Carrigaline into league final but Carbery Rangers relegated after eight-goal thriller

Carrigaline 4-13 Carbery Rangers 4-13

IT ended all square between Carrigaline and Carbery Rangers in their McCarthy Insurance Division 1 football league clash at Carrigaline.

But it was very mixed emotions at the end as the draw secured the home side’s place in the league final but for Ross it meant they were relegated.

Credit to the West Cork side they didn’t go down without a fight as they kept going to the bitter end, with Mark Hodnett leading by example.

A three-minute spell just before half-time proved costly as they went from two points down to seven by the break, something they never recovered from.

For the home side this was another impressive display as they now face Nemo in the league final in a few weeks and on this showing will be a team to watch come the championship.

Hodnett put Carbery into an early lead but a goal from Dan Greene put the home side in front. When Niall Coakley added a second, after 10 minutes, it wasn’t looking good for Carbery as Carrigaline led 2-1 to 0-2.

Hodnett hit two more, with Peadar O’Rourke also scoring for them to make it 0-6 to 2-2.

But then a devastating spell from Carrigaline saw Kevin O’Reilly, Kieran McCarthy, Nathan O’Keeffe among their scores as they led by 2-7 to 0-6 at half-time.

A third goal five minutes into the second half, from Kevin O’Reilly, looked like sealing the win for Carrigaline and when he struck again, to make it 4-8 to 0-8 it looked all over.

But huge credit to Carbery they kept going, with Hodnett raising a green flag.

We then had a stoppage for an injury to Paul Hodnett, who after some time managed to walk off the pitch.

Greene hit two points for Carrigaline, before Hodnett hit Carbery’s second goal from a penalty.

With time running out it was 4-13 to 2-12 in Carrigaline’s favour, but goals from Darragh Hayes and Tom O’Rourke levelled it. Time ran out on Carbery as they go down and Carrigaline move on to the league final with Nemo.

Scorers for Carrigaline: K O’Reilly 2-1, D Greene 1-2, N Coakley 1-0, N O’Keeffe 0-3, E Landers, C Barry, C O’Herlihy, A Coholan, K McCarthy, T Vaughan, B Coakley 0-1 each.

Carbery Rangers: M Hodnett 2-6 (1-0 pen, 0-2 f), D Hayes 1-1, T O’Rourke 1-0, P O’Rourke 0-3 (0-1 f), J Fitzpatrick, B Hodnett, C O’Donovan 0-1 each.

CARRIGALINE: C Laverty; N Quirke, I Sheerin, L Boyle; K Kavanagh, C O’Herlihy, K McCarthy; C Barry, N O’Keeffe; D Greene, B Coakley, A Coholan; E Landers, N Coakley, K O’Reilly.

Subs: T Cronin for A Coholan (50), T Vaughan for E Landers, K McNulty for K Kavanagh (both 56), T Foley for L Boyle, A Coholan for N O’Keeffe (both 60).

CARBERY RANGERS: P Shanahan; C Hayes, T O’Rourke, K Eady; J Riordan, P Hodnett, C Daly; C McCarthy, K Scannell; J Hodnett, B Hodnett, J O’Brien; C Twomey, M Hodnett, P O’Rourke.

Subs: J Fitzpatrick for C Hayes (26), B Shanahan for C Daly, D Hayes for C Twomey (ht), D Dwyer for K Scannell (36), P Hodnett for J O’Brien (39), N Keane for P Hodnett (42), P Hurley for P Hodnett (42 inj), C O’Donovan for C McCarthy, P Hill for K Eady (both 55).

Referee: Shane Scanlon, Newcestown.