Premier 2 MFC: Diarmuid Ó Murchu and Macroom have to do it all again
Oisin Buckley scores Diarmuid Ó Murchu's second goal against Macroom in their Cork ETB Premier 2 MFC clash at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Noel Sweeney
Diarmuid Ó Murchu 2-10 (2-1-8)
Macroom 0-16 (0-1-14)
Honours even between Diarmuid Ó Murchu and Macroom in the Cork ETB Premier 2 MFC final at Páirc Ui Rinn on Monday night.
In the end, it was probably a fair result as both sides enjoyed their periods of dominance over the hour. Eoin Holland was the hero for Macroom as he got the equalising score in the second minute of injury-time, which to be fair was deserved.
The replay is scheduled for next Saturday, with details to be confirmed during the week.
The first score arrived in the third minute when Sam Leavy played the ball to Dylan O’Shea.
He beat several defenders to land a superb two-pointer, having learned from his earlier shot that has dropped short.
Diarmuid Ó Murchu, the Crosshaven and Shamrocks amalgamation, got off the mark two minutes later when Oisin Auzins drove forward to score, to make it 0-2 to 0-1.
From the restart, Macroom worked the ball up the pitch with Donagh Moss scoring to put two between them again.
Both sides had chances to increase their lead, before Max McGrath pointed for Diarmuid Ó Murchu to make it 0-3 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.
Billy Murphy pointed for Macroom to put them two clear again.
Diarmuid Ó Murchu took the lead for the first time after 15 minutes when McGrath and Diarmuid Kelly combined to set up Callum Mulcahy for the game’s opening goal.
It got even better for Diarmuid Ó Murchu from the restart. They regained possession to see Oisin Buckley get their second goal, to make it 2-2 to 0-4.
Diarmuid Ó Murchu were now starting to dominate with Donal Herlihy adding a point as Macroom were finding it difficult to get out of their own half.
O’Shea pulled a point back for Macroom, with Herlihy replying at the other end, to make it 2-4 to 0-5 after 20 minutes.
Jack Leavy replied for Macroom, with Herlihy pointing from a free at the other end, to make it 2-5 to 0-6 as half-time approached.
Herlihy shot just wide from a long distance free, before Jack Leavy had a goal chance at the other end, shooting narrowly wide.
With the last shot of the half, Murphy pointed for Macroom to see them trail by 2-5 to 0-7 at half-time.
Herlihy got the first score after the restart, from a free to increase his side’s lead further, with O’Shea replying for Macroom.
Macroom had another goal chance when Leavy was through, but Hughie Murphy saved superbly to deny him.
Murphy pointed from a free, and Eoghan Healy added another as Macroom were now playing the better football, to make it 2-6 to 0-10 after 39 minutes.
A minute later, and it was a one point game, when O’Shea pointed from another free.
Buckley replied with a two pointer for Diarmuid Ó Murchu, to make it 2-8 to 0-11.
But points from Cathal Neville and a Murphy free had one between the sides again with 48 minutes gone.
Buckley was on target for Diarmuid Ó Murchu as they were just managing to stay in front.
Diarmuid Ó Murchu should have had their third goal after 52 minutes, when Mulcahy played Oscar Mansfield in, but he shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
With five minutes to go it was down to a one point game again, after Murphy scored from two frees, to make it 2-10 to 0-15.
Deep into injury time, Holland got the all-important equaliser to see them have to do it all again.
C Mulcahy 1-0, O Buckley 1-3 (1 2pt), D Herlihy 0-4 (2f), O Auzins, M McGrath O Mansfield 0-1 each.
B Murphy 0-7 (4f), D O’Shea 0-5 (2f, 1 2pt), D Moss, C Neville, E Holland, E Healy 0-1 each.
H Murphy; J Ryan, D Joseph, B Hanna; M McGrath, S Flynn, F McSweeney; D Kelly, O Auzins; R Considine, D Herlihy, J Middleton; O Mansfield, C Mulcahy, O Buckley.
E Canty for R Considine (32), S O’Meara for D Joseph (62).
C O’Connor; R Fitzgerald, U Ó Tuama, T Hopkins; C Murray, E Healy, C Neville; J O’Shea, S Leavy; D Donovan, J Leavy, D Moss; D O’Shea, B Murphy, A Hopkins.
B Bradley for A Hopkins (37), E Holland for D Moss (55).
Cormac Dineen, Douglas.
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