Knocknagree 1-17
Dromid Pearses 2-11 (AET)
Conor Kane reporting in Mallow
CORK CHAMPIONS KNOCNAGREE wrestled the Munster junior club title away from Kerry for only the third time in the competition’s 15-year history with a tense win in Mallow.
A late equaliser by Fintan O’Connor, after they’d been behind since the fourth minute of the match, put this decider into extra-time and their only goal just before the break in the additional period was the crucial score.
They maintained their three-point lead in the second phase of extra-time and produced some solid towards the end to keep Dromid Pearses at bay as the Kerry representatives tried hard for goal.
The first half proved to be a tame enough affair, with Knocknagree shading possession but managing to find themselves two points down at the break thanks to the concession of a couple of soft goals to Pearses’ Chris Farley and Gearoid Jackie O’Sullivan.
Pearses upped a gear in the third quarter but their shooting let them down as they registered several wides, including four in-a-row before the incisive Niall O’Shea fired over his second point.
The final tense minutes were lit up by a well-taken point by Aidan Shine O’Sullivan in the 56th minute to give his side the lead once again, and an excellent equaliser by Eoghan McSweeney from long-range, before O’Shea intervened with a fisted point.
Fintan O’Connor then equalised with almost the last kick of regulation time.
The floodlights were on full duty in the extra period as Dromid again edged in front thanks to points by O’Shea and Farley, but Knocknagree went ahead for the first time since the fourth minute of the match when Anthony O’Connor got their only goal and they stayed ahead to claim the trophy.
Scorers for Knocknagree – Anthony O’Connor 1-7 (6F), Eoghan McSweeney 0-3, Fintan O’Connor 0-3, Matthew Dilworth 0-2, Michael Mahoney 0-1, John F Daly 0-1;
Scorers for Dromid Pearses – Niall O’Shea 0-5 (3F), Gearoid Jackie O’Sullivan 1-1, Chris Farley 1-1 (1F), Kealan Farley 0-2, Shane O’Connor 0-1, Aidan Shine O’Sullivan 0-1.
Knocknagree
1 Patrick Doyle
4 Paul O’Connor
2 Gary O’Connor
3 Kealan Buckley
7 Donagh Moynihan
22 Andrew Sheehan
5 Michael Mahoney
8 Danny Cooper
9 Padraig Collins
15 James Dennehy
10 Eoghan McSweeney
21 Fintan O’Connor
13 Matthew Dilworth
11 John F Daly
14 Anthony O’Connor
Subs:
Chris White for J Dennehy (46m)
Tadhg Long for A Sheehan (58m)
James Dennehy for M Mahoney (69m)
Tomas Cooper for P O’Connor (71m)
Dromid Pearses
1 Brian O’Leary
2 Cian O’Shea
6 Graham O’Sullivan
4 Shane O’Connor
7 Padraig Jackie O’Sullivan
8 Kevin O’Leary
5 Denis Shine O’Sullivan
14 Thomas Curran
9 Aidan Shine O’Sullivan
12 Kevin Sheehan
13 Dilan O’Donoghue
3 Dominic O’Sullivan
10 Gearoid Jackie O’Sullivan
11 Chris Farley
15 Niall O’Shea
Subs:
Padraig Sheehan for D Shine O’Sullian (54m)
Kealan Farley for T Curran (57m)
John GG O’Shea for K Sheehan (60m)
Thomas Curran for D O’Donoghue (64m)
Michael Sheehan for D O’Sullivan (71m)
Niall O’Connor for A Shine OSullivan (78m)
Referee: Alan Kissane (Waterford)
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