O'Rourke hits hat-trick as Cocks book semi-final place following extra-time thriller
Blake Holmes tries to tackle the speeding Liam Sheppard from The Fighting Cocks Photo: Pat Ahern
This was a pulsating Junior Football A Championship quarter-final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday with Glen O’Rourke scoring three goals to see the Fighting Cocks coming out on top after extra-time.
Danny Thompson and Ruairi Nevin exchanged early frees before the O’Hanrahans full-forward punished an error in the Cocks defence to fire over a point. The reply was emphatic. When O’Hanrahans lost the ball in attack they were unable to stop Glen O’Rourke galloping through to shoot to an empty net.
At the other end, Joe Doran scored his first goal, in a one-two with Alan Owens. Just before the interval he scored a second to give his side a 2-2 to 1-2 interval lead.
On the restart, the same player added a point and Kealan Lacey was also on target into the scoreboard end of the ground as O’Hanrahans threatened to take over.
Dowling’s point for the Cocks slowed the Blue momentum and substitute, Emmet Moran, also found the posts. Dowling levelled matters.
Milo Feehan’s booming effort looked set to give O’Hanrahans victory but with the last action of ordinary time, Moran backed himself and stroked the ball over the bar for Cock’s levelling point at 2-6 each.
Just as in the first hour, O’Hanrahans looked to be in a winning position when Keelan Lacey tipped the ball to the Cocks net.
Three minutes into extra time Lacey scored an O’Hanrahan goal to put the Carlow Town side four up. Doran had a chance from a penalty but ballooned his effort over the crossbar. Billy Nolan pointed for Cocks to leave the game balanced in favour of O’Hanrahans at 3-8 to 3-7 after 70 minutes.
The Cocks had lived dangerously at times but they made no mistake in the second period of extra-time with Emmet Moran and O’Rourke scoring a three-pointer each to assure safe passage in a hugely entertaining game.
G O’Rourke 3-0, M Dowling 1-3 (1-mark), E Moran 1-2, R Nevin (f), B Nolan 0-1 each.
J Doran 2-4 (0-1 pen), D Thompson 0-3 (1f), K Lacey 1-1, M Feehan 0-1.
Darragh Byrne; Matthew English, Eoin O’Byrne, Conor Ruane; James Hickey, Billy Molloy, Alex Gordon; Jack McDonald, Liam Sheppard; Billy Nolan, Glen O’Rourke, Dylan Townsend; DJ Sinnott, Ruairi Nevin, Mattie Dowling. Subs: Aaron Bolger for Nolan (h/t), Trevor Watchorn for Sinnott (h/t), Emmet Moran for Owens (42), Jason Kelly for Gordon (42), Cian O’Byrne for Nevin (52), Billy Nolan for Molloy (66), Cathal Gorman for McDonald (70).
Aaron Power; Ciaran Jones, Fergal Donoghue, Thato Rammusi; Jason Kenny, Milo Feehan Lazzy Meaney; Ray Walker, Owen O’Gorman; Blake Holmes, John Ryan, Alan Owens; Joe Doran, Danny Thompson, Keelan Lacey. Subs: Adam Quigley for Jones (23), John Nangle for Owens (36), Tom Roche for Ryan (60), Ciaran Timmons for Feehan (66), Conall Ferris for Quigley (73).
Jonathan Murphy (St Mullins).
