BY SEÁN HOLLAND
THE comeback is always stronger than the setback. Just ask the senior footballers of Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí.
Having just missed out on Munster glory in heart-breaking fashion last month to Tarbert of Kerry, losing by a single point (2-11 to 1-13), the Bantry school bounced back to defeat Mitchelstown CBS, 1-12 to 2-8, in the Cork Colleges’ Senior B Football Championship title.
‘It’s a huge win for us and for the school,’ said David Harrington, joint-manager, and also Adrigole football’s ace marksman.
‘We lost the Munster C final there in February and the lads were bitterly disappointed because it was a game that we kind of threw away ourselves late on. But this win was huge because Mitchelstown won the Munster B title, so we were going in as underdogs. It’s a great win for us as a school and especially for the lads. Nothing short of what they deserved really,’ he beamed.
With no shortage of distractions, Harrington praised the effort made by his players to bounce back from their Munster final heartbreak.
‘That result was tough but they kept showing up for training. The lads are fiercely committed. We have a few involved in the Cork U20s and minor panels and even when the local U21 championships were going flat out, they all still came along to training and took part in whatever way they could. In fairness, they’re a great group to make the effort,’ said Harrington, who also believes this win is a big boost to football in the area.
‘It all comes from the clubs and the work they do with the players,’ he said.
‘Look at Bantry, their U21s won the West Cork A title. Both Caha Óg and St Colum’s are other sides with a lot of good talent coming through. With that, football in the school is on the up. We competed in the county A grade last year and we were unlucky not to really get a run in it, but to play in the county B this year and win it is great.
‘We would be hoping now that things will progress in the school because there is a lot of football talent here, which is brilliant.’
The teams started this county final at MTU’s grounds at a fast pace and there was nothing between the sides by the 10-minute mark, level at 0-2 each. Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí started to push the pace and moved into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead after 22 minutes with Cork U20 footballer Dara Sheedy and Oisín Murphy kicking some fine scores for the West Cork school. Pointed frees by Cian English and Kevin Cotter for Mitchelstown helped cut the lead at the break, 0-7 to 0-5.
The second half began with both sides battening down the hatches with defences on top, meaning there was no score for the first 12 minutes after the interval. Then came the key score of the contest when Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí corner forward Kian Kelleher goaled to end that barren spell and leave the West Cork school 1-7 to 0-5 up with only a quarter of the game remaining.
Mitchelstown hit back with a goal of their own in the 50th minute when Cian English dispatched a spot kick. The Bantry school didn’t let that affect them and kicked on once more to lead by 1-12 to 1-6 with four minutes to go.
Just as it seemed like this was going to be a comfortable win for Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí, Luke Keane goaled for Mitchelstown to leave it 1-12 to 2-6. Two further points from the North Cork school left only one score between the sides heading into injury time.
One might have been forgiven to think this could be a repeat of the Munster final and that it would now be playing heavily on the minds of the Bantry lads, but to their credit, they held firm to emerge victorious, 1-12 to 2-8.
Scorers
Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí: Dara Sheedy 0-6 (2f); Kian Kelleher 1-0; Callum McElhinney, Oisín Murphy, Cathal McCarthy 0-2 each; Ben O'Sullivan 0-1.
Mitchelstown CBS: Cian English 1-4 (1-0 pen, 2f); Kevin Cotter 0-4 (2f); Luke Keane 1-0.
Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí: Eoghan O'Donoghue (Bantry Blues); Paddy Russell (do), Seán Cronin (St Colum's), Chris Cronin (Bantry Blues); Liam Hourihane (St Colum's), Mark Óg O'Sullivan (Bantry Blues), Shane Collins (Caha Óg); Shane Murnane (St Colum's), Luke Salter-Townshend (Bantry Blues); Cathal McCarthy (St Colum's), Dara Sheedy (Bantry Blues), Callum McElhinney (Caha Óg); Kian Kelleher (St Colum's), Ben O'Sullivan (Caha Óg), Oisín Murphy (Bantry Blues).
Mitchelstown CBS: E Kirwan; E Geary, D Moriarty, O Hanrahan; L Keane, D O'Brien, N Coalton; C O'Gorman, C Ryan; Conor Walsh, Cathal Walsh, C Coughlan; C English, J English, K Cotter.
Sub: J Twomey for E Geary.
Referee: J Kirby (Midleton).
