Corn Uí Mhuirí: PS Chorcha Dhuibhne hold out against Milltown and advance to knockout stages
O'Neills footballs
POBAL Scoil Chorcha Dhuibhne will be involved in the knockout stages of the Corn Uí Mhuirí for the first time in five years.
Their defence held firm in a dramatic finale keeping Milltown at bay and denying the Mid Kerry school a passage through to the quarter-finals.
Chorcha Dhuibhne enter the Preliminary Quarter-Final draw now as Pres Milltown must wait another year to try and get out of the group stages for the first time.
With a better points difference, Pres Milltown had a slight advantage going in but ultimately couldn't complete a rallying comeback from nine points down.
With what was at stake, it was a nervy opening period with some errors on either side. Pobalscoil were the more composed in front of the posts with Padraig Ó Mannin and Cian MacGearailt converting frees as Pres Milltown’s four scores in the first-half came from braces by corner-forwards Kevin Coffey and Killian Fitzgerald.
After the Mid Kerry school made it a 0-4 to 0-3 in the 25th minute Pobalscoil struck right down at the other end after with Ó Mannin finishing a move to the net that ultimately allowed his side to lead by 1-5 to 0-4 at half-time.
Pobalscoil scored 1-2 without reply in the first five minutes of the second-half and it felt like they might run away from there. Ó Mannin was the provider for Paudie MacGearailt to score their second goal from close range, with the advantage now at 2-7 to 0-4.
Incredibly they did not score for the remainder of proceedings. Ryan Costello was a big rallying figure for the Mid Kerry unit on a day Diarmuid Ó Séaghdha impressed for the victors.
Pres Milltown was awarded a 40th minute penalty after substitute Danny Murphy was fouled and James Clifford converted the spot-kick to make it 2-7 to 1-5. Chorcha Dhuibhne left a number of opportunities slip by at the other end, as they tried to defend their lead.
Their opponents kept chipping away and Murphy had Pres Milltown back within one with the final point of proceedings in the 58th minute.
Matters got heated on the sidelines as Gearóid Quirke for Pres Milltown and a mentor for Chorcha Dhuibhne were both sent off in separate incidents.
P Ó Mannin (1-2, 2f), P MacGearailt (1-0), C MacGearailt (0-3, 1f), C Ó Dufaigh and D Ó Séaghdha (f) (0-1 each).
J Clifford (1-1, 1-0, pen), K Coffey (0-3, 1f), K Fitzgerald (0-2), R Costello, L Harmon and D Murphy (0-1 each).
O Ó Dhúbhda (Dingle); JJ MacLiam (An Ghaeltacht), E Ó Fiannachta (do), D Ó Leighlin (do); T Ó Cathail (Dingle), A Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), H Ó Curráin (Dingle); S Ó Cúinn (An Ghaeltacht) N Ó Riain (Dingle); D Ó Séaghdha (An Ghaeltacht), C MacGearailt (do), C Ó Dufaigh (do); C Ó Cinnéide (Lispole), P Ó Mannin (do), P MacGearailt (Castlegregory).
C Cordubh (An Ghaeltacht) for C Ó Dufaigh (23), S de Róiste (Dingle) for E Ó Fiannachta (H/T), B de Brún (do) for C MacGearailt (42), C MacConmara (An Ghaeltacht) for C Cinnéide (50).
O O’Neill (Milltown/Castlemaine); G Quirke (do), M Lynch (do), M Clifford (Firies); J Murphy (Beaufort), M Rogers (Ballymacelligott), R Carey (Listry); C Riordan (Firies), B Mangan (Keel); J Lyne (Annascaul), L Harmon (Firies), R Costello (Keel); K Coffey (Beaufort), J Clifford (Listry), K Fitzgerald (do).
D Murphy (Listry) for J Lyne (37).
J O’Neill (Spa).
