Bantry Blues 1-14
Uibh Laoire 1-12
IT WAS a familiar pairing in the Bons Secours Premier IFC on Saturday as Bantry Blues faced Uibh Laoire in Kealkill.
The two met in the 2022 semi-final and it was the same outcome as last year: a Bantry win. Midfielder and captain Seanie O’Leary scored a crucial goal with time almost up to steal the points away from their Muskerry opposition.
Uibh Laoire’s Ian Jones opened the scoring, kicking a good point into the wind. Barry O’Leary added two scores in a matter of minutes for the Mid Corj side. In between those, Billy Foley pointed for the Blues, 0-3 to 0-1.
Uibh Laoire were playing into a very strong wind in the opening half and Bantry needed to start making an impression on the game to stay in contention. The West Cork men’s inter-county star Ruairi Deane was getting on to more ball, despite Uibh Laoire doing their best to hinder him. Coming up to 13 minutes, Arthur Coakley and captain O’Leary scores levelled matters. The teams were level four more times in the half before Bantry’s Paddy Cronin converted a free to leave them leading 0-8 to 0-7 at the break.
The second half started at a frantic pace. Cork senior footballer Chris Óg Jones levelled the game at 0-8 apiece. A dominant spell for Bantry followed as Cronin put them back in front. Goalkeeper Michael Casey landed kickouts to his brother Kevin, who scored two in a row, 0-11 to 0-8. The Carbery side seemed in control, but a fortuitous goal by Ian Jones followed to level the contest.
Bantry didn’t lose their composure though as corner back Eoghan Minehane scored a magnificent point. Coakley then followed that up with another score, 0-13 to 1-8, with ten minutes to go. Uibh Laoire hit the next four scores, however, as Cathal Vaughan added three points to retake their lead. That was until the big moment came. Bantry goalkeeper Casey kicked the ball out 70 metres into the wind for Seanie O’Leary to claim and after a lung-bursting run, he rattled the Uibh Laoire net, 1-13 to 1-12.
A superb run out of defence by championship newcomer Mark Óg O’Sullivan forced a free which Cronin converted to stretch the lead out to two once more. The points to Bantry.
Scorers
Bantry Blues: S O’Leary 1-2; P Cronin 0-5 (2f); K Casey 0-3; A Coakley 0-2; B Foley, E Minehane 0-1 each.
Uibh Laoire: C Óg Jones, C Vaughan (1f) 0-4 each; I Jones 1-1; B O’Leary 0-2; S O’Riordan 0-1.
Bantry Blues: M Casey; M Óg O’Sullivan, T Cronin, E Minihane; B Foley, J O’Neill, S Thornton; S O’Leary, D McCarthy; D Daly, K Casey, S Keevers; P Cronin, R Deane, A Coakley.
Uibh Laoire: J Creedon; D O’Donovan, C Galvin, D O’Riordan; K Manning, D Kelly, S O’Leary; S O’Riordan, C O’Riordan; I Jones, C Vaughan, B O’Leary; B Cronin, C Óg Jones, S Pickering.
Subs: B O’Riordan for Cronin, T Roberts for Pickering.
Referee: J Enright (Glengarriff).
