Barryroe’s extra gear finally sinks Ballinascarthy

CARBERY JAFC SEMI-FINAL

BARRYROE: 5-10

BALLINASCARTHY: 1-11

BY JOHN MURPHY

BARRYROE footballers are back in the big time: the men from the barony of Ibane bridged a 20-year gap at resplendent Enniskeane last Sunday as a tsunami of extra-time scores, a staggering 2-6 to a solitary Ballinascarthy point in reply, propelled them into the final of the Bandon Co-op JAFC and a joust with Kilmacabea.

Favourites Barryroe were 11-point victors at the end, but for long stages in normal time this clash was balanced on a knife edge and indeed the Blues could quite easily have been caught during this spell, Ballinascarthy’s failure to take scoring opportunities – they shot eight wides to their opponents three in the opening half – will surely come back to haunt them.

The game began at an electrifying pace, Conall Cullinane and Olan O’Donovan sharing the opening brace of points. Eoghan Ferguson gave the Reds the lead, but inside two minutes Bal shot-stopper Tadhg O’Neill was picking the ball out of his own net twice, a two-goal blast rocking the losers to the core. Firstly, able captain David O’Sullivan fed the industrious Seán Holland and his pin-point cross was crashed to the Bal rigging by ace-goal poacher Olan O’Donovan.

Scarcely had the cheering died down when another scintillating move saw Holland raise the second green flag with a blockbuster in the eighth minute. Bal were reeling but great scores by Brian O’Donovan (free) and Eoghan Ferguson reducing the deficit. Olan O’Donovan replied and just at the end of the closing quarter, Tadhg O’Neill denied Ryan O’Donovan from point-blank range. A delightful white flag from Conall Cullinane and a brace by Brian O’Donovan (0-1 free) cut the lead to the minimum, 2-2 to 0-7 by the 28th minute.

Bal were firing on all cylinders now and had Ciarán Nyhan and Ciarán O’Neill, midfielders Seán Ryan and Daniel Nyhan winning positive possession while up-front Ferguson, Brian O’Donovan, Ricky O’Flynn and Conall Cullinane enacting positive turnovers. From one such situation Cullinane streaked down the left touchline, left his marker for dead and powered an unstoppable drive past Gearóid Holland, as Ballinascarthy led 1-7 to 2-3 at the break.

On resuming substitute Mark Crowley soon made his presence felt bisecting the uprights, but two converted frees by Cullinane following fine play by Daniel Twomey and Ciarán O’Neill had the Reds ahead 1-9 to 2-3. However, Barryroe upped the tempo and they struck for a crucial goal in the 45th minute as Tomás O’Buachalla outfoxed the Bal cover to send a screamer to the Reds rigging. Now scores were at a premium and Ryan O’Donovan’s free in the 55th minute looked like signalling lights out for Ballinascarthy. But the Bal bench had an ace up their sleeve and in the 63rd minute, substitute and regular free-taker Cillian Cullinane, who was unable to start sent a pressure kick over to send the game to extra-time, Bal 1-10 Barryroe 3-4.

Few in the big crowd would have imagined the transformation in Barryroe’s fortunes. They submerged a tiring Ballinascarthy with a tirade of scores from all angles. In the first period of extra-time points by Seán Holland, after Tadhg O’Neill had brought off a wonderful save to deny the Barryroe dynamo, Ryan and Brian O’Donovan and the icing on the cake as Mark Crowley scored a superb fourth goal. Halftime in extra-time 4-7 to 1-10. When Brian O’Donovan (Barryroe) rattled the net on resuming the show was well and truly over, as a neat point by Brian O’Donovan (Bal) was all the now well beaten losers could muster the Blues cantering home in style, the O’Donovan’s Olan and Ryan having the last say.

Scorers for Barryroe: Ryan O’Donovan 0-5 (0-3 frees), Olan O’Donovan 1-2, Brian O’Donovan, Seán Holland, Mark Crowley 1-1 each, Tomás O’Buachalla 1-0. Ballinascarthy: Conall Cullinane 1-4(0-3 frees), Brian O’Donovan 0-4(0-2 frees), Eoghan Ferguson 0-2, Cillian Cullinane 0-1(free).

Barryroe: Gearóid Holland; James Moloney, Seán O’Riordan, Patrick Moloney; TomásO’Buachalla, David O’Sullivan, Jerome O’Brien; Robbie Kiely, Conn Dineen; David Murphy, Olan O’Donovan, Brian O’Donovan; Ryan O’Donovan, Adam McSweeney, Seán Holland.

Subs: Donal O’Buachalla for Brian O’Donovan(half/time), Mark Crowley for Jerome, O’Brien(half/time), Michael Walsh for Adam McSweeney(38), Diarmuid McCarthy for James Maloney(54), Brian O’Donovan for Donal O’Buachalla, Jerome O’Brien for Patrick Moloney, Jack Cahalane for Seán Holland. (all extra/time).

Ballinascarthy: Tadhg O’Neill; Ruairi O’Brien, Gearóid O’Leary, Ciarán Nyhan; Dan Twomey, Daniel O’Brien, Ciarán O’Neill; Seán Ryan, Daniel Nyhan; Conall Cullinane, Ricky O’Flynn, Eoghan Ferguson; Brian O’Donovan, Dean Harte, Colm O’Brien.

Subs: Pádraic Cullinane for Ricky O’Flynn (44), Jeremy Ryan for Dean Harte (44), Aaron Ryan for Eoghan Ferguson (52), David Walsh for Ruairi O’Brien (57), Cillian Cullinane for Daniel O’Brien (63), Eoghan Ferguson for Cillian Cullinane(extra/time), Cian Ryan for Daniel Nyhan (extra/time).

Referee: Jack Forbes (Dohenys).

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Our Star: The O’Donovan’s Olan and Ryan collectively amassed an impressive total of 1-7, but as a field marshal centre-forward Seán Holland was imperious, scoring a superb goal and assisting in a couple more, he deservedly takes the gong.

Star moment: Tomás O’Buachalla’s goal at the end of the third quarter, giving Barryroe the momentum to raise their game, while a setback for Ballinascarthy.

Talking point: What else but that avalanche of extra-time Barryroe scores, enough to sink a team of greater calibre than the losers.

What’s next? Barryroe meet Kilmacabea tomorrow night in the final.