A full round of Kerry club football championship action led to an understrength UCC outfit
Duhallow 4-13
UCC 1-12
A strong opening half performance laid the platform for Duhallow to overcome UCC in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC Divisions/Colleges section semi-final at Mallow.
Though operating against the wind in that opening period, Duhallow drove at the students with real intent and a three goal cushion reflected their dominance at the break.
However, not a totally commanding performance by the divisional men, their tempo dropped in the second half, hitting a few sticky patches, but always holding enough in reserve to thwart any major UCC resurgence.
Neither side operated at full strength, UCC severely depleted owing to players tied to club fixtures in Kerry, while Duhallow had to undertake remedial work prior to throw in, regular ‘keeper Fachtna O’Connor forced to withdraw owing to injury.
Who better as a replacement than namesake Donncha O’Connor? The veteran performed superbly to make a huge impact on the proceedings with a number of excellent saves.
Fielding without injured Kevin Crowley, Darragh Cashman and Jack Murphy, Duhallow sprinted from the starting blocks with Luke Murphy and Seamus Hickey pointing. The initiative was running with the divisional men, good work by Jack Curtin and Murphy set up O’Connor for a cool finish to the net on six minutes.
That concession presented UCC with an early test of their composure, responding well on points from Robert Quirke and a converted Cathail O’Mahony free.
Though Hickey answered with a Duhallow point, UCC bettered it from further points by O’Mahony and Diarmuid Phelan to trim the arrears 1-3 to 0-5 midway through the opening half.
However, Duhallow proceeded to gain a hold of the contest, their sheer intensity underlined by the solid play of Kevin Cremin, Conor O’Callaghan, Conor Murphy and Hickey.
And the attacking flair of the Duhallow front line was proving too hot for the college rearguard with Colin Walsh, David O’Connor and Luke Murphy in the thick of the action.
Hickey stormed forward from midfield to set up Rockchapel colleague Jack Curtin for a goal. Indeed the run to the break was most productive for Duhallow, outscoring their opponents 1-3 to 0-1, the goal saw Gerry O’Sullivan and O’Connor linked up for Murphy to deliver a piledriver for a commanding 3-6 to 0-6 grip.
The status quo prevailed during the third quarter, Duhallow points from O’Connor and Shane Hickey answered by College’s Tom Cunningham and a Quirke ‘45 after Donncha O’Connor got down superbly to turn a low drive from O’Mahony outside the post.
Definitely, UCC had risen their performance on the turnover, Duhallow were sloppy at times as the sides traded points. However, Duhallow cemented their authority, good work by substitute Ciarán Curtin allowed the razor sharp David O’Connor fire home his side’s fourth goal.
A follow up point from Seamus Hickey pushed Duhallow 14 points to the good entering the closing stages. UCC failed to throw in the towel, Duhallow netminder O’Connor denied Ian Jennings a major, their pressure deserved some consolation and it arrived on the hard working Diarmuid Phelan creating the opening for Ballinora’s Quirke to flick home for a consolation goal.
That proved too little too late, Duhallow had been in control of their own destiny from a long way out, the win secures a return to the Colleges / Divisional Final and a meeting against Muskerry in Macroom on Friday, August 30 with the Tadhg Crowley Cup on offer.
DUHALLOW: Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond); S Curtin (Rockchapel), K Cremin (Boherbue), D Buckley (Boherbue); Shane Hickey (Millstreet) 0-1, C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), C Murphy (Castlemagner); Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel) 0-3, L Moynihan (Boherbue); J Curtin (Rockchapel) 1-0, C Walsh (Cullen), M McAulliffe (Rockchapel); G O’Sullivan (Boherbue) 0-3, David O’Connor (Boherbue) 2-2, L Murphy (Cullen) 1-3 Subs: C Curtin (Rockchapel) for L Moynihan (42), J Kelleher (Dromtarriffe) for Shane Hickey (46), J Linehan (Millstreet) 0-1 for J Curtin (50), D O’Callaghan (Ballydesmond) for M McAuliffe (54), F Cronin (Cullen) for C Murphy (56)
UCC: D Treanor (Tyholland, Monaghan); S Nix (Kerins O’Rahillys, Kerry), N Lordan (Ballinora), J Rosales-Harrington (Castletownbere); D Murray (Glanmire), D Phelan (Aghada) 0-2 (0-1f), M O’Rourke (Cobh); I Jennings (Kilmacabea), F O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar, Kerry); S Ahern (Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin) 0-1f, T Cunningham (Kilshannig) 0-1, N Davis (Ballinora); D McMahon (Canovee) 0-1, C O’Mahony (Mitchelstown) 0-3 (0-2f), R Quirke (Ballinora) 1-4 (0-1’45) Subs: D Holland (Argideen Rangers) for S Nix (31), J Murphy (Kinsale) for F O’Sullivan (ht), J O’Riordan (Glenville) for S Ahern (43), F Desmond (Ballymartle) for N Davis (48), N Davis for J Murphy (52, inj), S Ahern for C O’Mahony (56)
REFEREE: Ciarán Murphy (Glanworth).
