Sharper St Joseph’s advance to semi-finals

St Joseph’s 1-12   Cooraclare 0-6

LIGHTNING doesn’t strike twice, the saying goes. Followers of St Joseph’s and Cooraclare will concur as they reflect on Saturday’s quarter-final game at Labasheeda.

 

St Joseph’s 1-12   Cooraclare 0-6

LIGHTNING doesn’t strike twice, the saying goes. Followers of St Joseph’s and Cooraclare will concur as they reflect on Saturday’s quarter-final game at Labasheeda.

In the first round of the championship during the summer, St Joseph’s, last year’s beaten finalists, carried the favourites’ tag but failed to live up to that rating and Cooraclare were comfortable winners.

The quarter-final draw brought them together again and on Saturday, Cooraclare were listed as the favourites. However, this time they failed to justify that rating and were comprehensively beaten by a sharper and hungrier Doora-Barefield outfit.

“I am absolutely delighted with the result, which puts us into the semi-final for a second successive year. We haven’t been getting scores but we did today. Last week [Cusack Cup final] didn’t do us any harm. It was a tough game.

“We were poor the first day against Cooraclare but since then we have improved a small bit with each game. We got the scores on the board today, which was the difference. If we were beaten, we would have had no excuses. We are absolutely delighted,” team manager Mark Raftery commented after the final whistle.

Asked if the early goal had helped settle the team, he said it was something they had talked about. “There is no harm in sending in the long high ball. Greg’s [Lyons] effort was maybe more of a shot for a score than anything else but it didn’t make the goals. When the ball is in their square, at least we have a chance to score and they are definitely not going to score,” the manager replied.

St Joseph’s went into the game without influential midfielder Alan O’Neill, who was ruled out due to injury.

“Alan has a small fracture to his ankle and has been told to rest. It’s a minimum of four weeks and he has only a week done at this stage. He is getting treatment and we can only hope for the best,” said Raftery.
Cooraclare boss Dave Loughman said, “The early goal was unsettling for us but there was loads of time to come back. Overall, they played the better football, they were the better team and there are no complaints.”

According to the Cork man, St Joseph’s were the hungrier side. “You try and gear and prepare as best you can. On the day, some things go right and some go wrong. We hadn’t a good day and they played very well.

“They got a good start to the second half, a reverse of the last game. They just played better football and you can’t make any excuse for us. They were the better team on the day,” he concluded.

St Joseph’s got a dream start when Cathal Duggan added to a Greg Lyons delivery for the only goal of the game in the opening minute. Duggan quickly added a point from a free, before Michael Kelly opened Cooraclare’s account. St Joseph’s were the sharper side in the opening quarter and when the midpoint of the first half arrived, they were five points clear, 1-3 to 0-1.

The winners were a little fortunate not to concede a goal in the 15th minute. Michael Kelly got a flick on a Thomas Downes delivery from a free but Kevin Dilleen got back to clear off the goal line. When the half-time whistle sounded, it was 1-6 to 0-3 in favour of last year’s finalists and it was clear Cooraclare needed to step up considerably in the second half.

They returned with Kieran Hassett and Andrew O’Neill in for Declan McMahon and Sean Maguire and they had the first score of the half, a point from Rory Donnelly. However, they failed to build on this and St Joseph’s hit the next three scores, with Cathal O’Sullivan and Greg Lyons kicking superb long-range efforts.

Eight points clear entering the final quarter, St Joseph’s were well on their way to the semi-finals. A brace of Rory Donnelly points gave Cooraclare a little hope but they didn’t score again and St Joseph’s finished with points from Enda Lyons and a brace from Duggan, who finished with a tally of 1-6.

Kevin Dilleen, Sean Flynn, Mark Hallinan, Cathal Duggan, Greg Lyons and Cathal O’Sullivan were always prominent for the winners. For a disappointing Cooraclare outfit, who finished with 14 men after Michael Chambers picked up a second yellow card two minutes from the end, Conor Marrinan, Michael Kelly and John Looney tried hard.

St Joseph’s: Declan O’Keeffe; Paudie Nugent, Kevin Dilleen, Martin Brooks; Sean Flynn, Steven Collins, Declan Malone; Ivor Whyte, Mark Hallinan; Greg Lyons, Cathal O’Sullivan, Paul Dullaghan, David O’Brien, Luke Brannock, Cathal Duggan.
Subs: Enda Lyons for O’Brien (41 minutes), Christy O’Brien for Dullaghan (51 minutes) and Eamonn Clohessy for Malone (55 minutes).
Scorers: Cathal Duggan (1-6, 4f), David O’Brien (0-2), Greg Lyons, Cathal O’Sullivan, Luke Brannock and Enda Lyons (0-1 each).
Frees for: 24; wides: 4.
Bookings: None.

Cooraclare: Declan Keane; Sean Garry, Conor Marrinan, Michael Chambers; Declan McMahon, Thomas Donnellan, Colm Carroll; John Looney, Gearóid Looney; Joe Downes, Thomas Downes, Michael Kelly; Cathal Lillis, Rory Donnelly, Sean Maguire.
Subs: David Marrinan for Garry (19 minutes), Kieran Hassett for McMahon (half-time), Andrew O’Neill for Maguire (half-time) and Joe Considine for Donnellan (44 minutes).
Scorers: Rory Donnelly (0-4, 2f), Michael Kelly and Joe Downes (0-1 each).
Frees for: 28; wides: 9.
Bookings: Conor Marrinan (28 minutes), Thomas Donnellan (29 minutes) and Michael Chambers (58 minutes and 61 minutes).
Sent off: Michael Chambers (61 minutes).

Referee: Michael Fitzgerald, Clondegad.