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DOHENYS V ILEN ROVERS REPORT - (Number of times read: 435)
Derry Farr | Evening Echo | 29 June 2012
Dohenys 1 – 14 Ilen Rovers 1 – 9
Doheny corner forward Mark Quinn contributed a goal and six points to his teams well deserved win in last evenings County SFC, loser’s round game in misty Skibbereen. Both team shrugged aside indifferent opening round displays to serve up a feast of free flowing football, interspersed by some hard knocks and mighty scores. Most of these came from the winner’s in a storming finish when they finally managed to break away from a more than useful Rover’s outfit. In an evenly contested opening half the loser’s carried the biggest threat as attackers Kevin O’Sullivan, Alan Holland and Dan Mac Eóin showed early and often. However only the latter lasted the pace after Dohenys switched tenacious corner back Donal Rice to put the shackles on Holland while the move of fullback Timmy O’Donovan to the corner was beneficial to both himself and Dohenys who in addition had Paul Deane also showing a welcome return to form.
However Rovers slick passing continued to create the openings with Doheny’s ‘keeper Darragh Farr making one courageous save from Mac Eóin while Paul Deane scooped the ball off the line after another effort from the Ilen attacker at a time his side were in the ascendancy. That was entering the closing ten minutes of the opening half when Dohenys were kick-started by a free from outstanding centre back Alan Sheehan who had now warmed to his task. None more so however than 18 year old Mark Quinn who popped over his second point before striking for his goal on the call of half time. With a Pat Collins delivery causing problems for the Ilen defence Quinn forced the ball home and when the hard working Daniel O’Donovan followed with a point Dohenys went in at the break 1-5 to 0-5 ahead.
Ilen made changes during the interval while much more was seen of Conor O’Driscoll after the restart when a 36th minute shot from Michael Hellen flew into the top of the winner’s net to level matters once more. It was game on once again but critically Dohenys replied almost instantaneously with points from the influential Daniel O’Donovan and an Alan Sheehan free. This was a significant juncture in a contest where that man Mac Eóin, along with adventurous defenders, Michael Hellen and Cian O’Driscoll continued to extend Dohenys at the back while at the other end ‘keeper Gary Coakley denied playmaker, Stephen Collins a certain Dohenys goal, just as he had in the first half when thwarting lively Dohenys corner forward Jack O’Connell. The winners, despite an injury to consistent midfielder Pat Collins, had reason to be grateful for the clever link up play of Jerry McCarthy as they managed to open up a 5 point advantage before minors from Conor O’Driscoll and placed ball conversions from Mac Eóin and Kevin O’Sullivan had the game back in the melting pot. A vital interception from Doheny captain Donal O’Sullivan (a major influence throughout) and a shot just off target by wingback Cian O’Driscoll had the Dunmanway lads sweating profusely once again but In the remaining 5 minutes, plus 3 of injury time, the winner’s, not for the first time rose to the challenge and this time Ilen were spent. Debutante Barry O’Donovan was now relishing the occasion while Noel Collins remained unswerving in the winner’s half line of defence that had finally got a strangle hold on Rovers while an in form attack also fired on all cylinders. Two splendidly taken Mark Quinn points from play and an injury time score from the durable Denis Healy capped one of the Dunmanway teams best display in many a year.
Scorers for Dohenys; M Quinn 1 – 6 (0-1f), A Sheehan 0-4 (0-3f’s), D O’Donovan 0-2, J O’Connell, D Healy 0-1 each.
Ilen Rovers; D Mac Eóin 0-4 (0-3f’s), M Hellen 1-0, K O’Sullivan 0-2 (0-1f), A Holland, D O’Sullivan, C O’Driscoll 0-1 each.
Teams; Dohenys; D Farr; P Deane, T O’Donovan, D Rice; B O’Donovan, A Sheehan, N Collins; D O’Sullivan, P Collins; J McCarthy, S Collins, D Healy; J O’Connell, D O’Donovan, M Quinn. Subs; M Milner for P Collins, M Farr for J O’Connell.
Ilen Rovers; G Coakley; P Minihane, B Duggan, M Hellen; D O’Donovan, Conor O’Driscoll, Cian O’Driscoll; P O’Driscoll, D Coughlan; A Coughlan, K O’Sullivan, T O’Regan; D Mac Eóin, A Holland, D O’Sullivan. Subs; J Bushe for A Coughlan, C Cotter for D O’Sullivan.
Referee; J Dorgan, Nemo Rangers.
Story of Game
Man of the Match; A contribution of a goal and six points leaves Doheny corner forward Mark Quinn with an undisputed claim to this accolade.
Turning point(s); Two quick scores from Daniel O’Donovan and Alan Sheehan after Rovers goal had levelled matters early in the second half.
Score of match; Any of the brace from Quinn in a pressurised finish to a game littered with some well struck points.
Next up; Dohenys are now through to the knockout stages while Ilen await the loser’s of Na Piarsaigh and Nemo in a third round affair.
Comments;
Ironically Dohenys had to play this loser’s round game against Ilen Rovers without the guidance of team manager Kieran Farr and selector Fachtna McCarthy who were unavoidably absent. However their remaining buddy on sideline duty, Cathal Crowley, aided by team trainer Ray Kelleher and experienced Cork U-21 football selector Brian Herlihy on this occasion, carried the burden without a bother. A former Doheny forward of note Cathal referred to this victory over Ilen Rovers as up there with any of the county final victories he had played in and in an emotional after match talk to his charges he was loud in his praise of a side he said, “ that wore the Doheny jersey with pride and showed the true spirit of a club that will continue to be respected for the football they play”.
“ Going into this contest we were slight underdogs and were missing a few prominent players who immigrated to America after our first round defeat by Skibbereen. However the lads that replaced them and particularly the younger players on the team responded to the call in a game where the goal before halftime from Mark Quinn settled us” stated the stand-in manager who was jokingly nominated by some of his delighted charges for the top job in the next game. “ No in all honesty this was a job to which everyone associated with the team, whether at home or abroad, contributed enormously to a morale boosting triumph where some poor previous performances were replaced with an outstanding team display. This didn’t come about by accident as we knew we had to up the ante so we had a clear the air meeting, followed by some hard training once our hurlers had played their opening round championship game and the results were there for everyone to see this evening.”