BY KIERAN McCARTHY
GABRIEL Rangers are proof that goals really do win games.
While the Carbery club wasn’t in action in the final round of group games in the Co-Op Superstores Confined Junior B Hurling Championship last weekend, it was their goal-scoring exploits in their second Group 1 tie – their 4-11 to 3-14 draw against Castletownroche – that ultimately sent Gabriels through to the knockout stages.
Gabriels, in third place after two rounds, were due to play bottom side Gleann na Laoi in their final group game, needing to win and then hope that table-toppers Ballyclough defeated second-place Castletownroche. But when Gleann na Laoi conceded a walk-over, all eyes were on the meeting of Ballyclough and Castletownroche, as this tie would decide Gabriels’ destiny.
Ballyclough won 0-24 to 1-9 to rubber stamp Group 1 top spot, and this result was also enough to send Gabriels into the knock-out stages. The county board circulated an email to all teams in the competition last week, reminding clubs of how championship placings are determined. Because Castletownroche and Gabriel Rangers both finished on equal points (3), Regulation 2(d) of Cork GAA Competition Regulations 2024 came into effect. Because the head-to-head game between Gabriels and Castletownroche resulted in the 4-11 to 3-14 draw, it meant that the Carbery club qualified from Group 1 because of part (iv) in Regulation 2(d): highest number of goals scored in the head-to-head games.
Little did Timmy O’Carroll (2), Keith O’Driscoll and Padraig O’Regan realise when they rattled the back of the Castletownroche net, that those goals would carry Gabriels through to the knockout stages.
