Kiskeam prevail after epic battle against Fermoy to reach PIFC final
Kiskeam's Paul O'Callaghan and Seán Meehan and Fermoy's James O'Brien and Gary O'Callaghan tussle for the ball during the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier IFC semi-final at Mallow. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
After 88 minutes of absolute and utter war, Kiskeam are bound for Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
They overcame Fermoy by the minimum in Mallow, after serving up an absolutely remarkable Premier Intermediate Football Championship semi-final battle with their opponents. The two sides – relegated from Senior A in 2024 and 2025 – were not separated by more than two points, from the 42nd minute until the end of extra time.
Seán O’Sullivan, who starred throughout for Kiskeam, had sent them to extra time with a beautiful two-point free following a Fermoy breach in the second minute of added time, which left it 0-13 apiece at the end of normal time. The 15 minutes leading to that point had been fiercely gripping.
But what followed was even better.
The first period of extra time was a dogfight, and one which Fermoy deservedly edged. The Avondhu men moved 0-16 to 0-14 clear at the break, as Ben Twomey raised a white flag and then set up Pádraig de Róiste for an orange one, right before the interval.
O’Sullivan’s point in between – set up by the tireless Seán Meehan ¬– didn’t feel so significant given Fermoy were in the ascendancy, but that score proved crucial indeed.
Four minutes into the second period, Kiskeam stunned everyone in Mallow when Jack Daly did superbly down the flank to find room, and he set up Daniel Fitzgerald, who blasted low to the net to send Kiskeam in front by one.
But still more drama was to come. A minute later, David Lardner skipped past Meehan with a clever move, took on the shot but narrowly missed. Kiskeam brought out the keep-ball and killed time, but Fermoy forced a turnover and Tomás Clancy sent Twomey tearing away, and Jack Daly intervened, taking him down and drawing black in the 79th minute.
Fermoy still tried to find gaps, and they found one when they launched it long in added time, and Morrison gathered but was fouled. David Lardner stood over the free to draw level once more. He struck it, but it dipped and hit the crossbar. Instead of going over, it bounced out and wide.
Kiskeam won the kickout and won the contest. The bench streamed from the dugout; fans immediately followed to gather on the field. It was an incredible finish.
Fermoy will be left so disappointed, despite their efforts. They should have avoided extra time. They should have found the leveller in extra time.
They had been 0-9 to 0-5 in front up until the 42nd minute, when a questionable breach was called against them, and O’Sullivan converted the two-point free to halve the deficit.
Fermoy could certainly feel aggrieved with that call, but it was not a refereeing decision that held them scoreless for 20 minutes. Kiskeam enjoyed total supremacy, adding another 0-4 in the 11 minutes following that two-point free to lead, 0-11 to 0-9.
Their leveller, at 0-9 each, could very nearly have been a goal to put Kiskeam ahead, as Dave Scannell set up Thomas Casey for a goal chance, but he blasted over on 50 minutes. Scannell himself slotted over next, and he provided Casey with another assist.
But Fermoy hit back, Twomey raising white flags either side of an outstanding two-pointer from Shane Aherne, to put Fermoy 0-13 to 0-11 after 58 minutes. But O’Sullivan would strike another orange flag to send it to extra time.
Wind and mist made the first half lacklustre. Fermoy were the better side, Twomey imperious, and his strong start had them in an early 0-5 to 0-2 lead. By the break, Kiskeam had cut the margin at two, 0-7 to 0-5, with O’Sullivan kicking 0-3 in that period. His last was a beauty with the outside of the boot.
The drama that followed in the second period, though, looked unthinkable at the break.
S O’Sullivan 0-8 (2 tpf), D Fitzgerald 1-0, P O’Callaghan (0-2 f), T Casey 0-2 each, M Cronin (f), D Scannell 0-1 each.
B Twomey 0-7 (1 tp, 0-3 f, 0-1 45), D Lardner 0-4 (0-1 f), S Aherne 0-3 (tp), P de Róiste 0-2 (tp).
B Daly; J Daly, J O’Connor, Mike Casey; D Murphy, E Daly, K O’Connor; S Meehan, G Casey; P O’Callaghan, AJ O’Connor, A Carroll; S O’Sullivan, M Cronin, S O’Riordan.
T Casey for Cronin (40), D Scannell for AJ O’Connor (46), M Collins for Murphy (50), Maurice Casey for G Casey (52), D Fitzgerald for Scannell (58 inj), A Dennehy for O’Riordan (70 inj), T O’Sullivan for P O’Callaghan (HT ET).
D Dawson; J Molloy, P Murphy, P O’Neill; D O’Flynn, T Clancy, J O’Brien; P de Róiste, D Daly; F Lardner, G O’Callaghan, E Healy; D Lardner, S Aherne, B Twomey.
M Brennan for O’Callaghan (45), A Aherne for E Healy (50), B Keohane for D Lardner (52), G Lardner for D O’Flynn (60), D Lardner for Keohane (FT), K Morrison for F Lardner (77), B Daly for D Daly (80+1).
C Dineen (Douglas)
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