Corn Uí Mhuirí: Good second half sees Hamilton HS off to winning start against Mount St Michael
Paul Deasy of Hamilton High School holds possession as Cathal O’Loughlin from Mount St Michael gives chase during Tuesday's TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí game in Clonakilty. Picture: Noel Sweeney
A strong second-half display against the wind allowed Hamilton High School to open with a win over Mount St Michael in the TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí at Clonakilty on Wednesday.
Having had the considerable elements behind them in the first half, the Bandon school seemed set for a challenging second period as they turned with a 0-5 to 0-3 half-time advantage in this west Cork derby. However, midfielder Olan Kelly kicked a point within 40 seconds of the restart and a three-point lead was doubled as they struck for the first goal of the match moments later.
It was a lovely team move, with Kelly involved early on before the ball was worked through the hands of Liam Ryan and Ronan Sheehy and ended up with Paul Cremin, who finished smartly to the net.
Their Rosscarbery opponents did produce a strong immediate response as Killian Fitzpatrick pointed before a Cathal O’Loughlin shot looped into the net to bring it back to the two-point half-time deficit but the teams would never be closer than that.
Despite the rain becoming heavier, the Hammies continued to move the ball well, with strong running drawing fouls. Ryan converted one of those before rounding off another good passage of play involving sub Gearóíd Donegan. Though Luke O’Neill replied with an excellent two-point free for Rosscarbery, an unanswered 1-3 from Bandon would prove to be the winning of the game.
The second goal arrived on the three-quarter mark – Conail Hurley carried the ball well from the left flank and, while Ciarán Campbell saved well from him, Sheehy showed a good poacher’s instinct to divert the loose ball to the net.
Impressive wing-backs Aidan O’Driscoll and Conor Murphy were both on the scoresheet along with Oran Coughlan and, while O’Neill did raise another orange flag from a Mount St Michael dead ball, they didn’t look like threatening the goal that was becoming more necessary as the clock wound down.
Bandon went closer to another green flag, with Hurley drawing another strong stop from Campbell, and sub Jack Allen and the rampaging O’Driscoll were both on target in the closing stages as they won by seven.
In the first half, the Hammies had sought to make the wind count but, while centre-back Donncha O’Mahony was influential in a point-guard-style role, they were let down by wayward shooting and the opening 12 minutes saw four points shared equally.
They managed to assert themselves on the scoreboard in the second quarter as a Sheehy goal effort was saved by Campbell before Ryan put over the resultant 45 and he added another before O’Driscoll got on the end of some excellent inter-play to make it 0-5 to 0-2.
Campbell was called upon to deny Murphy as half-time approached and that, combined with Ross’s Oran O’Donovan pointing to make it 0-5 to 0-3, suggested that they had the impetus going into the second period. It was to be the Hammies’ day, however.
L Ryan 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 45), R Sheehy 1-1, A O’Driscoll 0-3, P Cremin 1-0, C Hurley (0-1f), O Kelly, C Murphy, O Coughlan, J Allen 0-1 each.
L O’Neill 0-6 (2 2ptf, 0-2 f), C O’Loughlin 1-0, M Kinsella, O O’Donovan, K Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.
R Curtin (Valley Rovers); A Browne (Valley Rovers), C Murphy (Valley Rovers), H Forbes (Ahán Gaels); A O’Driscoll (Bandon), D O’Mahony (Newcestown), C Murphy (Ahán Gaels); P Deasy (Argideen Rangers), O Kelly (Newcestown); O Coughlan (Bandon), D McSweeney (Newcestown), P Cremin (Valley Rovers); L Ryan (Owen Gaels), C Hurley (Bandon), R Sheehy (Kilbrittain).
G Donegan (Owen Gaels) for Cremin (37), R Fleming (Ahán Gaels) for Donegan (46, injured), J Allen (Newcestown) for Sheehy (52), N Egan (Kilbrittain) for McSweeney (60).
C Campbell (Carbery Rangers); J Coakley (Clann na nGael), C Ó Donnabháin (Carbery Rangers), F Winkleman (St James’); D O’Brien (St James’), S Murphy (Carbery Rangers), M McCarthy (Carbery Rangers); M Kinsella (Kilmacabea), L O’Neill (Carbery Rangers): K Duffy (Carbery Rangers), C O’Loughlin (St James’), O O’Donovan (Kilmacabea); J O’Donovan (Kilmacabea), J McCarthy (Kilmacabea), K Fitzpatrick (Carbery Rangers).
S McCarthy (Kilmacabea) for Fitzpatrick, I Crowley (Carbery Rangers) for Duffy (57).
M Collins (Clonakilty).
App?
