Rathmore into O’Donoghue Cup final

O’DONOGHUE CUP SEMI-FINAL Rathmore 0-16 Gneeveguilla 0-12

THE first of this year’s semi-finals in the O’Donoghue Cup, sponsored by the Aquila Club Gleneagle Hotel, was a great contest. Played in Fitzgerald Stadium, it was tit for tat in the opening minutes.

DJ O’Connor traded points with Mark Reen and Shane Ryan. Gneeveguilla defended well and pulled ahead with 3 unanswered points - Padraig Doyle (2) and DJ O’Connor- 0-5 to 0-2 going into the second quarter. Mark Reen pointed the rebound after Gneeveguilla goalkeeper, Patrick O’Riordan, made a great save.

DJ O’Connor replied with a lovely point before Rathmore levelled the game with 3 points. Shane Ryan pointed 2 frees and Eoin Lawlor picked off a point from a ball tapped down by Shane Ryan -0-6 a piece on the 27th minute. DJ O’Connor put Gneeveguilla ahead by the minimum with a pointed free. Rathmore maintained pressure and George O’Keefe levelled the game again with a point from play.

In the last move of the half, Patrick Warren sent a volley goalbound which Rathmore goalie, Pa Mc Carthy pulled off a great save. Half time score: Rathmore 0-7 Gneeveguilla 0-7.

Scoring was slow to start in the second half. A black card saw Rathmore introduce Cathal Murphy. Aidan O’Mahony also came on for Rathmore. Brian Friel broke the deadlock with a point in the 40th minute.

Two Shane Ryan converted frees saw the score 0-10 to 0-7 in Rathmore’s favour in the 43 minute. Gneeveguilla levelled the game scoring 3 points -DJ O’Connor (2) and Jamie Brosnan - 0-10 a piece going into the last quarter. Both sides made substitutions. Rathmore dominated the scoring in the final quarter. Shane Ryan, reeled off 3 points for Rathmore – 0-13 to 0-10 on the 49th minute. Aidan O’Mahony pointed, Connor Herlihy replied for Gneeveguilla and Shane Ryan added a point -0-15 to 0-11 on 58th minute. A Shane Ryan free for Rathmore and a DJ O’Connor pointed free, saw the full time score: Rathmore 0-16 Gneeveguilla 0-12.

Man of the Match award, sponsored by The Aquila Club, was presented to Gneeeveguilla’s DJ O’Connor. Rathmore await the winners of next Sundays Semi Final Killarney Legion V Dr Crokes, Fitzgerald Stadium at 2pm. RATHMORE: Padraic McCarthy, T.J Friel, Brian O’Leary, Mike Joe Kelleher, Cillian O’Connor, Conor O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Keeffe, Donal O’Sullivan, Mark Ryan, George O’Keeffe (0-1), Brian Friel (0-1), Daniel O’Sullivan, Shane Ryan (0-10; 6f), Eoin Lawlor (0-1), Mark Reen (0-2) Subs: Cathal Murphy, Aidan O’Mahony (0-1), Dean Fitzgerald, John O’Keeffe, Micheal O’Mahony

GNEEVEGUILLA: Patrick O’Riordan, Connie O’Connor, DJ Murphy, Darren Brosnan , Patrick Warren, Ciaran O’Connor, Philip Cremin, Don Murphy, Jamie Brosnan (01), Padraig O’Connor, Padraig Doyle (0-2), Connor Herlihy (0-1), Shane Crowley, Micheal Murphy, DJ O’Connor (0-8;4f) Subs: John O’Leary, Fergus McAulliffe, John Sheehan, Micheal B Murphy, Kevin Coughlan

REFEREE: Padraig O’Sullivan (Firies)