Diarmuid Ó Mathúna 1-10
Castlehaven 0-10
IT’S hard to beat a team with momentum and that’s exactly what Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas are this season.
Their hurlers, unbeaten in league and championship, were waiting in the Carbery junior A final as their junior A footballers took to the pitch in Dunmanway on Friday night in the semi-final of the Bandon Co-op junior A football championship.
Despite a surprise and merited win over Carbery Rangers in the quarter-final they entered this game as underdogs again against a Castlehaven side hell bent on laying down a winning marker for their senior team in their semi-final against St Finbarr’s on Sunday.
For half an hour this game seemed to be panning out as predicted, a lively start from the “Maw-Maws,” as Mathúnas are affectionately known, but a takeover from the experienced and crafty Haven men as they carefully built a three-point lead.
Castlehaven's Patrick O'Brien is challenged by Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Gavin Aherne during the semi-final clash.
It was down to two at half-time, but back up to three within minutes of the restart. Ominously for the Haven, they weren’t pulling away from a dogged Mathúnas.
The crucial moment arrived in the 43rd minute when a superb long ground pass by Aaron Draper was collected by Jamie Lucey out near the sideline at an acute angle to the goal. Did he shoot for a point or chance a goal? Whichever, the ball flew across the goalmouth and dipped perfectly into the top left corner of the net. Mathúnas in front, their supporters in the large crowd going wild, and there was just no stopping them subsequently.
Controlling the last quarter superbly, they kept the Haven at arm’s length on the scoreboard, and even though luck was definitely with them when the Haven crashed a shot off the crossbar late in the game, the hungrier, fitter and better team won out in the end. The Haven weren’t helped in a hectic finish when they were reduced to 13, two players seeing double yellow.
‘This is my first year with these lads and it’s a great feeling right now. Winning is a habit and these lads are flying in the hurling,’ said a delighted Mathúnas’ manager Denis Healy, former manager of Dohenys’ senior team but living in Mathúna territory.
‘You can’t beat momentum but we would be worried about exhaustion. It’s non-stop now every weekend. We started well but they took over for a while. They’re an experienced side and we knew they were going to be cute. In fairness, it was touch and go, the goal came for us at a vital time. I thought we controlled the game very well after the goal.
‘It was a great second half for us and credit to the lads, before the game you’d know they were going to give everything they had on the night. They weren’t going out that gate a beaten team.’
Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Connor O'Sullivan defending against Castlehaven's Liam O'Mahony during the Bandon Co-op JAFC semi-final in Dunmanway on Friday night. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Even though Haven opened the scoring with a fine effort from Pa O’Brien, it was the eager Mathúnas who grabbed the early initiative. Points from Robbie Lucey, Kevin O’Donovan and Jack O’Callaghan had them two to the good at the end of the first quarter. It was then we saw the experience of Seán Dineen, Roland Whelton, Shane Nolan and Shane Hurley coming to the fore as the Haven grabbed control and the next five points fell to the men in blue stripes. Shane Nolan did most of the damage with four superb efforts from frees, sandwiching a point from play by Pa O’Brien.
Mathúnas managed to regain some composure before the break with points from the hard-working Jeremiah Hurley and man-of-the match Jack O’Callaghan (free). Nolan kicked one from play and it was Haven in front, 0-7 to 0-5, at the interval.
Shane Nolan quickly restored the three-point lead from a free after the restart but the Castletown men were showing unbending spirit with Aaron Draper, Barry Lordan, Jeremiah Hurley, Conor O’Sullivan, Robbie Lucey, Kevin O’Donovan, Jamie Lucey and Jack O’Callghan all providing leadership. Points from Conor O’Sullivan and O’Callaghan (free) had the lead down to one. All of a sudden the Haven were looking tired and under pressure, having to line out without their three minors.
Jamie Lucey’s goal in the 43rd minute came at exactly the right time for the winners and they led by two at the three-quarter stage, 1-7 to 0-8. There was no let-up in the last quarter as their challenge gathered momentum and mature Haven legs began to tire, despite the best efforts of Joseph Bohane, Ciarán O’Sullivan and Shane O’Connell.
The Maw-Maws had a definite grip in the middle third but were lucky to see a blaster from Pa O’Brien rebound off their crossbar in the 50th minute. Mathúnas kept the lead as Robbie Lucey swapped points with Joseph Bohane, and Seán Crowley (free) with Shane Nolan (free). O’Callaghan had the last say from a free for Mathúnas but they had to do some last-ditch defending in injury time to prevent the Haven, who by then had lost Seán Dineen and Roland Whelton to double yellows, from snatching a late equalising goal.
Castlehaven's David Whelton tries to get past Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Sean Crowley during the Bandon Co-op JAFC semi-final in Dunmanway on Friday night.
Little wonder there was great celebration in the Mathúna camp at the final whistle. Another courageous under-dog victory and two finals to look forward to in the coming weeks. Beware the team with momentum!
‘We know that the final is going to be tough, no matter which team comes through but I love being the underdog. It’s a final, anything can happen on the day and one thing for sure, the lads will give it everything,’ said Healy.
Scorers - Diarmuid Ó Mathúna: Jack O’Callaghan 0-4 (2f); Jamie Lucey 1-0; Robbie Lucey 0-2; Conor O’Sullivan, Jeremiah Hurley, Kevin O’Donovan, Seán Crowley (1f) 0-1 each. Castlehaven: Shane Nolan 0-7 (6f); Pa O’Brien 0-2; Joseph Bohane 0-1.
Diarmuid Ó Mathúna: Oisín O’Leary; Seán Crowley, Barry Lordan, Eoin Mangan; Aaron Draper, Conor O’Sullivan, Gavin Aherne; Matt Draper, Jeremiah Hurley; Robbie Lucey, Kevin O’Donovan, Ronan McCarthy; Jamie Lucey, Ted Lordan, Jack O’Callaghan. Subs: Nick Hilliard for R McCarthy (43), Caolan O’Donovan for B Lordan (43), James Fleming for R Lucey (52), Michael O’Sullivan for G Aherne (52).
Castlehaven: Stephen Collins; Tom O’Leary, Joseph Bohane, Seán Walsh; Seán Dineen, Roland Whelton, Seán Bohane; Ciarán O’Sullivan, Liam O’Mahony; Fiachra Collins, Shane Hurley, Shane O’Connell; David Whelton, Shane Nolan, Pa O’Brien. Subs: Kevin O’Donovan for D Whelton, (45), Tiernan Collins for S Bohane (45), Donncha O’Donovan for S Hurley (55).
Referee: Shane Scanlon (Newcestown).
