Clyda get SFC aspirations back on track with win over Rossa

Clyda Rovers 0-12 O’Donovan Rossa 0-10

BEATEN by Douglas in Round 1, Clyda Rovers got their SFC aspirations back on track with a hardearned win over O’Donovan Rossa at Inchigeelagh last Saturday.

In what was their third meeting with the Skibbereen side in four seasons, Clyda made it two wins out of three, having triumphed in their first game at senior level after winning the premier intermediate crown in 2013.

At the helm when the men from Mourneabbey put O’Donovan Rossa to the sword three years ago was Ned English, who was in the opposite corner this time.

During his involvement with Clyda, English was never to slow to laud their commitment and battling qualities, attributes, which he discovered to his cost last Saturday, they still possess.

On the back foot at different stages, Clyda, despite losing a raft of players through injury over the course of the game, never dropped their heads, and, if only for their sheer courage and resilience, they fully deserved to come out on top.

Indeed, they established control for most of the 20 minutes of additional time required to resolve the issue, although O’Donovan Rossa generally looked the more likely side to prevail in normal time

Bursting from the traps, the losers were four points to the good before Roy Willis opened Clyda’a account in the 17th minute.

While Donal Og Hodnett was off-target with a gilt-edged goal chance for O’Donovan Rossa in the second quarter, they still held a three-point lead nearing half time.

With Daniel O’Callaghan converting two frees, however, and Kenneth Fitzgerald posting a fine score from play, Clyda finished the first half with a flourish to leave the teams tied at 0-5 apiece.

Rossa made the early running on the restart, and they were two points clear at the three-mark, an advantage which they held until Conor Flanagan, from a free, and the impressive Daniel O’Callaghan shared a brace of late scores to haul Clyda back from the brink.

It was 0-8 each at the end of the hour, but Clyda, drawing inspiration perhaps for the reprieve, produced a level of intensity in the first period of extra time that O’Donovan Rossa were unable to match.

The result was that Clyda gained a firm grip on the game, hitting the front for the first time, courtesy of a Daniel O’Callaghan free in the 72nd minute, and moving 0-11 to 0-8 ahead, thanks to points from Cian O’Sullivan and Paul Cronin, prior to the change of ends.

Rossa didn’t go down without a fight, and, having cut the gap to two points, they were prevented from regaining the lead by Clyda ‘keeper Chris Conway, who saved brilliantly in quick succession to deny David Shannon and Kevin Davis in turn.

Clyda were forced to sweat again after Davis pointed a free for the West-Cork side, but Sean Ronayne replied just seconds before the last whistle to seal the win. CLYDA ROVERS: C Conway; C Kenny, R Carey, S Ronayne 0-1; J Buckley, P Kissane, O O’Hanlon; K Fitzgerald 0-1, C Flanagan 0-1f; Cian O’Sullivan 0-1, P Cronin 0-1, Conor O’Sullivan; R Willis 0-1, D O’Callaghan 0-6 (4f), C Buckley. Subs: C Kelly for Conor O’Sullivan (inj, 25), M Forde for Kelly (inj, 40), R Flanagan for O’Hanlon (inj, 49), J O’Sullivan for C Buckley, 57, D Ronayne for Willis (inj, 59), Conor O’Sullivan for Forde, 60, J Fitzgerald for Cian O’Sullivan (inj, 79).