Clonakilty dethrone three-in-a-row chasing Bal hurlers after an epic Carbery JAHC semi-final

Clonakilty 3-20

Ballinascarthy 2-22 (aet)

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

THE champions are gone, long live the champions!

A new name will adorn the famed Flyer Nyhan Cup this season after three-in-a-row chasing Ballinascarthy relinquished their title at Enniskeane on Sunday after a gripping encounter with great rivals Clonakilty that went down to the wire and extra-time.

One is loath to use the word classic to describe this epic, but surely it will go down in the annals of West Cork junior hurling as the best seen in many a long day.

To the victors go the plaudits, but both teams had their heroes. The brilliant White brothers, Seán, Mark and Brian, who accounted for a whopping 3-7 of Clonakilty’s total, free-taker supreme Eoin Ryan, outstanding defenders’ Liam O’Donovan, David Lowney, Jack O’Mahony, Thomas Clancy and Thomas Palmer who were the bedrock on which many Ballinascarthy attacks were foiled. Who can forget the work ethic of Kevin Cormican, Chris Kenneally, substitutes Fergal Murphy, Cian O’Donovan and Fionn McCarthy; the latter’s late, late winning point in the dying embers of extra-time the stuff dreams are made of.

Clonakilty's Jack O'Mahony defending against Ballinascarthy's Sean Ryan during the RCM Tarmacadam JAHC semi-final at Enniskeane.

Certainly, Ballinascarthy lost no caste and went down with all guns blazing. Defensively, they were well served by goalkeeper Darragh Hennessy, full back Chris Ryan, the Nyhan brothers Daniel and Ciarán, the latter’s mammoth point at a crucial juncture being invaluable, the midfield duo of Luke Murray and ace marksman supreme Jeremy Ryan, who accounted for 0-9 of the Reds’ total.

Up in the engine-room Conall Cullinane crashed in a fantastic opening goal, there was a sublime quartet of white flags by veteran Ricky O’Flynn, while the star of the show was dynamic Brian O’Donovan who tallied up an impressive 1-4.

Starting off at a frenetic pace both sides traded early points, with Brian O’Donovan and Kevin Cormican scoring. Clonakilty forged ahead with the White brothers, Seán and Mark, hitting the target, but quality scores by Jeremy Ryan (free) and Conall Cullinane saw the sides level, 0-3 to 0-3, by the 12th minute. A spate of white flags by Eoghan Ferguson, Jeremy Ryan and Cullinane made it a double scores margin, 0-6 to 0-3 at the close of the opening quarter.

Most of the drama in the opening half was reserved for the second quarter. Firstly, Darragh Hennessy denied Seán White from point-blank range. Then after Brian White had raised another white flag Bal struck for the opening goal – Brian O’Donovan the architect, Conall Cullinane crashing an unstoppable drive past Shane Collins. From the puck-out Clonakilty transferred the sliotar down the field, Seán White bit the dust and brother Mark obliged from the penalty spot in the 19th minute. It was that kind of a clash; blink and you missed a score. At the short whistle Clonakilty held a two-point advantage, 2-7 to 1-8, thanks to a fantastic Seán White goal orchestrated by brother Brian in the 29th minute.

Mark White and Jeremy Ryan exchanged white flags on resuming and when Mark White billowed the net for a second time in the 34th minute to leave it 3-8 to 1-9, the champions looked in trouble. The best was yet to come from the Reds. One minute later ace goal-poacher Brian O’Donovan struck a beauty from an acute angle. A bevy of scores by both sides followed, which would need a special edition of Star Sport to do justice to, but at the end of a titanic battle in normal time it was deadlocked, 3-14 to 2-17.

Ballinascarthy's Daniel O'Brian coming out of defence with the ball past Clonakilty's Brian White.

Tired bodies summoned energy reserves in extra-time. Eoin Ryan, Brian White and Chris Kenneally bisecting the uprights while the unerring Jeremy Ryan was Bal’s sole scorer. It was 3-17 to 2-18 at half time in extra-time. It was all to play for still as four brilliant scores by Ricky O’Flynn matched by the flawless accuracy of Eoin Ryan left it 2-22 to 3-19 and the clock ticking down. Just when the dreaded penalty shoot-out loomed, up popped Fionn McCarthy to break Ballinascarthy’s hearts and send the Clonakilty side-line into ruptures of delight.

Scorers

Clonakilty: Mark White 2-2 (1-0 pen); Eoin Ryan 0-6 (5f); Seán White 1-2; Chris Kenneally, Brian White (1f) 0-3 each; Niall Barrett, Kevin Cormican, Fergal Murphy, Fionn McCarthy 0-1 each.

Ballinascarthy: Jeremy Ryan 0-9 (6f, 1 65); Brian O’Donovan 1-4; Conall Cullinane 1-2; Ricky O’Flynn 0-4; Eoghan Ferguson, Ciarán O’Neill, Ciarán Nyhan 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: Shane Collins; Thomas Palmer, Thomas Clancy, Liam O’Donovan; Jack O’Mahony, David Lowney, David O’Sullivan; Niall Barrett, Aaron Cullinane; Eoin Ryan, Kevin Cormican, Chris Kenneally; Brian White, Mark White, Seán White.

Subs: Ciarán Crowley, Fergal Murphy, Tim McCarthy, Cian O’Donovan, Conor Daly, Fionn McCarthy.

Ballinascarthy: Darragh Hennessy; Daniel O’Brien, Chris Ryan, Eoin O’Brien; Daniel Nyhan, Aidan O’Donovan, Ciarán Nyhan; Luke Murray, Jeremy Ryan; Eoghan Ferguson, Ciarán O’Neill, Ricky O’Flynn; Brian O’Donovan, Seán Ryan, Conall Cullinane.

Subs: Ben Murray, James O’Brien, Seamus McCarthy, Colm O’Brien.

Referee: Shane Scanlon (Newcestown).