Heartache for Fermoy as they miss out by the bare mimimum to Ilen

Ilen Rovers 1-10 Fermoy 1-9

THERE was ill-luck for Fermoy in the county SFC round 3 at Brinny on Saturday evening as they fell to Ilen Rovers by a point.

While last year’s premier intermediate champions scored for the final four points of the game, they were unable to find an equaliser and the West Cork side held out. Victory sends Ilen to the quarter-finals and secures a premier senior spot for 2020, meaning that Fermoy will take part in the new second tier, the 12-team senior A grade.

While Ronan O’Callaghan had and early goal for Fermoy, they couldn’t sufficiently build on that and, having gone in level at half-time, they fell behind before Seán O’Donovan’s goal put them Ilen in a strong position, 1-10 to 1-5 ahead with seven minutes of normal time left.

However, Fermoy refused to wilt and two quick points from Pádraig de Róiste had them within a score again as they dominated from each subsequent Ilen kickout. Brian O’Sullivan reduced the gap to two points in the final minute of normal and then, after Ilen sub Kevin O’Sullivan was just unable to reach a Stephen Leonard pass for a clinching goal, Fermoy’s Dale Dawson scored his second point after a driving run.

While they again won the restart after that, the scoring attempt that followed was off-target and ultimately Fermoy will reflect on poor shooting – in the second half they had six wides and four attempts which fell short.

Having fallen behind to Dan Mac Eoin’s opening point for Ilen, Fermoy responded brilliantly as Peter Murphy and de Róiste combined to help O’Callaghan to find the net. While O’Donovan opened his account – he would finish with 1-6 – de Róiste replied with two quick points, as he would also do later.

Using short kick-outs more often than not, Fermoy were able to work their way up the field but couldn’t take full advantage in front of the posts while Paddy Minihane was putting in a fine shift in the Ilen full-back line.

Frees from O’Donovan and Mac Eoin kept Ilen in touch and when O’Sullivan marked his arrival with a 27th-minute point, the West Cork side were level.

Fermoy could have had a goal immediately after that as O’Callaghan and Brian O’Sullivan set up de Róiste, but Damien O’Sullivan did well to save with his legs, while in injury time Shane Aherne flashed an effort across goal.

It was 1-4 to 0-7 at the break and while Ilen fashioned an early goal chance in the second half but pressure from Seán Shanahan stopped Mac Eoin getting enough on an O’Sullivan pass. Then, Stephen Leonard, just on as a sub, nearly got on the end of an O’Donovan delivery but was penalised for a push on the back.

Even so, Ilen managed to get on top with points from O’Donovan (two) and Mac Eoin, with Fermoy’s case weakened by black cards for Tomás Clancy and Jeffrey Daly. While O’Callaghan ended 20 scoreless minutes for them, Ilen’s goal – scored by O’Donovan from Leonard’s pass – looked to have settled things.

In the end, it was enough for them to progress, but not without a nervy finish.

ILEN ROVERS: D O’Sullivan; P Minihane, S Minihane, J Collins; B Leonard, D O’Donovan, T Bushe; C O’Driscoll, Peadar O’Driscoll; D Hegarty, T O’Regan, Peter O’Driscoll; D Mac Eoin (0-3, 2f, 1 ‘45), A O’Sullivan, S O’Donovan (1-6, 4f) Subs: K O’Sullivan (0-1) for A O’Sullivan (24, injured), S Leonard for Bushe (37), J Hickey for Hegarty (54), C Harrington for Mac Eoin, D O’Driscoll for B Leonard (60)

FERMOY: L Coleman; P Clancy, J Daly, S Shanahan; A Baragry, D O’Carroll, P Murphy; T Clancy (0-1), S Aherne; D O’Flynn, P de Róiste (0-4), B O’Sullivan (0-1); K Morrison, R O’Callaghan (1-1, 1f), M Brennan Subs: D Dawson (0-2) for O’Flynn (20, injured), R O’Hagan for Brennan (43), R Morrison for Daly (43, black card), J Hutchings for T Clancy (46, black card), D Lardner for Morrison (54)

REFEREE: C Dineen (Douglas)