Ballinascarthy 1-10
Barryroe 0-11
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
A GOLDEN goal, the only one of the game, scored with power and panache in the 40th minute by full forward Pádraic Cullinane proved crucial to the outcome of this absorbing tussle at the latter’s venue on Sunday morning.
It earned bragging rights for the Reds in this cracking Dubliner Cheese Carbery-Beara Junior Football League Division 1 local derby opening-round clash against a resilient Barryroe side, but more importantly the brace of league points on offer.
‘Both teams had opportunities before that goal, we were just lucky to get it at the right time. It had a big bearing on the result, which gets us up and running,’ explained a delighted Ballinascarthy manager Barry Hanrahan.
‘We have a new coach coming on board this year in Michael Evans, while we introduced a couple of new players today, it is crucial to win the home matches. There is an added incentive this year as the winners will go on to represent Carbery in the county league.’
After a fine move involving Tomás Ó Buachalla and Dave O’Sullivan, two of Barryroe’s marquee players, the latter was fouled and the irrepressible Ryan O’Donovan bisected the uprights to begin his seven-point scoring crusade. It was tit for tat with Barryroe doing very well against the stiff breeze.
A splendid point from a sideline by the influential Conall Cullinane drew Bal level. Tomás O’Buachalla and the energetic Aidan O’Donovan, who was making a welcome return from injury, swapped points before Barryroe hit a purple patch, Ryan O’Donovan hitting three sublime scores to leave the visitors with a three-point cushion, 0-5 to 0-2, at the close of the opening quarter.
Slowly, but surely Bal got to grips with the Blues scoring threat. With the Nyhan brothers, Cathal at midfield and Ciarán at full back, augmented by the positive play of Dan Twomey, Tristan Walsh, Daniel O’Brien and Keith Nyhan, two fabulous scores by Pádraic Cullinane and Aidan O’Donovan cut the deficit to the minimum, 0-5 to 0-4, by the 21st minute.
The Blues stalled the momentum of the victors as fine defensive play by the Moloney duo James and Daniel saw them win quality possession. Dave O’Sullivan bisected the uprights for a quality score, but a point by Dean Harte and a free by Conall Cullinane ensured deadlock. Not for long as after Pádraic Cullinane found the range, a blistering Blues offensive saw a rocket by Brian O’Donovan just scrape the Reds crossbar, goalkeeper Tadhg O’Neill coming to the rescue in the initial attack, 0-7 to 0-7 and all to play for on resuming.
Now with the wind to their backs Barryroe applied the pressure, but a couple of bad wides did little to enhance the scoreboard. Instead, Bal hit them with a killer blow in the 40th minute. A long ball out of defence by the hard-grafting Daniel Twomey saw midfielders Seán Ryan and Cathal Nyhan combine delightfully with Aidan O’Donovan and after goalkeeper Dave Murphy did well to stem the onslaught, Pádraic Cullinane was on hand to billow the net. When Conall Cullinane added a point, 1-8 to 0-7, Barryroe had a mountain to climb.
Far from it, as Ó Buachalla and Conall Cullinane swapped frees, but when Tristan Walsh soloed the length of the field for a sublime score, 1-10 to 0-8, it looked curtains for the Blues. But there is a steely resolve in the losers’ lockers and it manifested itself in the last frenetic minutes as three unanswered Ryan O’Donovan points had Bal back-peddling and glad to hear the final whistle.
Our Star: That golden goal finished in swashbuckling style by Pádraic Cullinane proved the key element in Ballinascarthy’s victory.
Ballinascarthy: Pádraic Cullinane 1-2; Conall Cullinane 0-4 (2f, 1 sl); Aidan O’Donovan 0-2; Dean Harte, Tristan Walsh 0-1 each.
Barryroe: Ryan O’Donovan 0-7 (6f); Tomás Ó Buachalla 0-2; Dave O’Sullivan, Brian O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Ballinascarthy; Tadhg O’Neill; Keith Nyhan, Ciarán Nyhan, Dan Twomey; Tristan Walsh, Ciarán O’Neill, Daniel O’Brien; Seán Ryan, Cathal Nyhan; Donagh O’Driscoll, Conall Cullinane, Cian Ryan; Dean Harte, Aidan O’Donovan, Pádraic Cullinane.
Subs: Daniel Nyhan for Ciarán O’Neill (inj, 23), Eoin Minion for Aidan O’Donovan (53).
Barryroe: Dave Murphy; Jerome O’Brien, James Moloney, Michael Walsh; Daniel Moloney, Seán O’Riordan, Diarmuid McCarthy; Conn Dineen, Dermot Dineen; Tomás Ó Buachalla, Michael Ryan, Dave O’Sullivan; Brian O’Donovan, Ryan O’Donovan, Adam McSweeney.
Subs: Aaron Fleming for Michael Ryan (inj, 40), Seán Ryan for Brian O’Donovan (52).
Referee: Andrew Whelton (Clonakilty).
