BANTRY Blues will hope to make it successive Carbery U21 football titles when they take on Ibane Gaels in the division’s U21A football final in Dunmanway this Sunday (3pm).
The Blues were crowned Carbery U21B football champions on Sunday, December 3rd last after they beat Bandon in the final, and now they are on the brink of claiming the A title as well, buoyed by their 0-15 to 2-6 semi-final win against Clonakilty last weekend.
Dara Sheedy and Paddy Cronin scored 0-5 apiece in that win and will take watching, but Bantry will also know they need to keep tabs on Ibane hotshot Olan O’Donovan – he has scored 1-11 in their two games, including six frees. Defeated 2023 finalists Ibane have the benefit of the quarter-final win against Castlehaven (1-8 to 0-5) and they beat Carbery Rangers last weekend (2-11 to 2-8). This is also Ibane’s fourth Carbery U21A final in a row, so they are well used to the big occasion, but Bantry will be boosted by their win against Clonakilty and will relish the underdog tag.
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The Carbery U21B football championship final on Sunday will see O’Donovan Rossa face Tadhg MacCarthaigh in Goleen on Sunday at 12 noon. The Skibbereen side beat Bandon in their quarter-final by one point, 1-15 to 3-8, and also had a point to spare over Ahán Gaels in their last-four clash, 1-7 to 0-9. Tadhg MacCarthaigh also won their quarter-final by a single point, 0-11 to 0-10 against St Colum’s, before they defeated Kililen by 1-13 to 0-14 in Goleen last weekend.
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Kilmeen and Kilbrittain will lock horns in the Carbery U21C football final in Bandon this Saturday, at 2.15pm, with both finalists having scored four goals each in their semi-final wins. Kilmeen had scored 5-14 in their quarter-final win against St James and followed up with four goals last weekend when they beat Clann na nGael by 4-11 to 1-9. On the other side of the draw Kilbrittain’s goals proved crucial in their tie with Randal Óg, as the black and amber advanced after a 4-6 to 0-13 win.
