Premier SFC: Valley Rovers victorious as Carbery Rangers are relegated

Valley Rovers 1-16

Carbery Rangers 1-10

Carbery Rangers’ two-decade stint in the top tier of Cork club football came to an end on Saturday afternoon in Enniskeane as Valley Rovers preserved their status.

The Innishannon side led this replay by 0-9 to 0-7 at half-time and buttressed that advantage as their talisman Fiachra Lynch diverted an Eoin Guinane delivery to the net on the restart to put them five ahead. While their Rosscarbery opponents did wipe out that deficit with a quick salvo that yielded 1-2, they could not respond when the Rovers pushed on again in decisive fashion.

Former Cork panellist Lynch finished with 1-9 to his game, including three two-point frees, while their second-half dominance of the middle third owed much to the tireless running of Rory O’Sullivan and Cork U20 hurler Eoin Guinane.

John O’Rourke’s 58th-minute free for Ross was their first score in 22 minutes and gave them a sliver of hope, cutting the gap to 1-14 to 1-10, but Ciarán McCarthy moved Valleys five ahead as injury time dawned and they ensured they were defensively well-set to avoid the concession of the goal and two-pointer Ross needed.

After a long-range effort went wide, Valleys sub William Hurley won a mark from the kickout to ease some of the pressure; when Ross launched another attack, Valleys wing-back Johnny Kiely made a sprawling block on the attempted low-trajectory delivery before then scrambling to win the loose ball and carrying well before setting up another replacement, Seán McEntee, to get what proved to be the last score. For Ross, a disappointing afternoon finished in downbeat fashion as John O’Brien was red-carded by referee John Ryan for unparliamentary language.

Ross will have regrets with how the game panned out; they will of course also be inclined to dwell on how a seven-point lead was ceded in the drawn game. There did not appear to be much in the way of a hangover, though, as they established an early 0-5 to 0-2 lead, with Ciarán Santry scoring lovely two-pointer while Paul Hodnett was on target twice.

Lynch’s first orange flag of the day left a point in it again but Ross continued to hold the whip-hand. Tom O’Rourke shone in defence while their attacking prowess was exemplified with a great move that saw John O’Rourke find Santry with a raking pass and he in turn sent an early ball to Timmy Cullinane, who fired over. When Hodnett won the kickout and fed Santry for his second, the lead was 0-7 to 0-4 but Valleys finished the half well.

McCarthy and Adam Walsh-Murphy had them one behind before a Lynch free and the veteran followed that with one from distance to send them in leading by two.

The goal gave them breathing space, but Cullinane did threaten at the other end almost immediately, Cian O’Keeffe doing well to block, and Ross maintained that momentum. John O’Rourke’s free was followed by a goal as Santry and Hodnett combined for Cullinane to finish well; Santry’s fourth point tied the match at 1-9 each.

From there, the expectation might have been for blows to be traded down the stretch and possibly extra time – instead, Valleys got on top, with Jacob O’Driscoll at centre-back and Jack Walsh at centre-forward both providing strong leadership while Lynch was on hand to convert any frees.

They will look to ensure that they learn and grow from the experience; for Ross, after beating Éire Óg at this stage last year, it will be a case of regrouping and responding in senior A.

Scorers for Valley Rovers: F Lynch 1-9 (3 2ptf, 0-2 f), E Guinane, C McCarthy 0-2 each, J Walsh, A Walsh-Murphy, S McEntee 0-1 each.

Carbery Rangers: C Santry 0-4 (1 2pt), T Cullinane 1-1, J O’Rourke 0-3f, P Hodnett 0-2.

VALLEY ROVERS: B Curtin; E Delaney, C O’Keeffe, M Woods; J Kiely, J O’Drscioll, D Muckian; D Murphy, C Johnson; R O’Sullivan, J Walsh, E Guinane; A Walsh-Murphy, F Lynch, C McCarthy.

Subs: W Hurley for Murphy (41), J Cronin for Delaney (41, injured), S McEntee for Johnson (54), A Casey for O’Sullivan (60+2).

CARBERY RANGERS: P Shanahan; T O’Rourke, J O’Riordan, C Daly; C McCarthy, J Kevane, J Hodnett; B Hodnett, J O’Brien; M Hodnett, T Cullinane, C Twomey; C Santry, J O’Rourke, P Hodnett.

Subs: P O’Rourke for M Hodnett, K Scannell for Kevane (both half-time), S Linehan for McCarthy (45), A O’Brien for Shanahan (49, injury), B Shanahan for Cullinane (56).

Referee: J Ryan (Macroom).

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