Mallow 4-10 Carrigaline 1-5 

Courtesy of John O’ Shea (The Echo)

MALLOW tasted the winning feeling when landing the 2020 Junior B Football Championship final in real style at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Right from the very outset, this was a performance full of conviction from Mallow. They were in control of this contest from the opening exchanges and never looked like getting caught by a battling Carrigaline.

Throughout there was overall some fine score-taking and effective game-management, as Mallow edged the battles right across the field and all the hard work duly paid off.

It was a day that saw Mallow show how clinical they can be in front of goal, as they charged home to secure the silverware on offer.

Although Carrigaline pointed for the opening score of the game, Mallow responded in ruthless fashion. Heading into five minutes played on the clock, Paul Lyons raced through well before slotting to the back of the net with a crisp finish.

Mallow added to that when Peter Attridge showed great composure to put the ball over the bar. As the opening half progressed, the momentum from Mallow grew even stronger.

Attridge continued to show his accuracy in front of the posts, which was added to by a fine Michael Fitzpatrick effort from distance.

Not long after the water break, Mallow raced into an even greater commanding position in the overall context of this decider. After a misplaced Carrigaline kick-out, Jimmy Glynn punished it ruthlessly through a clinical drive that was blasted home.

Then just a mere moments later, Mallow found the back of the net for a third occasion. Ethan Crone charged forward with a fine driving run, before firing home with what was a fine strike to the corner.

Glynn kept the Mallow drive going with a well-taken score, as his side were in total control of the contest at the halftime break, with the score at 3-6 to Mallow compared to the 0-2 of Carrigaline.

Mallow picked in the second half where they left off in the first, as Alan Hogan got in on the scoring act, which was added to by an Eoin Murphy effort from a free.

Carrigaline found the back of the net through a Steve Gorman strike from close range, as Dave O’Regan slotted over the crossbar a few minutes later.

By this stage even early in the second half, they knew they had a mountain of Mount Everest proportions to climb if they were to turn this contest around.

Mallow dealt them another strong blow, as Richie Willis got on the end of a long pass into his path before blasting home from a few yards out.

Despite the best Carrigaline efforts, including a Kaelan Spillane free, there was to be no denying Mallow on this particular occasion.

Murphy was an inspirational presence right throughout for Mallow and with ten minutes remaining, he converted with another neat point calmly over the crossbar.

Jimmy Glynn chipped in with a late point for Mallow as the game reached the latter stages.

By this stage, the outcome of this encounter was long decided There could be few complaints with this final result, as Mallow were impressive throughout and were more than deserving champions.

Carrigaline kept going right up until the very end, but it was a case of Mallow being too good for them across all departments.

For Mallow this success, they will most certainly hope, is the catalyst for a strong 2021 for the club at all levels.

Scorers for Mallow: J Glynn, E Crone 1-1 each, P Lyons, R Willis 1-0 each, P Attridge, E Murphy (0-1 f) 0-3 each, A Hogan, M Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.

Carrigaline: S Gorman 1-0, W O’Brien, D O’Regan, R Kelleher, C Maguire, K Spillane (f) 0-1 each.

MALLOW: J Murphy; T Doyle, J McGuinness, E Crone; P Lyons, A Cahill, S O’Callaghan; R Lombard, M Fitzpatrick; B Slattery, E Murphy, J Glynn; R Willis, P Attridge, A Hogan.

Subs: R Sheehan for Hogan (35), T Woulfe for Slattery (48), R Kelleher for Attridge (52), C O’Driscoll for Lyons (55), S Kelly for Lombard (59).

CARRIGLINAE: J O’Reilly; E O’Connor, S Murray, S Noonan; S Conlon, W O’Brien, P Fehily; D Buckley, S O’Regan; D O’Regan, C Nolan, B Kelleher; R Kelleher, A Murphy, S Gorman.

Subs: C Maguire for Nolan (12), D Stack for Fehily (21), K Spillane for Murphy (h-t), P Mellet for B Kelleher (35).

Referee: Brian Walsh (Aghada).

Cork 2-19 Dublin 1-18

Courtesy of Denis Hurley (The Echo)

IT was far from straightforward and there were a few late jitters, but ultimately Cork held their nerve to triumph in the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U20HC final at Nowlan Park on Saturday evening.

Blitzing their opponents with an unanswered 1-4 inside eight minutes, Pat Ryan’s side still held a seven-point advantage at half-time. While Dublin cut that to four just after the second-half water-break, Cork looked to have eased any worries as their second goal, from Pádraig Power, made it 2-18 to 0-14, and a pair of points from sub Brian Hayes looked to have acted as insurance in the immediate aftermath.

Back Dublin came once more, though, snaffling a goal as sub Luke McDwyer converted the rebound when goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons’ 20m free was stopped on the Cork line. Cork concerns weren’t helped with a pair of wides but Jack Cahalane was on hand to give them some more breathing space and, though Dublin’s Liam Murphy, had the final score with his sixth point of the evening, Cork took the silverware.

For a group of players who were denied a ‘proper’ year at minor level – they beat Dublin in a one-off U17 competition in 2017 – and hadn’t played since the Munster final against Tipperary on December 23, the victory was a sweet one. 

Cork could scarcely have wished for a better start. Power pointed inside 23 seconds, then on 53 Alan Connolly doubled that lead halfway through the second minute Shane Barrett had sent over a third.

Daire Connery, having reacted first to reach a clearance from Dublin goalkeeper Gibbons, slotted over the fourth in the third minute and though there was a five-minute wait for the next score, it was a big one as the opening goal arrived. After some outstanding individual play and a mazy run from Connolly set him towards goal, he unselflishly passed to Power, who went for the jugular. While he was denied by a Gibbons save, Seán Twomey was on hand to send the loose ball to the net.

Such dominance couldn’t last but it was nevertheless a solid foundation block and the seven-point lead still pertained at the water-break, as Dublin’s two opening points, both from Liam Murphy, were answered by Colin O’Brien – after a superb catch – and Shane Barrett respectively.

That left it 1-6 to 0-2 but, while Dublin’s Darach McBride did waste a good scoring opportunity immediately after action resumed, they did manage to belatedly pick up some momentum. After the ever-industrious O’Brien was harshly penalised for charging, Dara Purcell cut the gap to six points and then Murphy’s third brought them closer again after good play from Darragh Power and McBride.

Unfortunately for the Leinster champions, too often they were let down by poor decision-making, either in terms of wayward scoring attempts or misplaced passes when Cork might have been vulnerable.

An exquisite pointed sideline cut from O’Brien settled any nerves that Cork may have had and that was followed by a Connery free from halfway before Shane Barrett’s run was the catalyst for a smart Tommy O’Connell effort.

That opened up an eight-point lead, the biggest of the game up to then – and it could have been more but for a Gibbons save from Darragh Flynn. Regardless, Cork’s strong tackling and defending from the front ensured that Dublin found their efforts to get closer largely repelled.

It was 1-11 to 0-7 at half-time, Cork’s final score a massive Flynn point after he had squeezed through a double challenge and there might even have been a sniff of a late goal as O’Brien fed Brian Roche but Darragh Power did well to force him wide.

Cork were back out first for the second half with Dublin keeping them waiting and it seemed to pay off as they had three of the first four points to come back within five by the 36th minute, Micheál Murphy with a pair of fine efforts.

They continued to chip away at Cork’s lead and Power’s point on 47 left it 1-15 to 0-14. Alan Connolly had a third point for Cork before what looked like the decisive score, Brian Roche the architect for Power’s finish, and Hayes’s contribution left ten in it.

Dublin wouldn’t relent, but Cork had enough in the tank.

Scorers for Cork: P Power 1-1, A Connolly (0-2 f), S Barrett, D Connery (0-2 f) 0-3 each, S Twomey 1-0, D Flynn, T O’Connell, C O’Brien (0-1 sideline), B Hayes 0-2 each, J Cahalane 0-1.

Dublin: L Murphy 0-6 (0-3 f), D Purcell 0-4, M Murphy 0-3, L McDwyer 1-0, K Desmond, E Gibbons (f) 0-2 each, D Power 0-1.

CORK: E Davis; C O’Callaghan, E Roche, A Walsh Barry; D Connery, C Joyce, D O’Leary; B Roche, T O’Connell; D Flynn, S Barrett, S Twomey; Colin O’Brien, P Power A Connolly.

Subs: J Cahalane for O’Brien (39), E Carey for Twomey (41), B Hayes for Connolly (49), S O’Regan for Flynn (53), Cormac O’Brien for Barrett (58).

DUBLIN: E Gibbons; A Murphy, A Dunphy, I Ó hEither; E O’Donnell, K Burke, T Kinnane; D Power, M Sweeney; D McBride, M Murphy, L Gannon; D Purcell, K Desmond, L Murphy.

Subs: B Sheehy for Kinnane (10-11, temporary), D Leavy for O’Donnell (39), C Foley for Sweeney (46), L McDwyer for McBride (48), Sheehy for Kinnane (55), P Linehan for Power (56).

Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow).