Rovers defeated in opening game

Cloyne 1-10 Bride Rovers 0-5

On a summer’s night more conducive to watching a Netflix movie, both Bride Rovers and Cloyne took to the Lisgoold pitch, for the opening game in the 2022 Ml. O’ Connor Motor Factors sponsored East Cork JAFC Round Robin – Group 1 competition.

Such were the awful conditions the opening half were played in, it took twenty-one minutes for the opening score to be seen, a Cloyne point, by the ageless Paudie O’Sullivan. Following his opening point, Ashley Walsh added a second point for Cloyne a minute later, while Paudie stretched their lead when he converted a 20m free five minutes from the break.

The killer blow for Bride Rovers came on the 26th minute when the aforementioned Paudie O’Sullivan slipped a low ball past Rovers’ goalie as he advanced from his line.

Bride Rovers opening score came on the 27th minute when the impressive Adam Walsh kicked over a 40m free, while Tom Murray and Walsh, again from a free near the village sideline, left the score 1-3 to 0-3 in favour of the Cloyne lads at the break.

Ciaran Mullins extended the Cloyne lead two minutes into the second half when he raised his first white flag. Will Finnigan kept the Rovers scoreboard ticking over with a pointed free two minutes later, but then Cloyne kicked on with three unanswered points, from Brian Walsh, Paudie O’Sullivan and Colm O’Sullivan. Prior to Colm’s point, referee Eoin Coleman had reason to show Bride Rovers’ Jordan Mannix and Adam Sherlock (Cloyne), a red card each after an altercation, involving several players from both sides.

Adam Walsh pulled back a point from another Rovers free, while Tom O’Regan, Cloyne, cancelled out that point with a lovely effort as we entered the final quarter. There was only one score in the final quarter, a point from Paudie O’Sullivan, to give Cloyne full points from the opening game in this round robin football championship.

Scores: Cloyne; P. O’ Sullivan 1-4 (0-1f), A. Walsh, C. Mullins, B. Walsh, C. O’Sullivan, T. O’Regan 0-1 each. Bride Rovers: A. Walsh 0-3 (0-3f), W. Finnigan 0-1 (0-1f), T. Murray 0-1.

Bride Rovers team: S. Glasgow, J. O’Connor, S. O’Connor, J. Mannix, K. Kearney, S. Walsh, T. Murray, W. Finnegan, L. Forde, J. Mannix, S. Ahern, D. Buckley, E. Cashman, A. Walsh, D. J. Cahill. Subs used: D. Barry for E. Cashman (ht), R. O’Connell for S. Ahern (40).

Referee: Eoin Coleman (Youghal).