Ross Oil JAFC.....

Iveleary: 1-9

Canovee: 1-6

Iveleary are the champions of Muskerry for the first time since 2015, following a narrow victory over Canovee in the Ross OilJAFC final at Kilmurry last evening. It may not have been a classic contest, but for sheer honest effort, it couldn’t be faulted, with underfoot conditions slippery. 

Canovee kicked the first score after two minutes, Conor Hughes bisecting the posts. Iveleary aided by a strong wind in the opening 30 minutes responded with 1-3 without reply, Cathal Vaughan with the goal from the penalty spot, after Finbarr McSweeney Jnr was fouled in the penalty area. During that scoring spree, Canovee did have two brilliant chances of scoring a goal, firstly, Sean O’Connor’s effort hit the post, and a minute later Iveleary net minder Joe Creedon made a smart save to deny Brian O’Donoghue a green flag. 

The Carrigadrohid side did score a goal after 25 minutes, O’Connor was judged to have been fouled in the penalty box, James Moynihan stepped up to duly dispatch the ball into the roof of the net. The winners were on top at this juncture and raised the last three white flags of the half, through Finbarr McSweeney Jnr, Barry O’Leary and Ciarán Galvin 1-6 to 1-1 at the break.  

A Cathal Vaughan free 80 seconds into the new half extended his sides advantage, but the beaten team responded with three points on the bounce, 1-7 to 1-4 after the third-quarter. Vaughan pointed again from a placed ball, until Canovee raised two consecutivewhite flags from sub Paul Healy and the lively Moynihan with two minutes remaining, 1-8 to 1-6.

Canovee went in search of a goal in injury-time, but to no avail, as Iveleary defended superbly. Iveleary sub Donal O’Sullivan scored from a free in the dying minutes as they held on.

Both sides progress to round 1 of the county championship. Iveleary will face the Avondhu runners up, Buttevant. Canoveewill meet the Duhallow winners, Boherbue or Dromtarriffe. 

Scorers for Iveleary: C Vaughan 1-2 (1-2f), B O’Leary 0-2, F McSweeney Snr 0-2, B Cronin 0-1 (0-1f), C Galvin 0-1, D O’Sullivan 0-1 (0-1f).

Scorers for Canovee: J Moynihan 1-2 (1-0f), M Healy 0-2 (0-1f), P Healy 0-1, C Hughes 0-1.

Iveleary: J Creedon; B Murphy, D O’Riordan, D Cotter; C Galvin, K Manning, G O’Riordan; C O’Riordan, F McSweeney Jnr; S Lehane, C Vaughan, F McSweeney Snr (C); B Cronin, C Óg Jones, B O’Leary.

Subs: S O’Leary for B Cronin (22, inj), C O’Leary for S Lehane (44), L Kearney for F McSweeney Jnr (48), G McSweeney for F McSweeney Snr (54), D O’Sullivan for C Óg Jones (58).

Canovee: D Shine; P Buckley, J McCarthy, L Kelleher; M Dunne, B Ahern, E Lehane; D Murphy, D O’Donoghue; A Murphy, C Hughes, D O’Sullivan (C); J Moynihan, S O’Connor, M Healy.

Subs: A Cronin for C Hughes (38), E Lyons for D O’Sullivan (47), P Healy for D Murphy (54), J O’Brien for E Lehane (56), M Deasy for M Healy (57), M Healy for P Healy (59, black-card).

Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).

Match report by Barry O’Mahony