O’Donovan cousins spearhead Barryroe’s impressive win

Barryroe 3-13

St Mary’s 1-6

TOM LYONS REPORTS

SPEARHEADED by the lethal O’Donovan cousins, Barryroe cruised to a comprehensive victory over a depleted St Mary’s in this first-round Bandon Co-op JAFC game at windswept Ahiohill.

Between them Ryan and Olan contributed 3-10 of Barryroe’s total, the icing on the cake coming in the 56th minute when they combined to send Ryan through for their third goal.

Not that this was a two-man show from the light blues. They had star performers who ensured that the quality of ball going into the inside forward line was of top quality. Playing with a gale of wind in the first half, they had the game safely under control at half time when leading by 12 points, 1-12 to 1-0.

Most of the damage was done in the first quarter, the goal coming in the ninth minute when Olan O’Donovan fielded a long ball from Patrick Moloney and billowed the net. It was 1-7 to nil on the 15-minute mark, the points coming from the O’Donovans and Donal Ó Buachalla.

St Mary's Diarmuid Whooley White feels the pressure from Barryroe's duo Donal O Buachalla and Cathal Sheehy during the Bandon Co-op JAFC game at Ahiohill. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Outgunned St Mary’s tried hard to stop the tide in the second quarter but had to wait until the 22nd minute for their first score , a superb goal from Cork U20 player Olan Corcoran. It was 1-12 to 1-0 at the break, the points coming from Ryan O’Donovan and Tomás Ó Buachalla.

With Peter Daly, Darren O’Donovan, Olan Corcoran, Rory Baggot, Eoin Cullinane, Mark O’Driscoll and Paudie McNamara to the fore, St Mary’s, short 12 of their championship 15, got a good start to the second half with the gale and were awarded a penalty for a foul on Darren O’Donovan. But Gearóid Holland brought off a great save from O’Donovan’s spot-kick.

With the speedy Seán O’Riordan, Patrick Moloney, Jerome O’Brien and David O’Sullivan back-boning a solid Barryroe defence, they conceded only a single point in the third quarter against the gale, a 45 from Rory Baggot.

St Mary's Darren O'Donovan under pressure from Barryroe's David Murphy.

Mary’s did find the target at the start of the last quarter with points from Darren O’Donovan and Olan Corcoran (two frees). The only response from Barryroe, who also found it difficult to kick against the gale, was a pointed free from Olan O’Donovan. In the 51st minute, the game was really put to bed when the outstanding Robbie Kiely, who formed a strong midfield partnership with Cathal Sheehy, was fouled in the square and Ryan O’Donovan expertly converted the spot-kick.

Olan Corcoran did kick two frees for St. Mary’s before the finish, one great effort from the right sideline, but the O’Donovans’ combined goal in the 56th minute put the lid firmly on a Barryroe display that will have them amongst the favourites to lift the title in October.

‘The O’Donovans were excellent but there was great ball going through from outside,’ said a pleased Barryroe mentor Gearóid Whelton. ‘We worked very hard in the second half against the gale and the goals in the last quarter finished it. We won’t listen to any talk of being favourites, we’ll just concentrate on our next game which is against Clonakilty and hope to pick up two points there.”

Scorers 

Barryroe: Ryan O’Donovan 2-6 (1 pen, 2f, 1m); Olan O’Donovan 1-4 (3f); Dónal Ó Buachalla 0-2, Tomás Ó Buachalla 0-1.

St Mary’s: Olan Corcoran 1-4 (4f); Darren O’Donovan, Rory Baggott (1 45) 0-1 each.

Barryroe: Gearóid Holland; Michael Walsh, Seán O’Riordan, Patrick Moloney; Tomás Ó Buachalla, James Moloney, Jerome O’Brien; Robbie Kiely, Cathal Sheehy; David Murphy, Donal Ó Buachalla, Jack Murphy; Ryan O’Donovan, Adam McSweeney, Olan O’Donovan.

Subs: David O’Sullivan for C Sheehy (ht), Seán Holland for D Ó Buachalla (43), Diarmuid McCarthy for R Kiely (55).

St Mary’s: Paul Gleeson; Diarmuid Whooley White, Brian Brady, Darren O’Neill; Cillian McGillicuddy, Jason Collins, Rory Baggott; Peter Daly, David Curtin; Mark O’Driscoll, Eoin Cullinane, Paudie McNamara; Aaron O’Driscoll, Darren O’Donovan, Olan Corcoran.

Subs: Jack Hurley for D O’Neill (20), Billy O’Brien for D Whooley White (26), Luke Kearney for C McGillicuddy (49), William Hennigan for J Collins (49), Ian O’Donovan for P McNamara (52).

Referee: Brian Crowley (Castlehaven).