Youghal prove too strong for Adrigole in Macroom

By Derek Kiely

​Cork County Intermediate Football Championship
Youghal 1-10,Adrigole 0-10
YOUGHAL got their Intermediate Football Championship campaign off to a cracking start in the Castle Grounds of Macroom last Saturday afternoon with a deserved victory against a very fancied Adrigole side.
The conditions were ideal for football with sunshine and a slight breeze on a very good pitch and a decent crowd for a very important match.
Youghal came so close last year losing out to the eventual winners Kinsale in a semi final replay at Pairc Ui Rinn,following a disastrous umpiring decision in the first game, that ultimately cost Youghal a final berth in the end.
With those thoughts well and truly vanquished at this stage, Youghal were determined to put the memory of last years campaign to bed, with a strong performance in Macroom and on that note they did not disappoint the travelling faithful who made the 54 mile journey to Mid-Cork.
There was a rude awakening for the Youghal boys in the opening 30 seconds when Kevin O'Sullivan the Adrigole centre forward kicked over the matches opening score.
The men in Red and White were on target again just one minute later, this time it was the full forward Kevin Goggin who pointed from distance.
Youghal needed to settle in fast into this game and no better man than the experienced Ken Dempsey to settle any early nerves with an outstanding point off the right boot 30 meters out.
Under 21 'A' player and now Intermediate starter Adrian Curtin levelled matters on the sixth minute with a free close in and the sides were level for the first time.
Youghal took the lead 60 seconds later when the excellent Alan Frahill-O'Connor struck over a brilliant score and suddenly Adrigole looked a little stunned, but the men from the West are made of strong stuff and in reply David Harrington had the sides level again with a very well taken score off his weaker left foot.
Back came Youghal playing into the town end and after some great play Peter Queallys men had the lead again with a very well finished point by Conor Spillane. Harrington then hit back for Adrigole to make the sides level again on the 16th minute with another white flag raised for the Adrigole side.
Then Aadrigole had a purple patch in this match scoring three points without reply, two from Kevin O'Sullivan and a score from Goggin and there were a few very worried faces in the Youghal dugout.
Ken Dempsey stemmed the flow with six minutes to go to the short whistle with his second point from play and for the remaining minutes of the first half Youghal totally dominated the play and owned the ball, but worryingly failed to add and further scores and when Referee David Murnane blew the half time whistle, Youghal had plenty to talk about in the dressing room at the break.
Youghal took an eternity to come back out on to the field of play for the second half, which meant that the talk was a serious one and tactically it certainly gave them a slight edge when eventually Murnane threw in for the second half.
Barry Goggin got Youghal to within a point just one minute in to the second half with a lovely point from an acute angle on the right.
To their credit Adrigole replied through Kevin Goggin, but then came the game changing moment, when a ball to Barry Ring was inch perfect from Alan Frahill O'Connor, ring neatly passed the ball to the on-running Jonathan Ormonde who blasted the ball into the Adrigole net and you could see the despair in the faces of the Adrigole players, this was a defining moment in the game and Youghal would never look back despite some nervy moments at the end.
Ten minutes passed without a score as Youghal closed down attack after attack, with some excellent defending by the full back line who were superb on the day, then Youghal added to their lead with another great Ormonde score, then the corner back added another score, brining his total to five points over a ten minute period and all from play and then Youghal continued to dominate with further score from Alan Frahill O'Connor.
Kieran O'Sullivan got one back for Adrigole, then Harrington added another for the West Cork outfit, but a point from Youghal's second half substitute David O'Mahony on the 62nd minute restored the one goal lead.
On the 65th minute of play it could have been so different when Adrigole's Jason Goggin burst through on goal with the Youghal net at his mercy but he had to pass a certain Mr Pat Mackey who left his line to narrow the angle. Goggin hit a rocket of a shot goal bound, but Mackey was equal to it in all departments, making a fantastic match winning save and it was no more than the Youghal men deserved.
This win means that at the very least Youghal retain their status in the Intermediate championship and this was a significant scalp to take.
Scorers for Youghal: Jonathan Ormonde 1-02, Alan Frahill-O'Connor and Ken Dempsey 0-2 each, Barry Goggin, David O'Mahony, Adrian Curtin, Adrian Curtin and Conor Spillane 0-1 each.
Youghal Team: Pat Mackey; Aaron Kenny, Paul O'Driscoll (Cpt), Brendan O'Sullivan; Barry Ring, John Grace, Damien Ring; Conor Spillane, Ken Dempsey; Nigel Roche, Barry Goggin, Adrian Curtin; Alan Frahill-O'Connor, Brendan Ring, Jonathan Ormonde.
Subs: Paul O'Sullivan for Brendan Ring (49) David O'Mahony for Adrian Curtin (60)
Referee: David Murnane (Macroom)