Kinsale's emerging talent will have better days

(JJ Hurley)

Cobh     1-11 Kinsale 0-3

Kinsale's championship journey came to an abrupt halt Friday night, with their usually well-oiled machine failing to fire against a disciplined and determined Cobh outfit.

Played on a slippery surface under gloomy skies, the conditions were far from ideal for football, but it was Cobh who mastered them, controlling the contest from start to finish.

What was anticipated to be a titanic McCarthy Group Insurance Premier Junior A Football Championship clash never truly ignited. Cobh seized the initiative early on and never relinquished it, dictating the pace and shutting down Kinsale's attacks with relentless pressure.

Cobh raced into an early lead, carving out a three-point advantage inside the first five minutes thanks to sharp scores from Jack Ronan, Diarmuid Kearney, and Cork U20 hurler Timmy Wilk.

Kinsale, led by the tireless work of Michael Murphy, fought to claw their way back into the game. However, they found themselves repeatedly repelled by a tenacious Cobh defence that offered no easy opportunities.

Disaster was narrowly averted for the South East side midway through the half when a powerful, goal-bound shot from Adam McCarthy was somehow tipped out for a 45 in a moment of last-ditch defending.

Cobh continued to press their advantage, and by the 15-minute mark, they held a commanding 0-6 to 0-0 lead, leaving Kinsale with a mountain to climb.

The Kinsale supporters finally had something to cheer about on 25 minutes when Murphy slotted over a free, a score quickly followed by a fine individual point from Gearoid Kearney. Yet, just as hope flickered, Cobh snuffed it out, adding another score before the break to lead 0-7 to 0-2 at the interval.

Kinsale desperately needed a fast start to the second half, but their hopes took another blow when a fisted effort from Noah Ryan cannoned back off the post.

At the other end, Cobh coolly continued their business. Jack Ronan knocked over a quick brace to stretch the lead to a yawning 0-9 to 0-2.

Any lingering doubt over the outcome was extinguished in the 41st minute. A heroic, off-the-line clearance from Kinsale's Kris O’Callaghan fell kindly to Cobh's Darragh Heelan, who made no mistake, firing home the decisive goal.

Two more points from Cobh put the result beyond any doubt, with Murphy’s late free for Kinsale a mere consolation on a bitterly disappointing evening.

Despite the defeat, this young Kinsale team is still learning its craft. The path to the top is often long, but redemption may be in sight, as many of this side will soon line out in the county U21 championship semi-final against the winners of Ibane Gaels and Mallow.

JJ Hurley

Scorers for Cobh:  D Kearney (0-2 f), J Ronan 0-3 each, D Burke 1-0, F Duggan 0-2 (1 2pt), T Wilk, D Heelan (f), M O’Rourke 0-1 each.

Kinsale: M Murphy 0-2 f, G Kearney 0-1.

Teams:

Cobh: E Walsh; A Stanton, B Geary, A McCarthy; T Wilk, C McLoughlin; M O’Rourke, G Keating; A Hastings, F Duggan, D Kearney; A Lynch, J Ronan, E Hastings. Subs: D Heelan for E Hastings (29, inj), D Burke for A Hastings (h-t), N O’Connell for J Ronan (47).

Kinsale: S O’Neill; D O’Leary, Kris O’Callaghan, C O’Leary, B Coughlan, N McCarthy, C McCarthy; D Looney, J Murphy, J Byrne, G Kearney, H Sheehan; N Ryan, M Murphy, B O’Neill. Subs: J Byrne for N Ryan (14-30, temp), J Byrne for H Sheehan (38), C Sheehan for B Coughlan (50), D Coughlan for J Murphy (57).

Referee Luke Knight

Chris O'Callaghan ponders on Friday night's defeat to Cobh in Ovens