Castlelyons needed a 61st-minute free from Michael Spillane to maintain their interest in the Cork Premier IHC at Páirc Uí Rinn last night. In truth, a draw was a fair result as both sides will look to missed chances over the hour in this quarter-final.
In a game that was level eight times, there was never more than three points between the sides. And while Courcey Rovers led by a solitary white flag at the interval, there was nothing to suggest there would be a clear-cut winner.
Castlelyons opened the scoring through a Ronan O’Regan point and after seven minutes they were three points to one ahead. However, with Courcey’s right corner forward Tadgh O’Sullivan impressing — he finished with nine points — it wasn’t long before the East Cork men knew they were in a battle.
O’Sullivan stamped his authority scoring his side’s first five points — not wasting any chance that came his way his ball-winning ability and finishing was superb. It was 0-5 apiece after 20 minutes in a very enjoyable encounter.
It was clear Courcey’s — with five of their starting forwards U21 — were going to give this a right good rattle when Michael O’Donovan and Sean Twomey pushed them two points ahead. Needing an injection, Anthony Spillane and Barry Murphy restored parity (0-7) with five minutes to go to the break.
It was deadlock twice more. However, when Sean Twomey won a free in the first minute of stoppage time, O’Sullivan converted, and this score sent Courcey Rovers to the dressing-room with a 0-10 to 0-9 narrow advantage.
The second-half was just one minute old when Michael Spillane bagged the Castlelyons goal. Murphy was the provider and Spillane held his nerve to strike past Stephen Nyhan. But, the Rovers went on to outscore them three points to one from an O’Sullivan 65 (now being marked by Declan Varner), Twomey and Killian Moloney. By the three-quarter mark, it was 1-10 to 0-13.
Points from Anthony Spillane, Murphy and Michael Spillane (free) kept the Castlelyons scoreboard ticking over and when they moved three points clear with 10 minutes left to play, they looked to be in the driving seat.
Courcey Rovers kept battling. First substitute Jerry O’Neill found the range and while the scores dried up, Killian Moloney’s second white flag brought his team within one. Goalkeeper Nyhan then came out the field to rifle over the equaliser from a distance-free in the 56th minute.
With the tension and drama palpable, O’Sullivan edged Courcey’s to the front when he found the range from a placed ball following a foul on captain Dan Lordan with one-minute remaining.
But Michael Spillane’s injury time equaliser after Alan Fenton was fouled saved the day for Castlelyons.
M Spillane (1-3, 0-2 frees), A Spillane (0-4), A Fenton (0-2 frees) and B Murphy (0-3 each), R O’Regan (0-1).
T O’Sullivan (0-9, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65), S Twomey and K Moloney (0-2 each), M O’Donovan J McCarthy and J O’Neill and S Nyhan (free) (0-1 each).
J Barry; B Carroll, C Barry, N O’Leary; A O’Sullivan (Capt), C Spillane, T Carroll; E Maye, D Lawlor; B Murphy, A Fenton, R O’Regan; M Spillane, C McGann, A Spillane.
D Varner for B Carroll (26), D Morrisson for C McGann (60).
S Nyhan; K Collins, B Collins, B Mulcahy; D Lordan (Capt), D Duggan, C Ryan; K Moloney, G Moloney; M O’Donovan, F Lordan, T O’Sullivan; J McCarthy, O Crowley, S Twomey.
Subs: J O’Neill for J McCarthy (39), M Collins for C Ryan (45).
Joe Larkin (Ballinora).