Inniscarra 1-7
Ballygarvan 1-6
NOEL HORGAN REPORTS
SHEER elation for Inniscarra, bitter disappointment for Ballygarvan, and as dramatic a conclusion as one could wish to see. That’s an apt summation of how the final of the McCarthy Insurance Group county junior A football championship unfolded in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday.
It was a historic success for Inniscarra, one that tasted all the sweeter considering it looked unlikely for most of the contest, not least when they trailed by three points at the end of regulation time.
Four minutes into additional time, however, team skipper John O’Callaghan got the vital touch in a goalmouth scramble to earn them parity before ice-cool Sean O’Donoghue found the target from an extremely difficult free to nudge them ahead for the first time seconds later.
‘That was a wonder strike from Sean against the wind to get us over the line,’ commented Inniscarra manager Daire Holland, who admitted they were lucky to be still in the game before receiving the opportunity to pull it out of the fire.
‘Ballygarvan had a couple of chances to kill us off, which they didn’t take, so we stayed in touch, and the fact that the lads hung in there was the most admirable aspect of today’s performance.
‘We certainly didn’t play our best football of the year, but I suppose if you’re going to win your first county, this is a nice way to do it,’ Holland remarked.
It took Inniscarra over 20 minutes to get on the scoreboard when aided by a gusty breeze in the first-half, with Liam O’Connor opening their account from a free won by wing-back Jack O’Dwyer.
Ballygarvan had notched 1-2 prior to that, their goal coming from the sprightly Sean Brady within seconds of the throw-in.
Dictating matters from the outset, the Carrigdhoun kingpins appeared to hold most of the aces, with Brady to the fore at midfield, Evan O’Connor and Ray O’Halloran displaying definite potential in attack, and their defence in control.
Inspired primarily by Jack O’Dwyer, Liam O’Connor and Sean O’Donoghue, Inniscarra’s fortunes improved slightly towards the end of the first half when Shay Dineen and O’Donoghue shared a brace of points from play.
Following O’Donoghue’s score, however, Ballygarvan wing-back Stephen Fenton expertly fielded the kick-out to initiate a well-worked move completed by a fine Ray O’Halloran point. With Sean Brady having landed an inspirational point earlier, it enabled the South-East side to lead unflatteringly by 1-4 to 0-3 at the interval.
Placed by Liam O’Connor, Sean O’Donoghue drew first blood for Inniscarra on the turnover, but Ballygarvan continued to look the more convincing outfit during the third quarter. They were 1-6 to 0-4 to the good after Sean Brady, Stephen Fenton and Pierce O’Halloran combined to place substitute Dylan O’Connor for a point inside the last ten minutes, and Inniscarra, struggling to make headway up front, looked ready to be counted out at that juncture.
Two points from wing-back David O’Keeffe kept their hopes flickering on the run-in, however, while Sean O’Donoghue, Frank Horgan, Liam O’Connell and substitute Mark McLoughlin were others to do well as they pressed hard in the dying minutes. They were rewarded with the equalising goal from veteran defender John O’Callaghan before Sean O’Donoghue’s converted free completed an amazing Houdini-act.
Scorers
Inniscarra: J O’Callaghan 1-0; S O’Donoghue 0-3 (1f); D O’Keeffe 0-2; L O’Connor (f), S Dineen 0-1 each.
Ballygarvan: S Brady 1-1; E O’Connor 0-3 (f); R O’Halloran, D O’Connor 0-1 each.
Inniscarra: D Kelleher; D Keane, L Ryan, J O’Callaghan; D O’Keeffe, C Dineen, J O’Dwyer; S Sheehan, D Coughlan; F Horgan, S Dineen, S O’Donoghue; T Lyons, D O’Connell, L O’Connor.
Subs: M McLoughlin for Sheehan (42), D O’Sullivan for S Dineen (46), J O’Sullivan for O’Connell (55), J Hayes for O’Dwyer (58), T Murphy for Coughlan (60).
Ballygarvan: G White; P Ryan, R O’Leary, Z Davidson; S Fenton, S O’Donovan, M O’Mahony; S Brady, P O’Halloran; D O’Mahony, C O’Regan, N Dowd; E O’Connor, D Mackey, R O’Halloran.
Subs: J Fenton for Ryan (inj, 39), K Lyons for Mackey (43), D O’Connor for Dowd (44), C Mackey for O’Regan (55).
Referee: P Finnegan (Douglas).
