O’Sullivan’s Goal the Difference at Fraher Field

Less than 48 hours after winning the county Intermediate Football County Final, Dungarvan bowed out of this year’s Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship on Sunday last when they went under to Mallow at Fraher Field.

This was a pretty awful game of football and it was plain to see from an early stage that whatever side that did advance would struggle to go any further in the competition.

Both sides finished the game with 14 players and could well have finished with less on the field at the end of the game on another day.

Kevin Sheehan was sent off with 8 minutes remaining after he picked up his second yellow card of the game after he kicked out at Darragh Fitzgerald while he was lying on the ground. He picked up his first yellow after the half time whistle was sounded for what appeared to be something he said to the referee.

Patrick Curran was sent off on a straight red in added time at the end of the hour following some ugly scenes along the sideline in front of the stand.

The Cork champions proved to be the better of the sides in the first half turning around with an 0-8 to 0-7 advantage on the scoreboard, Dungarvan staying in touch with six points from Gavin Crotty all from frees, while their only score from open play in the first 30 minutes came on 19 minutes when Patrick Curran put over a good point.

Gavin Crotty opened the scoring in the first minute with a free but the visiting side hit back with points from Kieran O’Sullivan, Ryan Harkin and Matty Taylor in a two minute spell.

Dungarvan’s Mick Devine was unlucky not to have rattled the net on five minutes when soccer style he took on the Mallow defence but he saw his effort go just wide on the country end of the ground.

Gavin Crotty pointed on 8 minutes but it was followed with a brace of scores by Cian O’Riordan and one from Ryan Harkin.

Kieran O’Sullivan had a goal bound shot saved by Michael Walsh on 16 minutes and from the rebound Cian O’Riordan saw his effort taken off the line by the Dungarvan defence.

O’Riordan pointed on 18 while Dungarvan got their first from play a minute later, a good score by Patrick Curran.

Gavin Crotty with a brace of scores followed up for Dungarvan and with five minutes of the first half remaining Killian O’Connor pointed to put Mallow three in front, but a brace of Gavin Crotty frees in the last four minutes of the half ensured that there was only one between the sides at the break.

Dungarvan proved to be the better of the two sides in the third quarter as Gavin Crotty put over a hat-trick of scores, two of which were from frees, with Cian O’Riordan pulling one back for Mallow.

The game’s only goal came on 49 minutes when Craig Lynch played in Kieran O’Sullivan who palmed the ball unmarked past Michael Walsh which gave his side a 1-9 to 0-10 lead.

Gavin Crotty made it a one point game on the hour mark when his side had a man advantage on the field but failed to make it tell, and two points in quick succession by Cian O’Riordan and Sean Hayes on 62 minutes secures Mallow’s passage to the semi finals.

Dungarvan: Michael Walsh; Darragh Fitzgerald, Aaron Donnelly, Peter Queally; John Curran, Conor Sheridan, Gavin Power; Michael Kiely, Joe Allen; Gavin Crotty, Liam Ryan, Mick Devine; Luke O’Callaghan, Patrick Curran, Jack Lacey. Subs: Mark Boland for Peter Queally (46), Aidan Kirwan for Liam Ryan (59)

Scorers: Gavin Crotty 0-10 (9F) Patrick Curran 0-1.

Mallow: Kevin Doyle; Michael Quirke, Stephen Coughlan, Bill Myers; James Loughrey, Matty Taylor, Aaron Cahill; Killian O’Connor, Eoin Stanton; Conor Stokes, Kieran O’Sullivan, Ryan Harkin; Kevin Sheehan, Cian O’Riordan, Craig Lynch. Subs: John McGuinness for James Loughrey (33), Sean Hayes for Conor Stokes (38), Trevor McEvoy for Killian O’Connor (53), Eoin O’Carroll for Craig Lynch (58), Darren O’Riordan for Aaron Cahill (59)

Scorers: Cian O’Connor 0-5 (1F), Kieran O’Sullivan 1-1, Ryan Harkin 0-2, Matty Taylor, Killian O’Connor, Sean Hayes 0-1 each.

Referee: Richard Moloney (Limerick)