-off.

“It was my great friend Paudie Palmer who christened that the ‘Slán Leat’ tournament,” said Knocknagree manager John Fintan Daly.

“It’s the one nobody wants to talk about but, hopefully, after today, we won't be playing in that one anyway.

“Whether we qualify or not at this stage, look, all we can do is go back to drawing-board, prep as well as we can. We're playing a tremendous team. One of the top teams in not only in Cork, but in the country, in Castlehaven.

“They're a fantastic team and we just look at them as a lead for us – this is where rural clubs can go, this is what's feasible. They've been up there, what is it, 47 years? An amazing achievement by them and we look forward to the opportunity to play them in Páirc Uí Rinn in four weeks’ time.

“All we can do is do the best we can. We stuck with it today, we stuck with the system, with the process. And generally, if you do well in the process, the result will look after itself.”

Despite missing captain Anthony O’Connor, Timmy O’Connor and late withdrawal Denis Mahoney to injury, Knocknagree made light of the challenges.

“We knuckled down,” Daly said, “we were missing three of our key men out of the starting team and I think they played for them today. They went into the trenches and fought for them.

“We've jumped five grades in the last eight years, we've gone from Division 7 to Division 1 and there is real character in this group.

“Fintan O'Connor has only been a big player since he came back from Australia. He’s the older brother of our captain Anthony and, not alone did he step in for Anthony in this game, but he was also our main free-taker and I think he scored 1-4.

“He's a quality player and I'll tell you, the 1-4 was no fluke. He's a tremendous player. But we had to have that. We needed that.

“Daniel O'Mahony, we needed him to lead and he led. Michael McSweeney led – the key men, Eoghan McSweeney, all those guys, but young fellas like David Twomey, Killian Cronin, I thought they really put their hand up today to tell people they can play premier senior football.

“Hopefully, people will feel that we're justified, that we're where we belong here now for the moment.”

There’s little doubt about that, not least in how they pushed on after the goals from Fintan O’Connor – to make it 1-9 to 0-9 and David O’Connor, which opened up a 2-12 to 0-11 advantage.

“When first the goal came, it put daylight between the teams for the first time,” Daly said

“The second goal – you know, with the modern game now and the new rules, even though we were up, I think, seven points, you cannot be sure of the result.

“The opposition could kick a couple of two-pointers and then get a goal, then all of a sudden, where’s the lead gone? It’s wiped out.

“Our lads kept going, I thought they played keep-ball very well when they needed to and they picked off some great scores. I thought Gearóid Looney came up, went back, punched a great point in the first half, kicked a couple in the second half, and showed his experience in the last few years.

“I think they've proven now the step up from senior A to premier is a big step-up, but I think at least we've justified ourselves that we feel that we belong in here for the moment.”