Araglen 1-9
Garnish 0-10
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
ALREADY qualified for the knock-out stages of the Bons Secours Confined Junior B Football Championship, Garnish were knocked off top spot in Group C after this loss to Araglen at balmy Enniskeane.
The men from that great western football bastion were edged out in injury-time as a trio of late points by Aaron Hegarty (two frees) and Ben Carey garnered the laurels for Araglen.
The three-team Group C section is now done and dusted, and despite the reversal Garnish are still in contention for the big prize, joining Araglen in advancing, while Clann na nGael are the team to miss out.
In his post-match reflection Garnish mentor Sean Sweeney felt that the self-inflicted red and black cards stymied their progress and they did not play to form.
‘People look to the likes of us to carry the flag for the Beara division. We are at a huge disadvantage, falling numbers and long distances to travel to games. The black and red cards removed some of our momentum and we did not perform well on the day,’ Sweeney explained. ‘But more importantly we are still in the competition as two qualify with the withdrawal of Kilbrin.’
Garnish's Sean O'Sullivan is challenged by Araglen's Peter Finn during the Bon Secours Confined junior B FC at Enniskeane.Brendan Allen and Conor Twomey kicked early points for Araglen, but they were soon negated by a brace for Garnish by industrious full forward Donnacha Lowney. Hegarty scored his first free in the seventh minute but a sublime score by bustling Garnish centre-back Eanna Murphy restored the status quo. Seán O’Sullivan put Garnish ahead again as Araglen moved Peter Finn to the middle third in an effort to combat the aerial prowess of Garnish duo Brian and Alan O’Sullivan.
Darragh Henslaw raised a superb white flag in the 21st minute before Araglen goalkeeper Thomas Feeney brought off a marvellous save, depriving Sean O’Sullivan from point-blank range.
It was dedicatedly poised before in the 29th minute the influential Henslaw picked up a black card. It led to a period of sustained Araglen pressure, Brendan Allen and Hegarty (free) cutting the half-time deficit to the minimum, 0-6 to 0-5.
Brian O’Sullivan again obliged on resuming, but the losers were dealt a sledgehammer blow in the 34th minute, Motherway setting up Peter Finn who deftly slid the ball under the advancing Martin O’Sullivan.
Garnish, now back to full strength, rang the changes. In a hectic goalmouth scramble substitute Finbarr Sheehan had a shot blocked. The rebound saw a second blockbuster by Cian O’Neill diverted for a fruitless 45. Hegarty pointed a free in the 43rd minute while in the next sequence of play midfielder Alan O’Sullivan received a straight red card. Garnish were now under pressure, but still battling on. Lovely scores by the impressive duo of Brian and Sean O’Sullivan put them ahead against all the odds, 0-10 to 1-6 by the 58th minute.
But constant dripping wears a stone and Araglen applied the coup-de-grace in the dying embers to spoil the losers’ party and edge a cliff-hanger.
Scorers -
Araglen: Aaron Hegarty 0-5 (5f); Peter Finn 1-0; Bernard Allen 0-2; Conor Twomey, Ben Carey 0-1 each.
Garnish: Sean O’Sullivan 0-3 (1f); Eanna Murphy, Donnacha Lowney, Brian O’Sullivan 0-2 each; Darragh Henslaw 0-1 each.
Araglen: Thomas Feeney; Oisín Hogan, Shay Russell, Liam Keane; Fionnan Hickey, Jack Kearney, Diarmuid Allen; Ben Carey, Seán Hegarty; Peter Finn, Seán Motherway, Keelan O’Gorman; Aaron Hegarty, Brendan Allen, Conor Twomey.
Subs: Jake Buckley for Seán Motherway (50), Dave Brown for Keelan O’Gorman (56).
Garnish: Martin O’Sullivan; Daniel O’Sullivan, Tommy O’Sullivan, Rory O’Driscoll; Darragh Henslaw, Eanna Murphy, Jack O’Sullivan; Brian O’Sullivan, Alan O’Sullivan; Gary O’Sullivan, Sean O’Sullivan, Ralph O’Leary; Jerome O ’Dwyer, Donnacha Lowney, Cian O’Neill.
Subs: Finbarr Sheehan for Jerome O ‘Dwyer (35), Joe Harrington for Ralph O’Leary (49).
Referee: Mick O’Leary (Diarmuid O’Mathúnas).
