Fermoy find a way to
Fermoy 2-13 Carrigaline 0-15
THROUGHOUT last season there was a buzz about the Fermoy GAA Club that was something to behold. Training sessions were watched by local fans, the players were buzzing and the management had a belief in what work was being done. Fermoy, in both codes, were almost invincible.
The unfortunate losses in both finals saw the club hit with two major setbacks in the space of a few weeks – something that many clubs would struggle to get over.
Roll on another championship season and again Fermoy are on the march, however, this time it seems to be less impressive than the early exploits of 2016. That said Fermoy booked themselves a spot in the knock-out stages thanks to two late goals against a competitive Carrigaline in Pairc Uí Rinn last Saturday night.
Fermoy were in major trouble in this tie and looked like an exit was to be their reward for what was far from their best performance of the year. Winning ugly is better than not winning at all and Fermoy showed they are prepared to dig deep when it is required.
This game looked done after 62 minutes as Carrigaline’s talisman Rob O’Shea spanked over his 10th placed ball of the game however the next few frantic minutes saw Fermoy’s substitute Padraig Shanahan raise the game’s first green flag before his colleague Shane Aherne burst through to blast past a shell shocked Carrigaline defensive line.
For Carrigaline David Drake and Kevin Kavanagh impressed throughout with Wesley O’Brien, Brian Kelleher and Rob O’Shea all doing their bit for the men in blue and yellow.
For the victors the Liam Coleman’s frees and Jack Hutchings’ brace of points kept Fermoy in the hunt during periods when the Carrigaline could easily have got away from them.
Fermoy trailed by for from the start and cut that by just one by the interval (0-6 to 0-9). The second period saw the sides trading scores for the next 15 minutes as Carrigaline looked more and more like deserving winners however this Fermoy team may well be still trying to find their best form but that didn’t stop them rallying late with Shanahan’s and Aherne’s strikes ultimately deciding this.
The loss should be considered really hard on a Carrig side that looked all set for progression, however, you must play to the final whistle and on this occasion that is what Fermoy did and what Carrigaline failed to do.
This win should see Fermoy firmly back on the horse as they now are just a couple of games away from another tilt at the title in the most competitive division in the county but improvement will be required, and fast.
If Fermoy go into the last few minutes trailing like they did last Saturday night a better side will see them off however right now for Fermoy remaining in the competi-