CIT hold off Carbery fightback
It took a couple of points deep in injury time before Cork IT eventually shook off the challenge of Carbery in today’s Cork SFC divisions/colleges section clash at Brinny.
While victory wasn’t assured until deep into injury time, late points earned victory for Cork IT in this Cork SFC divisions/colleges section clash at Brinny today.
Having led by 0-7 to 1-3 at half-time, the college side kicked five points in the first 10 minutes of the second half but were pegged back by a spirited Carbery revival. Then, when a three-point CIT lead was established as injury-time dawned, the west Cork division looked to have forced extra-time, as Brian O’Driscoll scored his second goal, 61 minutes after his first.
However, CIT didn’t panic and Seán Walsh and Donnchadh O’Sullivan got the late scores to set up a meeting with Duhallow. CIT selector Conor Kelleher praised the mettle of his team.
“We’re just thrilled with the performance,” he said. “We knew we’d be up against it against Carbery, but we made it simple for ourselves, that if we worked hard enough for ourselves, we honestly believed we’d win the game.
I keep on saying it to the lads: OK, we don’t get the ideal preparation in for championship, but we’ve work banked up, we did it in October, November, December, January for the Sigerson and the freshers, for the intermediate football, all our lads had championship games played in 2019. That showed there today, they worked hard and they believed in themselves and we got over the line.
Brian O’Driscoll, set up by his brother Kevin, surged through for a Carbery goal inside 30 seconds, but they couldn’t build on that and Cork senior Killian O’Hanlon was the driving force as CIT took control, with Aidan Browne the defensive standout.
Dan Dinneen and Joseph Ryan were among the scorers, as they retired at half-time with the lead and Dineen (two), Damien Gore, O’Sullivan and Ben Hyland all pointed as they moved six clear.
Carbery didn’t wilt, though, and the switch of Brian O’Driscoll to centre-forward gave them renewed impetus, as Daniel O’Donovan made his presence felt at centre- forward.
On 41, they were unlucky, as Brian O’Driscoll drew a save from Chris Kelly, with Arthur Coakley’s rebound coming off the bar, while Ogie Scannell had an effort hit the post and go wide. Each time, though, play was brought back for frees, converted by O’Donovan, and, though he would have to depart injured, two more dead balls from Cillian Cullinane had them level at 0-13 to 1-10 with five minutes left.
The lead remained elusive, though, and Dineen, Ryan and sub Evan Murphy looked to have secured the win for CIT only for Brian O’Driscoll to rattle a shot to the top corner, Kelly unlucky as he got a hand to it.
Though extra time loomed, there was still time for CIT, and Walsh and O’Sullivan provided them with the win.
With no second chances, it means that Carbery are out, their manager Tim Buckley crediting the huge effort of his players.
“The lads showed huge desire, it’s lovely to see that,” he said.
“The conditions here in Brinny are excellent for the time of year and you won’t see the standard of football played like that for the summer.
“It’s just a shame that one of the two teams was going to be out.”
D Dineen, D O’Sullivan (frees) 0-4 each, J Ryan, D Gore, K O’Hanlon, E Murphy 0-2 each, S Walsh, M Bradley, B Hyland 0-1 each.
B O’Driscoll 2-0, D O’Donovan 0-4 (frees), C Cullinane 0-3 (frees), K Keohane, C O’Driscoll 0-2 each.
C Kelly (Éire Óg); N Donohue (Firies, Kerry), A Browne (Newmarket), E Browne (Listowel Emmets, Kerry); M Lordan (Ballinora), A Spriggs (Delany Rovers), A Finnegan (Ballyclough); K O’Hanlon (Kilshannig), B Hyland (Fr Sheehys, Tipperary); D Dinnen (Cill na Martra), M Bradley (Aghabullogue), S Walsh (Mitchelstown); D O’Sullivan (Firies, Kerry), J Ryan (Kilmurry), D Gore (Kilmacabea).
G Savage (Kerins O’Rahillys) for Bradley (17, injured), E Murphy (Dromtarriffe) for Finnegan (53).
P Prendergast (Kildare); B Keohane (Kilmeen), S Crowley (Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas), B Crowley (Bandon); K O’Leary (St James’), B O’Driscoll (Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh), J Ryan (Ballinascarthy); S Ryan (Ballinascarthy), K O’Driscoll (Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh); C Cullinane (Ballinascarthy), P Murphy (Bandon), K Keohane (Kilmeen); D McCarthy (Ballinascarthy), D O’Donovan (Kilmacabea), C O’Driscoll (Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh).
R O’Mahony (Bantry Blues) for O’Leary (13-17, blood), A Coakley (Bantry Blues) for J Ryan (25, injured), O’Mahony for O’Leary, O Scannell (Kilmeen) for McCarthy (both 38), E Goggin (Gabriel Rangers) for O’Donovan (52, injured).
C Dineen (Douglas).
