Echo Cork Football Team of the Week: Standouts from the Group Stages

Group stages done. Nerves shredded. Seasons saved and seasons hanging by a thread – and out of the chaos comes a cast of standouts. Here’s the Echo Cork football Team of the Week, drawn from the top three grades, with a few men off the bench who refused to go quietly.

Goalkeeper

Darren Ó Coill (Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh) 0-4 (2 tpf)
When Dohenys came hunting goals, Ó Coill simply shut the door. Three point-blank saves over the hour kept Ballingeary upright, and he then went up the field and clipped a couple of two-point frees for good measure. A goalkeeper as match-winner, dragging his side into the SAFC knockout stages.

Corner-back

James Kelleher (Newcestown) 0-1
Newcestown needed calm against St Michael’s. Kelleher supplied it. Strong, composed, and ruthless in the tackle, he steadied the Carbery men when the game threatened to stretch. His turnover just before half-time launched the move for a David Buckley score that pushed the lead to seven, and he’d already chipped in with a point himself.

Full-back

Harry Wixted (Bishopstown) 0-1
Wixted marshalled the Bishopstown square with authority in their win over Clyda. Nothing soft, nothing easy. Then he produced a moment to savour at the other end – a crisp, volleyed effort more at home on a soccer pitch than a GAA field, sailing over for a rare full-back score.

Corner-back

Ed Leahy (Aghada)
Given the job nobody wants: track Castletownbere danger man Fintan Fenner. Leahy stuck to him, harried him, and kept the sharpshooter quieter than most. Aghada’s win eased their relegation fears, and Leahy’s disciplined man-marking sat right at the heart of it.

Half-back

Pádraig Britton (Mallow) 0-2
Mallow took down the reigning champions and Britton was everywhere. Two vital points, both arriving when the game felt like it could tilt either way, and relentless running up the flank. Their performance deserved more than an early exit, but Britton’s display won’t be forgotten quickly.

Centre-back

Brian O’Driscoll (Carrigaline) 0-2 (1 tp)
Back in the side, back in command. O’Driscoll dictated Carrigaline’s win over Douglas from the first whistle to the last. He hoovered up breaks, drove at defenders, and kept winning frees as Douglas struggled to contain him. A two-point contribution, including a two-pointer, capped a towering showing as Carrig made it three wins from three to book a straight route to the semi-finals.

Half-back

Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
Some players just set a standard every week. Collins did it again. He read Knocknagree’s attacks before they formed, used the ball cleanly, and kept Castlehaven on the front foot as they eased into the quarter-finals. Quietly ruthless, as ever.

Midfielder

Jack McCarthy (Carrigaline) 0-3
Carrigaline’s engine. McCarthy covered every blade, contesting kickouts, pinching breaks, and driving his team forward. On top of the graft came class: 0-3 from midfield in a tight contest, each score a little jab that pushed Douglas further back.

Midfielder

Conor Cahalane (Castlehaven) 1-5
Cahalane didn’t just win the middle; he owned it. A long ball dropped in and somehow found its way to the net, and he backed that goal up with a string of superb points. His work-rate without the ball matched his attacking flair, hounding Knocknagree into mistakes as the Haven cruised through.

Half-forward

Michael O’Rourke (Mallow) 0-4 (1 tp)
O’Rourke ran the show in Mallow’s statement win over the Barrs. He finished with 0-4, including a two-pointer, but that barely tells the story. He linked play, slipped teammates through on goal, and constantly asked questions of the Barrs’ defence. The heartbeat of a performance that deserved to carry them further.

Centre-forward

Ed Ó Mír (Naomh Abán) 0-9 (2 tp, 0-1 f)
Naomh Abán’s form man just kept firing. Ó Mír hit 0-9, with a remarkable 0-8 from play, and two of those were booming two-pointers that ripped the contest away from Nemo’s second string. He led the Gaeltacht side to the top of their group with a display of pure, confident finishing.

Half-forward

Cathal Vaughan (Uibh Laoire) 0-6 (1 tpf, 1 tp, 0-1 f)
The Joneses have taken plenty of headlines in Uibh Laoire’s PIFC push, but Vaughan again reminded everyone of his class. He struck 0-6 against Rockchapel, mixing a two-point free, a two-pointer from play and another placed ball with sharp scores from open play. A former Cork senior playing like it.

Corner-forward

Brian Coakley (Carrigaline) 0-9 (3 tpf, 1 tp)
Carrigaline’s metronome up front. Coakley punished Douglas every time they fouled, nailing three two-point frees and adding a two-pointer from play in a superb 0-9 haul. From outside the arc, he was ice-cold, whether off the ground or out of his hands. If Carrig are to reach the PSFC final, he will be central to it.

Full-forward

Seán McEvoy (Clonakilty) 2-4
Clonakilty dominated, and McEvoy led the charge. His movement shredded the defence and he finished with 2-4, all from play. He did the early damage in the first half to put Clon in control, then reappeared with their third goal – his second – after the break to slam the door on any notion of a comeback.

Corner-forward

Arthur Coakley (Bantry Blues) 2-3 (1-0 pen, 0-2 f)
When Bantry needed a hero, Coakley stepped forward. He opened their account with the first score of the day and never stopped troubling Glanmire. One composed finish for his first goal, then the moment of truth late on: a pressure penalty that he buried, sealing Glanmire’s fate in the relegation playoff and Bantry’s escape.

Impact off the bench

• Colm O’Neill (Glanmire) 0-8 (3 tpf, 0-2 f) – Even as Glanmire slipped towards danger, O’Neill kept them alive on the scoreboard, with three two-point frees and a pair of regular frees in a sharp 0-8 tally.
• Cillian Murphy (Éire Óg) 0-2 – Came in and made his mark with two important scores, steadying Éire Óg when they needed composure.
• Jonathan Rosales Harrington (Castletownbere) – Brought energy and bite, helping Castletownbere stay competitive when legs began to tire.
• Thomas Clancy (Clonakilty) 0-2 (1 tp) – Added a two-pointer and another score to Clon’s total, underlining their dominance from the bench.
• Sam Copps (Mallow) 0-1 – Chipped in with a neat point, another reminder of Mallow’s depth despite their exit.
• Rory Maguire (Castlehaven) – Slotted in seamlessly, tightening things up and reinforcing Castlehaven’s sense of control.
• Gary Holland (Bishopstown) 0-5 (0-1 f) – A superb cameo, clipping 0-5 and landing a free as Bishopstown finished strongly.
• Daragh Hayes (Carbery Rangers) 1-5 – A serious impact: 1-5 off the bench, turning a contest and lighting up the scoreboard.
• Michael Quirke (Ballinora) 2-3 – Two goals and three points in limited time; ruthless finishing that changed the tone of Ballinora’s attack.
• Ben Twomey (Fermoy) 0-7 (1 tp) – Seven points, including a two-pointer, as he took over the scoring burden late on.
• Jack Murphy (Éire Óg) 0-5 (0-1 f) – Another Éire Óg sub who refused to blend into the background, striking 0-5 and nailing a free to keep the pressure on.

The group stages have sorted contenders from survivors. With knockout football looming and margins shrinking, the question now is who among this lot can hit the same heights when there’s no safety net left.