St Mary’s 1-11
Ballinascarthy 0-7
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
ST Mary’s are through to the semi-final of the Bandon Co-op Carbery Junior A Football Championship and a clash with Kilmacabea following a seven-point victory against Ballinascarthy at blustery Newcestown on Saturday.
A penalty on the stroke of half-time by influential midfielder Olan Corcoran, allied to five superb points during the last ten minutes enabled the Ballineen/Enniskeane combination finally break free from the shackles imposed by a tenacious Ballinascarthy outfit.
The Reds suffered a major blow in the warm-up when former Cork U20 star Daniel Twomey was forced to cry-off with a hamstring problem. However, wind-assisted, Bal took an early lead when Conall Cullinane’s thundering drive clipped the crossbar in the first minute. Bal added two more quick points from Brian O’Donovan and Conall Cullinane.
Bal’s early momentum began to wane when the Saints got a grip around the middle third as Olan Corcoran and Jason Collins began to gain possession. Soon, Niall Kelleher availed of a pin-point centre by Darren O’Donovan to get St Mary’s scoring show on the road. Kelleher then struck a peach of a score from an acute angle. When Olan Corcoran split the posts with a free it was all square, 0-3 to 0-3, by the 22nd minute. In the next attack Darren O’Donovan and Niall Kelleher combined to set up Aaron O’Driscoll who put the victors ahead for the first time.
Then Darren O’Donovan was fouled after he fielded a wonderful ball in a crowded Ballinascarthy goalmouth, and a penalty was awarded. Unerringly, Olan Corcoran stroked the ball beneath the diving Tadhg O’Neill. A huge boost to St Mary’s, but a sledgehammer blow to Ballinascarthy’s chances on the stroke of half-time.
Now with an Everest to scale and against the strong wind, Ballinascarthy needed a response in the second half. Conall Cullinane, brother Pádraic and Brian O’Donovan upped the tempo and the latter’s blasting shot flew just wide of the target. Conall did get the next score, but it was quickly negated by Aaron O’Driscoll. It was to be the story of the half.
The Saints stayed on course, despite having lost the injured duo of Niall Kelleher and Jason Collins, but their replacements Brian McCarthy and Stephen Keohane slotted in seamlessly. Seán Ryan converted a free as Bal refused to capitulate, Olan Corcoran replied and when Conall Cullinane converted a free, it was 1-6 to 0-6, just a goal between them with ten minutes remaining.
But tiring Bal defenders were beginning to be left in St Mary’s slipstream as the pace intensified. Olan Corcoran (free), Brian McCarthy, Stephen Keohane, the outstanding Jack Hurley and Corcoran again hit the target, Marys were home and hosed before Brian O’Donovan’s late screamer flew through a wall of defenders to bring down the curtain with the last point.
‘The goal from the penalty was crucial, it gave us a buffer and we drove on and finished well to take some quality scores,’ said Tiernan O’Driscoll, the St Mary’s manager.
‘We will face a formidable Kilmacabea in the semi-final. They have quality players all over the pitch. It will be the real acid test, but we are up for it, despite losing some key players today to injuries.’
St Mary’s play Kilmacabea in the semi-final this Saturday, 19th, at Ballinacarriga at 4pm.
Scorers
St Mary’s: Olan Corcoran 1-4 (1-0 penalty, 2 f); Niall Kelleher, Aaron O’Driscoll 0-2 each; Stephen Keohane, Brian McCarthy, Jack Hurley 0-1 each.
Ballinascarthy: Conall Cullinane 0-4; Brian O’Donovan 0-2; Seán Ryan 0-1 each.
St Mary’s: Peter Daly; William Hennigan, Ryan Scannell, Mark O’Driscoll; Cillian McGillycuddy, David Curtin, Eoin Cullinane; Olan Corcoran, Jason Collins; Gearóid Harrington, Michael O’Driscoll, Aaron O’Driscoll; Niall Kelleher, Darren O’Donovan, Jack Hurley.
Subs: Brian McCarthy for Niall Kelleher (40), Stephen Keohane for Jason Collins (40), Rory Baggott for William Hennigan (49), Luke Kearney for David Curtin (55).
Ballinascarthy: Tadhg O’Neill; Eoin O’Brien, Gearóid O’Leary, James O’Brien; Tristan Walsh, Ciarán Nyhan, David Walsh; Daniel Nyhan, Cathal Nyhan; Luke Murray, Seán Ryan, Jeremy Ryan; Padraic Cullinane, Brian O’Donovan, Conall Cullinane.
Subs: Seamus McCarthy for Tristan Walsh (ht), Ciarán O’Neill for Cathal Nyhan (40), Cian Ryan for Jeremy Ryan (40), James Lynam for David Walsh (43), Daniel O’Brien for Luke Murray (55), Eoghan Ferguson for Ciarán O’Neill (55).
Referee: Anthony Madden (Kilbrittain).
