Clancy-inspired Fermoy take the title

Fermoy 0-11 St Michaels 0-7

IT has been some journey for Fermoy, and they will hope that it’s not over yet.

One of the great historic names in Cork football, they were last county senior champions in 1945, dropping down in 1964. At the beginning of the 2009 season, the club were in the intermediate football grade and in junior A hurling, but since then the curve has been heading upwards. That year, they claimed the county hurling title and actually ‘ passed out’ the football by winning the IHC in 2014.

Parity was again established as the intermediate football was won the following year and the chance of going dual senior was tantalisingly real in 2016, when they reached both finals.

While they would lost to Kiskeam in the football and Bandon in the hurling, those defeats merely proved to be minor setbacks and they came roaring back with Sunday’s PIFC final win over St Michael’s at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The North Cork side led all the way through. They had three points in the first fourteen minutes, Ruairí O’Hagan with two and Pádraig de Róiste with the other. Where de Róiste was the man with the key scores in the second half, O’Hagan had shouldered much of that burden in the opening period and Cork star Tomás Clancy was a colossus throughout.

Sandwiching Fermoy’s 2016 defeat at this stage were Michael’s losses in 2015 and last year, to Carrigaline and Mallow respectively, while they lost to St Vincents in the 2012 decider.

Unfortunately for them, it was a day that seemed against them from the off. As early as the first minute, de Róiste made a rampaging run through the defence and looked to handpass towards the danger area. While Michaels’ corner-back Seán Keating did well to intercept, only a Martin Burke save for a ‘45 prevented an early goal.

Nevertheless, Fermoy’s direct approach reaped dividends with those early three points as they made use of the wind, even if it hadn’t been the plan to play with it. At the other end, Michaels couldn’t find their range, with Hennessy acknowledging the role that defensive pressure played.

O’Hagan’s fourth point, a good move involving Martin Brennan and de Róiste, made it 0-6 to 0-2 as injury time began and though a superb Eric Hegarty point for Michael’s gave them some cheer, Tomás Clancy linked with midfield partner Jack Hutchings to ensure Fermoy retired four ahead.

In the second half, full-back Jeffrey Daly was outstanding while O’Sullivan got on a lot of ball. Though Fermoy did hit a wall in terms of scoring, they continued to frustrate Michael’s and though the Dazzlers had points from Tadhg Deasy (two) and sub Eoghan Buckley, their shooting still let them down and Fermoy were able to hold their lead.

With four minutes left, they were 0-8 to 0-6 ahead, though Michaels had scored the previous three points. When Pádraig de Róiste linked with Brian O’Sullivan, a chance presented itself. Instead of popping the ball over, he went for the jugular only to fire wide.

However, instead of that being a pivotal moment leading to a renewed Michael’s fightback, it was merely a postponement of Fermoy reasserting themselves. Moments later, O’Sullivan again fed de Róiste, who launched a booming effort over the bar and he repeated the trick for his fourth point immediately after that, Alan Baragry the provider this time.

Even with a nine-minute period of added time, caused by a hold-up due to a nasty injury to Michael’s wing-back Tom Lenihan, the city side couldn’t eat into the deficit.

FERMOY: L Coleman (0-1 ‘45); E Clancy, P Clancy (0-1), J Daly; P Murphy, D O’Carroll, A Baragry; T Clancy (0-1), J Hutchings; B O’Sullivan, R O’Hagan (0-4, 2f), S Aherne; M Brennan, P de Róiste (0-4, 2f), K Morrison Subs: R Morrison for E Clancy (half-time), D Dawson for S Aherne (43) A O’Connor for K Morrison (49), R McEvoy for B O’Sullivan (59), G Lardner for O’Hagan (60+5), A Aherne for O’Carroll (60+7)

ST MICHAELS: M Burke; D Cormack, D Meaney, S Keating; A Murphy, A O’Callaghan, T Lenihan; E Hickey, N Cashman; K Hegarty, E Hegarty, P Cronin; T Deasy (0-2, 1f), D Cremin, L O’Sullivan (0-2, 1f) Subs: E Buckley (0-1f) for Cremin (half-time), B Cain for Hickey (37), S Holland for K Hegarty (47), M Drummond for Cronin (53), D Cremin for Lenihan (60+2, injured).

REFEREE: J Ryan (Macroom)