Uibh Laoire impress again in PIFC while Rockchapel must refocus for knockout clash
Cathal Vaughan delivered a pair of second half two-pointers for Uibh Laoire against Rockchapel in the Premier IFC at Banteeer. Picture: John Tarrant
Uibh Laoire confirmed their status as top seeds in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier IFC following a decisive victory over Rockchapel at Banteer.
The West Muskerry representatives enjoyed the longer and more productive passages of supremacy to secure direct passage to a semi-final tussle with Macroom or Ballinora.
Rockchapel might have come out on the wrong side yet the pain of a 14-point defeat was offset by the fact that they secured second place in Group 1 after Bantry Blues snatched a dramatic late victory over Glanmire. That outcome sets up Rockchapel in a quarter-final meeting with Naomh Abán.
Unbeaten Uibh Laoire utilised the principles of ball-winning, slick movement and crafty finishing from the outset: three attacks, three points before full-forward Ian Jones was ideally placed to net a goal.
Ciarán Galvin, Daniel O’Donovan and Ciarán O’Riordan were influential in defence. Timmy Roberts and Conor O’Leary dominated the middle third while the Jones brothers and Cathal Vaughan were quick and inventive upfront.
Trailing 1-5 to 0-0, Rockchapel discovered a spark once Ciarán Curtin opened their account in the 19th minute with a free outside the arc. Another orange flag from John Walsh helped to make further inroads before a snap-shot from Chris Óg Jones came off the butt of the Rockchapel upright and left Uibh Laoire leading 1-7 to 0-7 at half-time.
On the restart, the trend of the game took a definite swing to Uibh Laoire with a goal from Jack Sweeney.
A disappointing Rochchapel added just two points from there, courtesy of Michael McAuliffe and Curtin.
The gradient of the task became much steeper as excellent points from Chris Óg Jones were matched by a pair of two-pointers from Vaughan.
There was no doubting the superiority of an impressive Uibh Laoire.
C Óg Jones 0-6, C Vaughan 0-6 (1 tpf, 1tp, 0-1 f), J Sweeney, I Jones 1-1 each, T Roberts, K Manning, S O’Leary 0-1 each.
C Curtin 0-4 (1 tpf, 0-1 f), J Walsh 0-3 (1tp), S Hickey, M McAuliffe 0-1 each.
J Creedon; C Galvin, D O’Donovan, D O’Riordan; K Manning, C O’Riordan, S O’Leary; T Roberts, C O’Leary; J Sweeney, C Vaughan, S Pickering; B O’Riordan, I Jones, C Óg Jones.
B Cronin for B O’Riordan (46), B Murphy for K Manning (48), A O’Brien for C Galvin (51).
C Casey; B Carroll, E O'Callaghan, P Curtin; D Carroll, S Curtin, M O'Keeffe; E Murphy, Ciarán Curtin; John Walsh, S Hickey, J O’Callaghan; M McAuliffe, A Carroll, D Lenihan.
J McAuliffe for A Carroll (h-t), Cormac Curtin for D Carroll (ht), F Murphy for D Lenihan (39), S McCarthy for P Curtin (48).
Conor Lane (Banteer).
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