Corn Uí Mhuirí: St Francis College Rochestown open their campaign with a big win over I.S. Killorglin

St Francis College, Rochestown 2-11 

I.S. Killorglin 0-13

St Francis College, Rochestown proved to be the scourge of Intermediate School Killorglin once again in the Corn Uí Mhuirí as they edged their Group 1 opener by four points in Glanworth on Tuesday afternoon.

Rochestown defeated Killorglin in the quarter-finals of this competition last year before they were ultimately eliminated in the semis by eventual champions Tralee CBS.

Yet despite losing 13 of their starters from that clash, the Cork school again emerged victorious against their opponents from Kerry thanks largely to two late goals from Douglas duo Tomás Reddington and substitute Ódhran Kenna.

“We were lucky to get out of it,” began manager Liam Sheehan.

“Killorglin were in the ascendency for a lot of it but we kept going and we got two breakaway goals in the second half which got us over the line.

“Delighted to get off to a winning start but an awful lot of work to do. We’ll take it but Killorglin will be sick after that.

“It’s a very young team but hopefully they will be learning as they go along. Today will stand to them.” 

After a tame and patient opening to the game by both sides, the deadlock was finally broken in the sixth minute when the lively Michael Culhane combined cleverly with Seán Doherty before blasting the ball inches over the crossbar with only the goalkeeper Alex McEvoy to beat.

The shotstopper from St Michael’s would prove to be difficult to score past though as he made three excellent saves in the first half to keep his side in the contest.

Ben Corkery Delaney would level the scores in the 13th minute on his way to claiming each of his side’s total of four points from the opening period, which all come from frees including a superb two-pointer from long range.

The talented Carrigaline forward would also hit three of his team’s four wides in the first half (all of them also coming from frees) which proved costly by the break as Killorglin, who themselves kicked four off target, rallied to take a one-point lead into the interval with the pick of their scores coming from Laune Rangers’ Tomás Joy.

The two teams swapped scores until Rory Denn squeezed the ball over from an incredibly difficult angle after just coming on for Rocco to make it 0-7 apiece by the 42nd minute.

But Killorglin soon threatened to pull away from their rivals as three scores without reply gave them a commanding lead by the beginning of the final quarter with Culhane again showing his quality.

They remained ahead by three when against the run of play Rochestown struck the first goal of the game thanks to Tomás Reddington, who was alive to a deflected hand pass and punched it home from close range.

Kilorglin refused to give it but substitute Ódhran Kenna of Douglas also punched in to the net late on to snatch victory for his side.

Scorers for St. Francis College, Rochestown: B Corkery Delaney (0-6, 2 tpf, 2f), T Reddington (1-1), Ó Kenna (1-0), A Kelly (0-2, 1f), R Denn, C McAuliffe.

Scorers for I.S. Killorglin: T Joy (0-4, 2f), D O’Connor (1f, 1 ‘45) and M Culhane (0-3 each), S Doherty (0-2), C Murphy (0-1).

St. Francis College, Rochestown: A McEvoy (St Michaels); C Dooley (Douglas), D Geary (Nemo Rangers), P Rudden (Douglas); O Walsh (St Michaels), S O’Flynn (Shamrocks), J Dollard Young (Douglas); L Collins (Ballygarvan), R McCarthy (Douglas); D O’Flaherty (St Michaels), C Hallahan (Douglas), T Reddington (Douglas); A Kelly (Douglas), B Corkery Delaney (Carrigaline), D O’Mahony (Tracton).

Subs: C Mc Auliffe (Douglas) for C Hallahan (ht), R Denn (Nemo Rangers) for D O’Mahony (ht), Ó Kenna (Douglas) for D O’Flaherty (48), D Lynch (Nemo Rangers) for P Rudden (48).

I.S. Killorglin: A Radny (Laune Rangers); D Kelly (Laune Rangers), E Casey (Listry), L Scannell (Listry); L O’Connell (Laune Rangers), C Foley (Laune Rangers), C Murphy (Laune Rangers); F Kennedy (Beaufort), F Murphy (Listry); C Galvin (Beaufort), D O’Connor (Cromane), M Culhane (Beaufort); T Joy (Laune Rangers), C Griffin (Milltown/Castlemaine), S Doherty (Glenbeigh/Glencar).

Subs: J Morris (Cromane) for D Kelly (41), O Foley (Laune Rangers) for C Galvin (45), L Foley (Beaufort) for F Kennedy (51), K Patton (Laune Rangers) for C Griffin (58).

Referee: Ciaran Murphy (Glanworth).