Courcey Rovers defeat Inniscarra but just miss out on Senior A knockout stages

Courcey Rovers 1-23 Inniscarra 1-16 

Courcey Rovers finished their Co-op Superstores Cork SAHC campaign with an entertaining victory over Inniscarra in Carrigaline but missed out on the knockout stages.

Their defeat to Carrigtwohill left them in third place in the group, topped by Ballinhassig, who they drew with in the opening round. Inniscarra's season is also over, as they failed to build on their victory over Carrig in the first game.

Courceys' victory was secured by a Daniel O’Donovan goal in the dying seconds as Inniscarra chased equalising scores. Richard Sweetnam clipped 0-11, a haul that includes nine frees and a 65.

Inniscarra could not keep up despite eight different players finding the target, with Jack O’Mahony raising their green flag.

It was an entertaining encounter all round that saw Courceys hold a narrow 0-11 to 0-8 advantage at the break, with the first half seeing the two clubs level five times.

Daire Riordan and Daniel O’Donovan put Courceys into the lead in the dying seconds and they padded their cushion on the restart with a well-worked score from Tadhg O’Sullivan. Ardal O’Connell replied for Inniscarra and Sweetnam immediately hit back with a free from close range to make it 0-12 to 0-9.

Courceys continued to generate scores and they eventually went in front by three at 0-15 to 0-12.

Any sense of comfort the club had was undone when O’Mahony’s goaled in the 45th minute. The substitute flicked the sliotar in from the edge of the square to level the scoreboard at 1-12 to 0-15 and his next effort put Inniscarra back in front by one.

Courceys went up a gear with the time that was left to play, while restricting Inniscarra to just three points. Six different players scored at the other end, with Sweetnam registering four points.

The moment that sealed the win was the breakaway goal from O’Donovan from a shot that the Inniscarra goalkeeper had no chance of getting to.

Scorers for Courcey Rovers: R Sweetnam 0-11 (0-9 f, 0-1 65), D O’Donovan 1-3, T O’Sullivan, J O’Neill 0-3 each, B Ryan, S Twomey, D Lordan 0-1 each.

Inniscarra: J Enright 0-5 (0-4 f), J O’Mahony 1-1, D O’Brien 0-4, A O’Connell 0-2, S O’Donoghue, P Holland, C Dineen, D Murphy 0-1 each.

COURCEY ROVERS: S Nynan; B Ryan, C Roche, D Collins; J Harrington, M Collins, R O’Callaghan; DJ Twomey, R Sweetnam; S Twomey, J O’Neill, D Lordan; C Crowley, D O’Donovan, T O’Sullivan.

Subs: M O’Donovan for Crowley (39), L Collins for Crowley (49).

INNISCARRA: K Rice; D Keane, C O’Leary, L Ryan; B Daly, S O’Donoghue, A McCarthy; F Horgan, D Enright; P Holland, J Enright, D O’Brien; D O’Keeffe, D Murphy, A O’Connell.

Subs: C Dineen for Keane (HT); J O’Mahony for O’Keeffe (37), T Lyons for Daly (42), N Buckley for Horgan (56), C Geoghegan for O’Connell (59).

Referee: Aidan Hyland (Kilworth)