Barryroe 0-17
Kilbrittain 0-17
WHATEVER the GAA does with Gaelic games in the future, there is one thing they should never do: interfere with the local rivalry between near neighbours.
Barryroe v Kilbrittain in the Co-op Superstore premier junior hurling championship in Clonakilty on Friday evening proved that nothing can match local derbies when it comes to sheer excitement, will-to-win and terrific pride in the parish.
The huge crowd in Ahamilla really got caught up in this clash. Llittle wonder as the sides were level on eight occasions in the first half, retiring at 0-9 each at half time. Five more times the sides were level in the second half. Kilbrittain did manage to open gaps of more than a single point twice in that thrill-a-minute second period, by a clear three points by the 40th minute and by two points as the game went into injury time.
The black and amber looked almost certain winners on both occasions but never-say-die Barryroe fought back each time and Olan O’Donovan, who hit 0-10, became the hero when he converted two frees deep in injury time to salvage a well-earned draw for the light blues.
Referee Andrew Whelton keeps an eye on Barryroe's Olan O'Donovan as he prepare to level the match from a very acute angle against Kilbrittain.(Photo: Paddy Feen)
‘A draw was definitely a fair result,’ stated a relieved Barryroe mentor Conor Walsh.
‘Maybe there is controversy over the amount of injury time allowed at the end but these lads are great battlers, they never give up and deserved that draw. We knew this would be a battle and the crowd knew it would be. There was no separating the sides in that first half and we seemed to be in trouble on a couple of occasions in the second half but we kept at it, never gave up and got our reward.’
It was score for score from the first whistle, level at 0-3 each before Kilbrittain got a slight grip with Josh O’Donovan prominent at midfield. By the end of the first quarter, they were two points to the good, 0-5 to 0-3, with Mark Hickey (play and free), O’Donovan (2) and Ronan Crowley splitting the posts for Kilbrittain, while hard-working full forward Donal Ó Buachalla, Seán Holland and Olan O’Donovan (free) replied for Barryroe.
Two more pointed frees from O’Donovan had Barryroe level at the beginning of the second quarter and it was tit-for-tat from there to half time, both sides registering four points. The deadly accurate Mark Hickey rifled over four frees for Kilbrittain, with Dónal (2) and Tomás Ó Buachalla and Olan O’Donovan keeping the Barryroe supporters happy in reply.
Kilbrittain showed two changes for the second half, Barryroe none, and the opening four points were again shared, O’Donovan and Hickey two frees each. It was then Kilbrittain, driven on by Darragh Considine, Thomas Sheehan and Tom Harrington in defence, Josh O’Donovan at midfield and Hickey, Philip Wall and Ronan Crowley in attack, began to get a grip on the game. Points from Hickey (free), Crowley and Wall, who could have goaled, had them three in front.
Kilbrittain's Ronin Crowley is challenged by Jerome O'Brien of Barryroe during the Co-op Superstores PJHC at Clonakilty on Friday evening.
Queue a determined fight-back from Barryroe then, with Cathal Sheehy, Con Dineen and Jerome O’Brien backboning a fast-tackling defence, Adam McSweeney and David Murphy working their socks off at midfield and Olan O’Donovan, Dónal and Tomás Ó Buachalla and Seán Holland shining in attack.
Points by David Murphy, Tomás Ó Buachalla and Olan O’Donovan (free) had the sides level for the 11th time entering the last quarter. A brief flare-up, the only incident in a thoroughly sporting, hard-hitting clash, heightened the tension as Hickey and O’Donovan swapped frees. When Hickey pointed two frees as the game entered injury time, Kilbrittain looked to have snatched the honours before O’Donovan (free) cut the lead to a single point in the 63rd minute.
A few bad wides seemed to have ended Barryroe’s hopes of a draw as they applied pressure but a last-gasp, 65th minute free by Olan O’Donovan tied it all up, 0-17 each. It may have seemed like a point lost for Kilbrittain and a point gained by Barryroe but that single point could prove vital at the end of the group matches.
Scorers - Barryroe: Olan O’Donovan 0-10 (8f); Dónal Ó Buachalla 0-3; Tomás Ó Buachalla, Seán Holland, David Murphy 0-1. Kilbrittain: Mark Hickey 0-12 (11f); Ronan Crowley, Josh O’Donovan 0-2 each; Philip Wall 0-1.
Barryroe: Mark Mythen; Seán O’Riordan, Cathal Sheehy, Pa Moloney; Diarmuid McCarthy, Con Dineen, Jerome O’Brien; David Murphy, Adam McSweeney; Tomás Ó Buachalla, Olan O’Donovan, Michael Walsh; Seán Holland, Dónal Ó Buachalla, Daniel O’Driscoll. Subs: Stephen Madden for M Walsh (40), Darren McCarthy for D O’Driscoll (50).
Kilbrittain: David Desmond; Charlie Kenny, James Hurley, Darragh Considine; Thomas Sheehan, Tom Harrington, Nick O’Donovan; Colm Sheehan, Josh O’Donovan; Ronan Crowley, Declan Harrington, Mark Hickey; Philip Wall, Ross Cashman, Bertie Butler. Subs: Eoghan Byrne for N O’Donovan (ht), Maurice Sexton for B Butler (ht), Sam Shorten for R Cashman (45), Ross Cashman for D Harrington (65). Conor Hogan for D Harrington (blood sub, 53).
Referee: Andrew Whelton (Clonakilty).
