Buttevant nail five two-pointers in cracking IAFC quarter-final with Mitchelstown

Buttevant 1-16 (1-5-6) Mitchelstown 2-12 (2-2-8)

Buttevant advanced to the semi-final of the McCarthy Insurance IAFC after their win over Mitchelstown at Glanworth on Saturday afternoon.

It was close all through and it would have been no great surprise had it gone to extra-time in this North Cork derby.

Buttevant held out in a game where their first five scorers were all two-pointers, and they needed them all to get the better of a highly-rated Mitchelstown. They will now face Adrigole in the semi-final in the coming weeks.

Michael Walsh opened the scoring for Mitchelstown, with one of their Cork stars, Cathail O’Mahony getting their second from a free.

They went 0-3 to no score in front when their other Cork player, Sean Walsh, pointed as they started much the better of the two sides.

The first of Buttevant’s two pointers arrived after seven minutes when Conor Hanlon pointed from a free, to make it 0-3 to 0-2.

Straight from the restart Mitchelstown stretched their lead when their former Cork star, Mark Keane, set up Ronan Murphy for their first goal.

Michael Walsh added a point, before Hanlon scored another two-pointer free for Buttevant. He added another to make it 1-4 to 0-6 with 19 minutes gone.

Keane then hit the bar for his side, before Mark Lenehan got Buttevant’s fourth two-pointer of the half to put them in front for the first time, 0-8 to 1-5.

Keane pointed to level it, before another two-pointer from Lenehan put two between the sides.

Lenehan was on target again, their first single point, to make it 0-11 to 1-5. But just before half-time O’Mahony set up Michael Walsh for Mitchelstown’s second goal to level: 2-5 to 0-11.

David Hanlon and James Sheehan exchanged scores early in the second half, before Conor Hanlon put Buttevant in front.

Mitchelstown hit back, with Sean Walsh scoring and O’Mahony followed with a two-pointer, to make it 2-9 to 0-13 after 45 minutes. The Buttevant response came 30 seconds later when Aaron Trimm burst forward to score their goal to put them a point up.

Mitchelstown responded with a point from Stephen Kenneally and a two-pointer from Sean Walsh to put their side two in front, 2-12 to 1-13. But Buttevant rattled off the last three scores, with Lenehan, David Hanlon and Trimm all pointing to secure their win.

Scorers for Buttevant: C Hanlon 0-7 (3 2pt f), M Lenehan 0-6 (2 2pt), A Trimm 1-1, D Hanlon 0-2 (0-1 f).

Mitchelstown: M Walsh 1-2, S Walsh 0-4 (1 2pt), C O’Mahony 0-3 (0-1 f, 1 2pt), R Murphy 1-0, J Sheehan (f), M Keane, S Kenneally 0-1 each.

BUTTEVANT: R Donovan; M Walsh, J Whelan, B O’Riordan; K Bowles, A Trimm, K Crowley; K Sheehan, K Lenehan; M Lenehan, D Hanlon, D Ryan; C Hanlon, T O’Connell, S Madigan.

Subs: A Horgan for Sean Madigan (ht), Seamus Madigan for K Crowley (38), A O’Neill for K Sheehan (44), R Fowley for Seamus Madigan (49).

MITCHELSTOWN: L Hanna; C McNamara, M Walsh, E Geary; K Roche, R Murphy, L Keane; S Walsh, C Keane; S Kenneally, S Beston, C Walsh; M Keane, C O’Mahony, J Sheehan.

Subs: D Flynn for R Murphy (23), Cathal Walsh for Conor Walsh (49), J O’Sullivan for S Kenneally (55), C English for J Sheehan (58).

Referee: James Bermingham (Bride Rovers).