Castleconnor through to meet Curry
Patrick Sending over eight scores in the second half hour to progress.
This game produced just five points in the opening 12 minutes. Castleconnor’s Sean Carrabine registering the first of his four for the evening in a stiff cross-wind. None of the Bunninadden front line could muster a score throughout. Full forward Barry Cafferkey firing straight at Colin Gordon four minutes in.
A double salvo from Vincent Frizzell had John O’Flaherty’s men in the lead and they had goalkeeper Jason McDonagh to thank shortly after, as he pulled off an impressive stop to deny Jason Earlis a green flag on the turn. Carrabine levelled proceedings at two a piece with a grounded free before Conor Murray and Stephen Curley exchanged points. Castleconnor with corner back Brendan Howley to thank for his some stout defensive work before McDonagh had to punch Curley’s dip- ping shot over the black spot.
Wayward kicking from either team saw them pass up scorable opportunities. Curley nudging the red and white into a one point lead on 23.
It was then Castleconnor’s turn to rely on their number one. Frizzell and Cafferky cutting through the Bunninadden back line to set up Padraig Mitchell whose stinging drive was tipped over his crossbar by the acrobatic Gordon.
At four a piece and heading into added time at the end of the half, Castleconnor grabbed a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The influential Kevin McDonnell judging the weight of the breeze to send over a magnificent score from the angle.
Castleconnor blitzed their opponents early in the second half with five scores without reply. A third for Curley was promptly followed up by a Carrabine 45 after another good stop from McDonagh, one of the shining lights in a disappointing evening for Bunninadden.
Another Curley free extended the gap to four, while McDonagh was on hand to bat an effort from the same man off his goal line on the following attack.
Kevin Langan had his only white flag of the day on 40. While Bunninadden finally broke their 17 minute run without moving the scoreboard when Frizzell leathered over a point on with 15 to go.
There was now an inevitable feeling about the outcome of this game.
Alan Cawley notching his first of a personal tally of two before Carrabine, who had just returned from the sidelines following a blood injury, whipped over his final point. Castleconnor leading 0-11 to 0-5 with eight minutes remaining.
The victors suffocated the game as Bunninadden struggled to move the ball into dangerous areas late on.
Substitute Paul Flynn kept Castleconnor moving, but there was still time for the score of the game.
Having taken the ball from his skipper Rory Healy, Cawley somehow beat the breeze and all expectations as he booted the ball between the sticks at the side line to the right.
Frizzell did add nothing more than a consolation score in added time, but it was game up at that stage.
BUNNINADDEN: Jason McDonagh; Peader McManus, Stephen Anderson, James McLoughlin; Ross McManus (Sean Leamy 55), Michael Gormley, Colm Doddy; Adrian Frian, Padraig Mitchell (0-1); Conor Murray (0-1), Vincent Frizzell (0-4), Daniel Cafferkey (Kenneth Kerins 52); Cian Brett (Rory O’Dowd 44), Barry Cafferkey, Oisín McDonnell.
CASTLECONNOR: Colin Gordon; Ronan Keane, Keith Earlis, Brendan Howley; Paul Sweeney (Eoin Kent HT) Jason Earlis; Kevin McDonnell (0-1), Sean Carrabine (0-4) (blood sub Brian Howley 37); Alan Cawley (0-2), Kevin Langan (0-1), Cian Barrins; Micheál Cahill (Paul Flynn 37) (0-1), John McDonnell, Stephen Curley (0-4) (Brian Howley 59).
Referee: Ciaran O’Donnell.