Beara 1-9
Valley Rovers 0-9
(after extra time)
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
BEARA boys, hurrah! The lads from that great western football bastion deservedly advanced to the final of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork U21A Football Championship after edging out, by a three-point margin, Valley Rovers after extra-time.
While conditions at Enniskeane on Saturday were heavy, both teams served up a cracking exhibition of high quality football, quick counter attacking and sterling defending.
While scores were at a premium in this county semi-final, the outcome was in doubt to the very end.
Adam Casey got the Valleys up and running, but Beara, aided by a fair modicum of football skill from midfield duo captain Fintan Fenner and Alan O’Sullivan, soon responded with two beauties on the bounce from Tommy O’Sullivan.
Captain Ciarán McCarthy showed how by shooting a fine point to create a temporary deadlock, but that proved a high water mark in the scoring stakes in the opening half for Valleys. However, it took until the 23rd minute before Beara hit the front courtesy of a well-executed free by Ben O’Sullivan.
Beara were on a roll now, but with Valleys’ defensive formation showing grim determination – with Niall Daly, Luke Casey and Cian Johnson providing good support to the hard grafting Eoin Guinane and Óisin McCarthy around the middle third – Beara’s attacking sextet were repelled, albeit until the 26th minute.
In tight matches such as these a goal is of paramount importance. So, it proved to be as following a sublime turnover by Beara pivot Seán Sé, the outstanding Fenner left a trail of defenders in his wake with a scintillating solo run. Spotting Tom O’Connor unmarked, he deftly transferred the ball to the latter whose blockbuster dipped in over the diving Josh Woods to billow the Valleys rigging for a sublime goal.
Beara's Ben O'Sullivan goes past Valley Rovers' Ted McGrath during the U21 A semi-final.
The classy Ben O’Sullivan added a free, but hectic goalmouth action from Rovers, with captain Ciarán McCarthy leading the attack on the Beara citadel, failed to bring any further score in the opening half, 1-4 to 0-2 at the break, Beara looking positive. Somebody forgot to tell Valleys. Thundering into the fray they clocked up two quality scores from Eoin Guinane and Oisín McCarthy. However, the irrepressible Fenner from a free made it, 1-5 to 0-5. It proved Beara’s scoring swansong for the remainder of the second half.
It was all Valleys now, only staunch defending by shot-stopper Killian Murphy, Mark Downing and Niall O’Shea collectively defying the marauding Innishannon attacking raiders.
Guinane, Luke Casey and Ciarán McCarthy all split the posts, but disappointingly, for the remainder of the quarter it proved scoreless, the spirit of both sides not questioned, but the finishing leaving a bit to be desired. In a last desperate foray, it looked like Valleys had won it, but the brilliance of Beara goalkeeper Killian Murphy saved the day, the resultant 45 just wide from the boot of McCarthy.
With Valleys tails up Ciarán McCarthy bisected the uprights to see them to the front again in extra-time. Fintan Fenner with a like score from a free ensured parity. Urged on by their big following Beara upped the ante, and three unanswered white flags on the trot from Fenner, Tom O’Connor and Ben O’Sullivan finally ending Valleys’ resistance and triggering off scenes of delirious delight in the Beara camp.
Scorers
Beara: Tom O’Connor 1-1; Fintan Fenner (3f), Ben O’Sullivan (3f) 0-3 each; Tommy O’Sullivan 0-2.
Valley Rovers: Ciarán McCarthy 0-3 (1f); Eoin Guinane, Oisín McCarthy (1 45) 0-2 each; Luke Casey, Adam Casey (m) 0-1 each.
Beara: Killian Murphy (Castletownbere); Darren Harrington (Glengarriff), Darragh Harrington (Urhan), Mark Downing (Adrigole); Darragh O’Sullivan (Adrigole), Seán Sé (Adrigole), Niall O’Shea (Urhan); Fintan Fenner (Castletownbere), Alan O’Sullivan (Urhan); Luke Harrington (Glengarriff), Lee Kelly (Castletownbere), Gerard O’Shea (Adrigole); Tom O’Connor (Adrigole), Ben O’Sullivan (Adrigole), Tommy O’Sullivan (Adrigole).
Subs: J Hanley (Castletownbere) for L Kelly (34, inj), D Crowley (Urhan) for T O’Sullivan (Adrigole) (57), A O’Sullivan (Urhan) for T Sullivan (Adrigole) (72), S Power for L Harrington (73, inj), O Murphy (Castletownbere) for D Harrington (79).
Valley Rovers: Josh Woods; Charlie O’Sullivan, Ted McGrath, Brian Lordan; Cian Johnson, Niall Daly, Luke Casey; Oisín McCarthy, Eoin Guinane; Jonathan Murphy, Ciarán McCarthy, Shane Ryan; Adam Casey, Dave Carthew, Evan O’Shea.
Subs: Sam Brown for Cian Johnson (24) blood sub; Cian Johnson for Sam Brown (28), Harry O’Sullivan for Jonathan Murphy (ht); Sam Brown for Brian Lordan (51), Joe Twohig for Dave Carthew (68); Luke Humphries for Luke Casey (68).
Referee: Brian Crowley (Castlehaven).
