Mitchelstown exit Junior Cup to champions
CUP action was the order of the day last weekend as three of the local junior clubs headed into action in knockout fixtures.
Mitchelstown were the only local outfit in the highly regarded Munster Junior Cup last weekend where they faced up to senior club Young Munster.
Both sides were hunting a place in the quarter-finals and while Mitchelstown attempted to put it up to the competition’s current holders, on the day they were totally out-gunned. 33-0 was the final score line with the visitors going over on no fewer than five occasions.
A brace of tries from Conor Bartley along with five pointers from David Gleeson, Karl Madden and Cian Clohessy meant that there was nowhere to hide for the side that have just secured promotion to the J2. Young Munster’s Paul Downes added four of the five attempted conversions.
There is no shame going out to the reigning champions and favourites for the title again this season. Mitchelstown have had an amazing season so far and with a few other cup competitions still up for grabs it would be unwise to suggest we have seen the last of this side in the current season. Life in the J2 awaits next season and if they can go half as well in that division as they did in their first year in the J3 they will be a force to be reckoned with again next year.
A north Cork derby game in the O’Neill cup saw Charleville and Fermoy go toe to toe for a place in the competitions last four. This one always looked like it was going to be a close encounter as neither side have been at their best of late however there is nothing to bring out the form like a game against local rivals.
The final score was 15-12 as the men in red and white squeezed past a Fermoy side still in with a chance of gaining promotion to the J2 – a division Charleville will be leaving at the end of this season.
Extra-time was required to settle this one with the boot of Oran Hennessy ultimately securing progression for Charleville. Hennessy was imperious with the boot, slotting over on five occasions, accounting for all of the home sides scores.
Fermoy were more potent with the ball in hand and bagged a brace of tries – one from Dylan Lacey and the other from Eric Stapleton however it proved not to be enough even with Lacey’s one conversion.
This one could have gone either way at the finish however it was the cool head of Hennessy that ultimately sealed the deal.
Charleville will now play the winners of the Mitchelstown v Crosshaven tie in early March.
Fermoy will take to the road in just over a week’s time to take on Dungarvan in the quarter finals of the J3 promotion race. The north Cork men will need to be on top form to get past the Deise club however on their day they should be well capable of going through.
Last but by no means least last weekend was the senior rugby 2C clash between Kanturk and Bangor. The Duhallow men have been in relegation trouble all season and that situation was compounded last Saturday when a 7-7 draw saw the men from the banks of the Allow and the Dallow slip into the relegation zone once more.
Not for the first time a try from Kanturk’s Sean Cremin was the major intervention for the Cork side with Conor Cremin as per usual converting however try as they may, Kanturk were unable to get the score required to take all the spoils and keep them out of the danger zone.
This division is going to be a dog fight all the way to the finish and Kanturk will need to draw on all their resources if they are to get themselves out of danger. Survival is however in their own hands as the Duhallow side have to face up to both Seapoint and Midleton as part of their remaining fixture list, two sides also in danger of going out.