Goleen 3-10
St Catherine’s 1-5
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
GOLEEN footballers are back in the big time! The football gladiators from that great western bastion stormed their way into the final of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Confined Junior B Football Championship at blustery Ahiohill on Friday, swatting aside St Catherine’s to fashion an 11-point win.
But this was no ordinary run-of-the-mill championship semi-final clash, by winning Goleen qualified for an incredible fifth county final since 2019 at junior B level, the unfortunate aspect being that they have lost all four previous encounters. So, will that massive psychological barrier be finally surmounted when they take on old adversaries Ballyphehane in Páirc Uí Rinn in a couple of weeks’ time?
If one is to pass judgement going on this win, then certainly all the heartbreak and galling defeats will be consigned to the history books, and the bonfires will blaze to signal that the west is truly awake.
Goleen set out their stall early, playing into the stiff breeze and with shot-stopper Ronan Kennedy and a superb full-back division comprising Paul Collins, Jack O’Driscoll and Michael Sheehan monarchs of all they surveyed, the Saints were finding the route to goal a rocky one.
Michael O’Reilly and James Hayes exchanged early white flags but the losers’ scoring well ran dry until the cusp of half time when James Hayes had his second point, a staggering 26-minute gap. Not so Goleen and while their finishing was a little wayward, nevertheless they tacked on some lovely scores.
Michael O’Reilly put them ahead after a sizzling solo sally saw pivot Pádraig Reidy hit the dust. Tadhg Cullinane and another O’Reilly free extended the winner’s advantage. Industrious full forward Darren O’Donovan was almost in for the opening goal, but somehow the losers survived.
However, constant dripping wears a stone and when Michael Sheehan spreadeagled a beleaguered loser’s defence with a magnificent solo dash, the breaking ball fell to the inrushing Darren O’Donovan who blasted it past Alan Carr.
The portents were positive for Goleen at the break, 1-4 to 0-2 ahead and with the strong wind to their backs on resuming. Richard O’Connell and Eoghan Davis entered the fray, but it was Goleen who made the more positive restart, a delightful brace by the impressive Patrick Scully with O’Reilly and Davis exchanging frees.
A massive cheer greeted the arrival of the ageless John Cullinane and he duly delivered a precision pass to Michael O’Reilly who sent over the resultant free. When influential substitute Micheál O’Donovan ended a cracking five-man movement to billow the Saints net, it looked all over, 2-8 to 0-3, at the end of the third quarter.
But for whatever reason Goleen took their foot off the pedal. Suddenly, St Catherine’s began to find some inspiration up front. James Hayes had a lovely score and while O’Reilly negated it the momentum was now swinging in the opposite direction. Eoin Condon pointed and when Eoin Davis flicked the ball home in a crowded goalmouth, 2-9 to 1-5, a slight unease began to filter through the Goleen ranks.
But aroused from their slumbers they need not have worried. Darren O’Donovan ran all of 60 metres, sent a divine delivery into the path of Jack O’Driscoll, who fairly lashed it home. A minute later the dynamic Patrick Scully got a glorious third point, game, set and match to rampant Goleen, bigger fish to fry.
Scorers
Goleen: Michael O’Reilly 0-6 (5f); Patrick Scully 0-3; Darren O’Donovan, Micheál O’Donovan, Jack O’Driscoll 1-0 each; Tadhg Cullinane 0-1.
St Catherine’s: Eoin Davis 1-1 (1f); James Hayes 0-3; Eoin Condon 0-1.
Goleen: Ronan Kennedy; Paul Collins, Jack O’Driscoll, Michael Sheehan; Jake Coughlan, Pádraig Reidy, Patrick Sheehan; Adam Sheehan, Tadhg Cullinane; David Farrell, Daniel O’Driscoll, Patrick Scully; Paidi O’Regan, Darren O’Donovan, Michael O’Reilly.
Subs: Micheál O’Donovan for David Farrell (inj, 18); John Cullinane for Paidi O’Regan (inj, 40); Shane O’Leary for Michael O’Reilly (50), Tadhg Reidy for Jake Coughlan (50); David O’Leary for Paul Collins (inj, 52).
St Catherine’s: Alan Carr; Kian O’Donoghue, Eoghan O’Riordan, Kieran Neville; Evan O’Driscoll, Liam O’Connor, James Hayes; Aaron Neville, Oisín Fitzgerald; Seán O’Donoghue, Rory Galvin, Conor Hayes; Ciarán Pietropaolo, Eoin Condon, Edward Kenneally.
Subs: Richard O’Connell for Conor Hayes (ht), Eoghan Davis for Ciarán Pietropaolo (ht), Timmy Barry for Kian O’Donoghue (51), Diarmuid O’Connell for Aaron Neville (53).
Referee: Luke Knight (Kilmurry).
