Strong selection options leave Clonakilty in good position

With one game left in the regular section of Division 1 of the McCarthy Insurance Group Football League, Clonakilty are where they want to be.

Sunday morning’s win over Carrigaline left them level on points with St Finbarr’s, knowing that victory over Castlehaven in the last match will put them into the final. The 2-17 to 2-12 win was something of a game of two halves, with Clon grateful for the late intervention of sub James Campbell, who scored 1-1 in the closing stages after Carrigaline had come back to within a point.

“I suppose James Campbell – as you call him, we call him Jockey! – he's been doing well in junior games, in fairness,” said Clon selector Eoin Ryan.

“He's been scoring fairly regularly in them. We decided to give him a go on Sunday when Conor Daly was was injured.

“In fairness, when he came on, he did what we wanted him to do. He was at the end of moves and that's what he's good at.”

Campbell’s impact was what the Clon management wanted to see from those given a chance, especially considering that, in addition to Cork star Maurice Shanley, they were without

players like Dan Peet, Seán and Mark White and Darragh Gough.

That they still put up such a tally was down to good attacking displays from the likes of Luke Griffin, Ross Mannix and Conor Daly while Dara Ó Sé provided a threat from midfield.

“We want competition for places and that’s the thing about it,” Ryan said.

“As good as the first-half performance was, the lads that had the jersey would have said, ‘Yeah, I want it,’ but the lads that had the jersey in the second half kind of left it up for grabs a bit.

“I suppose in the second half, we didn't get our hands on enough of the ball, to be honest with you.

“I don't think we defended well in the second half, I thought the re-entry was fairly easy at times there, which is disappointing.”

Even so, they still managed to hold off Carrigaline’s fightback and matters remain in their own hands in of the league.

Naturally, Ryan is delighted with how the campaign has gone to date, albeit knowing that there remains the potential for further improvement, especially as a championship campaign looms with group games against Sunday’s opponents, neighbours Carbery Rangers and the Barrs.

“This is our eighth game and we’ve only lost one, that was against Nemo in Trabeg,” he said.

“Of course we're happy with it, top of the table, where we want to be.

“We've used a lot of players, so we've had a look at a good few fellas, so we'd be happy with where we are. But, as I say, we wouldn't be happy with the second half on Sunday.”