St Mary’s 1-11
Barryroe 0-13
TOM LYONS REPORTS
THE champions are gone, long live the champions. A 63rd-minute point by St Mary’s full back Ryan Scannell put an end to Barryroe’s reign as Carbery junior A football champions in sunny Ardfield on Sunday.
The outgoing champions could have no complaints as not only were they guilty of far too many wides over the hour but they were undone by a hyped-up Ballineen/Enniskeane side that were never behind once man-of-the-match, Darren O’Donovan, found the net for the only goal in the seventh minute.
‘From a management point of view, we’re very satisfied. Barryroe are the champions, they never say die and they don’t panic, they’re a tough team to beat but we knew if we could keep going to the very end, we have quality players all over the pitch and that’s how it worked out,’ said a happy but relieved St Mary’s mentor Tiarnán O’Driscoll.
‘We knew a draw wouldn’t do us today and there were some heart attacks on the line in the closing stages but the players never lost their cool and the full back came up with a great winning point.’
St Mary’s got off to a great start against the breeze and slope, despite conceding the opening point to Ryan O’Donovan. With Darren O’Donovan causing havoc at full forward, with great assistance from the hard-working Niall Kelleher in a two-man full forward line, they levelled with an O’Donovan point. In the seventh minute came the crucial goal when the ball rebounded off the post and O’Donovan reacted fastest to flick it to the net. Points from O’Donovan and Kelleher, in answer to a single score from Conn Dineen, had Mary’s in front by 1-3 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter, but the loss of the influential Dylan Scannell through injury in the 13th minute definitely upset their momentum.
Upping their game considerably in the second quarter, Barryroe, lining out without injured star forward Olan O’Donovan began to dominate, but faulty shooting, ten wides in the first half cost them dearly. Keeping the pressure on, they did raise five white flags from Ryan O’Donovan (2), Dónal Ó Buachalla and Adam McSweeney (2). Mary’s managed only a single point in the second quarter, an Olan Corcoran free. Still, it was St Mary’s in the driving seat at half time, all square 1-4 to 0-7, with the breeze and slope in their favour in the second half.
What a battle it turned out to be. Mary’s forged two in front from Corcoran and O’Donovan, Ryan O’Donovan (free) and Kelleher swapped points and another Ryan O’Donovan free had the gap to the minimum at the end of the third quarter, 1-7 to 0-9. Mary’s then came with a burst of three points from Cullinane, Kelleher and O’Donovan to grab control as Seán Holland kicked a good score for Barryroe, 1-10 to 0-10.
Champions die hard and Barryroe responded with three in a row in the closing ten minutes amid fierce excitement, from Ryan O’Donovan, two superb efforts, and David Murphy. That Murphy point in the 60th minute to level the scores seemed to be the saving point for the champions as a draw would have seen them through but Mary’s never panicked. In the 62nd minute, they worked the ball down the field and up popped full back Ryan Scannell to kick a marvellous winning score.
Little wonder the Marys’ players, mentors and supporters celebrated this courageous, battling win. The champions beaten, long live the champions. St Mary’s will play Ballinascarthy in the quarter-final on Sunday, 29th, and will face Ó Mathúnas in the hurling quarter-final this Saturday, 21st, in Rossmore at 5.30pm.
Our Star: Special mention for Niall Kelleher, St Mary’s, and Ryan O’Donovan, Barryroe, but St Mary’s full forward Darren O’Donovan was the class act and the difference between the sides as he kicked 1-4.
Scorers
St Mary’s: Darren O’Donovan 1-4; Niall Kelleher 0-3; Olan Corcoran 0-2 (1f); Ryan Scannell, Eoin Scannell 0-1 each.
Barryroe: Ryan O’Donovan 0-7 (3f); Adam McSweeney 0-2; Seán Holland, Conn Dineen, Dónal Ó Buachalla, David Murphy 0-1 each.
St Mary’s: Peter Daly; Jack Hurley, Ryan Scannell, Mark O’Driscoll; Cillian McGillicuddy, William Hennigan, Eoin Cullinane; David Curtin, Olan Corcoran; Michael O’Driscoll, Dylan Scannell, Gearóid Harrington; Niall Kelleher; Darren O’Donovan, Aaron O’Driscoll.
Subs: Stephen Keohane for D Scannell (13), Jason Collins for A O’Driscoll (43), Brian McCarthy for C McGillicuddy (43).
Barryroe: Gearóid Holland; Diarmuid McCarthy, Seán O’Riordan, Michael Walsh; James Moloney, Jerome O’Brien, Tomás Ó Buachalla; Cathal Sheehy, Conn Dineen; Adam McSweeney, Mark Crowley, David Murphy; Ryan O’Donovan, Seán Holland, Dónal Ó Buachalla.
Subs: Daniel Moloney for A McSweeney (45), David O’Sullivan for C Sheehy (50), Brian O’Donovan for D McCarthy (52).
Referee: Michael O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).
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