Valleys clai South East U21A football title for the fourth year running
Valley Rovers 1-15
Carrigaline 1-9
JOE KENNEFICK REPORTS
A BLISTERING start to the second half was enough for Valley Rovers to see off the challenge of Carrigaline in the SE U21A final in Ballygarvan last Sunday.
In the process, Valleys claimed this South East U21A football title for the fourth year running and it was their 20th title overall in this final.
Even though Valley Rovers had raced into a 1-6 to 0-3 lead after 17 minutes, Carrigaline found their form and only trailed by a point, 1-8 to 1-7, at the interval, but a storming third quarter from the current county champions was enough to see them retain their title.
Carrigaline’s cause wasn’t helped when they lost current Cork U21 football star Brian Coakley to injury in the 46th minute, but it’s doubtful if Coakley, who had kicked three good points, could have turned the tide on his own.
Valleys had points from the lively Adam Settini and Tadgh O’Brien before centre back Jack Lyons found the net after a defence-splitting run from Chris O’Leary found Dara Looney who setup Lyons to goal from close range.
Carrigaline responded with points from Coakley and Barry Ryan, but similar scores from O’Brien, Settini and man-of-the-match Daire Lordan saw Valleys lead 1-6 to 0-3 after 17 minutes.
Carrigaline hit their best period of the match, with good points from Eoin O’Connor and Colin Maguire before Matthew O’Reilly blasted to the net to leave just a point between the sides at the interval.
Carrigaline needed a good start to the second half, but it was Valley Rovers who turned up the pressure, forcing Carrigaline into mistakes which were to prove costly.
Eoin O’Reilly, who was unerring from frees, pointed before Settini and Looney both pointed from mistakes as Carrigaline needlessly gave away possession.
Maguire and sub Jack McCarthy kept Carrigaline’s score ticking over, but points from Looney, O’Reilly and O’Leary put Valley Rovers back on the county trail again.
Scorers
Valley Rovers: E O’Reilly 0-5f; A Settini 0-3; J Lyons 1-0; D Looney, T O’Brien 0-2 each; D Lordan, C O’Leary, P Hurley 0-1 each.
Carrigaline: M O’Reilly 1-0; C Maguire 0-3 (1f); B Coakley 0-3 (1f); B Ryan, E O’Connor, J McCarthy 0-1 each.
Valley Rovers: C Desmond; B O’Leary, D O’Brien, A Lyons; D Lordan, J Lyons, J Kiely; D O’Sullivan, C O’Leary; T O’Brien, B Crowley, A Settini; P Hurley, D Looney, E O’Reilly.
Sub used: B Murphy for A Lyons (6, inj).
Carrigaline: K Daly; C Murphy, K Kavanagh, N Quirke; E O’Connor, D Griffin, B Lynch; B Coakley, E Ryle; M O’Reilly, B Ryan, D Stack; B Pope, S Maguire, C Maguire.
Subs used: K Duane for D Stack (15, inj), J McCarthy for B Lynch (35), N Coleman for S Maguire (46), D O’Reilly for B Coakley (46, inj).
