PIFC: Castletownbere survive drop despite Glanmire hitting three goals
Harry Jones, Glanmire, in pursuit of Fintan Fenner, Castletownbere, in the McCarthy Insurance Group, PIFC relegation play-off at Ballinacarriga. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
As dramatic as ever, the final 10 minutes here in Ballinacarriga were frenetic, only settled by Declan Dunne’s heroics in added time.
His two points ensured Castletownbere clung on to their Premier Intermediate status on Saturday, sending Glanmire back down after two seasons at this tier. But oh, did Castletownbere have to work for this one. They had been comfortably clear for much of the first half, but Glanmire’s second-half resurgence turned the game on its head.
There would be a total of 15 minutes between Castletownbere’s final score of the opening half which had put them eight clear, and their first score of the second period, which drew them back level in this relegation playoff.
Trailing by eight points with 28 minutes elapsed, a couple of fisted scores from the lively Harry Jones had Glanmire’s deficit back to six at the break, 0-10 to 0-4. On the restart, they would pick up where they left off.
Daragh Murray notched Glanmire’s first point, then sub Cathal McCarthy hit the first of three second-half green flags. It was the best of the three they would get, a flowing move involving Daniel Hogan and Tiernan Hourihan, the latter giving the final pass to McCarthy for him to slot the ball in at the bottom corner. Seven minutes later Glanmire hit the net again. McCarthy surged away on the break, teed up Murray, and he carved open the space to finish, 2-5 to 0-10, Glanmire briefly ahead.
Gary Murphy grabbed the leveller before Declan Dunne fired Castletownbere back in front after 50 minutes, but the remaining 10 plus stoppage were all go.
Immediately it was Murray through for Glanmire to level it once more, but with five to go Murphy’s white flag had the Beara outfit back in front. Then, in the 57th minute, Brian Galvin struck from range, the ball curling as Glanmire prematurely celebrated the two-pointer that would put them in front. But, as quickly as the ball dropped short, Bill O’Mahony was there to palm to the net after a failed Castletownbere clearance, sending Glanmire two ahead and into raptures.
Conor Neligan did well to cut out a Castletownbere goal chance and keep Glanmire ahead, but in the 59th minute, the Beara club worked a two-point chance to Fintan Fenner, and he was never going to miss. Level once more. Fenner had been superb, but it was fitting that Dunne had the final say.
With the sides level, Town patiently held out against two waves of Glanmire attacks, and then they pounced. Dunne slotted over the first after 63 minutes following good work from Tomás Murphy, and Dunne would do it again with the final kick of the game, sealing victory in the 65th minute.
It was a cruel end for Glanmire, but they will rue a first half where they wasted ample chances. A 22-minute spell without a score did them no favours, while their opponents raised two orange flags to coast clear.
Dunne’s was first in the 14th minute, a neat effort from play, but Fenner’s – from a placed ball – came from a distance so great and angle so tight, he jumped in celebration after splitting the posts. That beauty left the score at 0-10 to 0-2.
Any notions that it would be a straightforward win were quickly dispelled by their opponents, but Castletownbere prevailed anyway.
D Dunne 0-8 (1 tp), F Fenner 0-6 (1 tp, 1 tpf), G Murphy 0-2, L Kelly 0-1.
D Murray 1-2, B O’Mahony, C McCarthy 1-0 each, H Jones 0-3, D Molden 0-1.
K Murphy; D Walsh, J Rosales Harrington, B Murphy; T Collins, D Hanley, J O'Neill; A O'Sullivan, F Fenner; U Murphy, Mikey Orpen, J Hanley; G Murphy, D Dunne, L Kelly.
T Murphy for O’Neill (46), J Spence for Kelly (56), O Byrne for Orpen (60+4).
C O'Neill; R McSweeney, B Murphy, C Neligan; S O'Driscoll, D Kenneally, D Murray; H Cogan, J Kingston; D Hogan, D Molden, T Hourihan; H Jones, D Lynch, H Browne.
Subs: C McCarthy for Browne (30+1), B Galvin for Molden, C Hackett for O’Driscoll (both 42), C Crowley for Kingston (52), B O’Mahony for Lynch (56).
Referee: A Long (Argideen Rangers)
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