GOLEEN are two wins away from completing a championship treble in 2024.
They face Ballinhassig in the McCarthy Insurance Group county junior B football championship semi-final this Sunday at 2pm in Rossmore. This game was postponed last weekend because of an unplayable pitch.
Goleen have won the confined county junior B football title and the Carbery junior B football championship already this season. They are also West Cork junior league Division 2 champions, making their season even more emphatic.
Not only have they won trophies but their consistency is off the charts – they have only lost one game so far in 2024, against Randal Óg in the junior league, 2-8 to 2-9. Even then, Randal Óg operate at a grade higher than Goleen in junior A.
Goleen have played five junior A championship teams in the league and won against four of them, proving they can mix it even before going up in 2025.
In total, Goleen have played 17 games in 2024 and won 16 of them. Their average championship-winning margin across county, confined and Carbery is 14 points. They aren’t just beating teams by the skin of their teeth, they are putting them to the sword.
Look at the results. In the Carbery junior B football championship Goleen beat Muintir Bháire (2-20 to 0-4), St James (3-16 to 1-6), Dohenys (0-14 to 0-5) and Clann na nGael (2-13 to 0-6). In the Cork JBFC quarter-final Goleen defeated Deel Rovers 3-8 to 0-9. That’s a scoring total of 10-71 (20.2 points per game), and a concession of just 1-30 (6.6 points per game).
The players’ decision at the end of 2023 to stay in the junior B grade is reaping rewards. Confidence is at an all-time high with the squad. Winning is definitely a habit and they look unstoppable in their current form.
Everything seems to be going right so far and that was shown in their 3-8 to 0-9 win over Deel Rovers in the county junior B quarter-final.
But their Carrigdhoun opponents this Sunday will present a stern challenge. Ballinhassig are coming into this semi-final on the back of an 0-11 to 0-10 quarter-final win over Newmarket. An extra point to note is that the current group of Goleen players have never played the Carrigdhoun champions.
While it is another new challenge, which the team are no doubt looking forward to, it is a journey into the unknown. Ballinhassig are on a four-game winning streak having seen off Kinsale, Tracton and Crosshaven in their division as well as Newmarket in the county series.
The Carbery champions won’t take anything for granted. They haven’t done so all season, and have remained grounded. It is hard to see Goleen not progressing to yet another junior final.
