Super-sub White inspires Randal Óg to crucial win

Randal Óg 3-11   

Diarmuid Ó Mathúna 1-10 

TOM LYONS REPORTS

IN a game of swaying fortunes, it was the introduction of sub Gearóid White for injured star Seán Daly that proved to be the vital moment in this hard-fought clash.

It had all looked so good for Randal Óg in the first half of this Bandon Co-op junior A football game in Dunmanway on Saturday evening as they led by six points at the break having played against the breeze.

With Mathúnas down to 14 starting the second half due to a black card, it seemed the Ballinacarriga side would build up an unassailable lead but such was not to be as the Castletown men were transformed in the third quarter. Within seven minutes they had drawn level, courtesy of a Conor O’Sullivan goal.

To compound the difficulties of shell-shocked Randals, they had to watch as their inter-county hurler and star footballer Sean Daly was carried off with a leg injury in the 38th minute. Enter saviour, super-sub Gearóid White. Within seven minutes he had the Mathúnas’ net bulging after a weaving solo-run to put his side back in the lead. One minute later, after the impressive Barry O’Driscoll had been hauled down in the square, White expertly converted the spot kick to double the lead.

There was no way back for Mathúna’s in the last quarter, kicking only a single point, as Randals comfortably protected their two-goal lead to pick up their first pair of points in the championship, keeping themselves on course to qualify for the play-offs.

Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas's Aaron Draper gets to grips with Randal Óg's Ian Crowley.

In the first half, Randals, against the breeze, looked the better side. The points flowed from Collins, Daly and Peter Collins (three frees) as Randals led by 0-5 to 0-3 after the first quarter. Mathúnas were depending almost totally on Jack O’Callaghan from placed balls for their scores, with Ted Lordan kicking their only point from play.

The start of the second quarter saw Randals really rampant as O’Driscoll, Conor O’Neill and Peter Collins stretched their lead. When O’Driscoll set up Donncha Collins for a goal in the 17th minute, the gap was eight points and Mathúna’s were floundering. To their credit, last year’s county B champions refused to throw in the towel. O’Callaghan converted three frees, in answer to a single score from Conor O’Neill. Mathúnas’ hill to climb became a mountain on the stroke of half time when strong midfielder Matthew Draper was black carded. It was Randals to the fore, 1-9 to 0-6 ahead at half time.

What a transformation we witnessed in the second half as Mathúnas re-emerged a changed outfit, despite being a man down. Points from Conor O’Sullivan, Kevin O’Donovan and O’Callaghan halved the deficit in five minutes. When O’Sullivan billowed the Randals’ net in the 37th minute, it was all square with Mathúna’s dominant.

Queue Daly’s injury, White’s introduction and his two goals salvo in two minutes at the end of the quarter and the pendulum had swung completely again.

Scorers

Randal Óg: Gearóid White 2-0 (1 pen); Donncha Collins 1-2; Peter Collins 0-4 (3f); Conor O’Neill 0-2; Barry O’Driscoll, Sean Daly, Padraig White 0-1 each.

Diarmuid Ó Mathúna: Jack O’Callaghan 0-7f; Conor O’Sullivan 1-1; Ted Lordan, Kevin O’Donovan 0-1 each.

Randal Óg: Ciarán Murray; David Collins, Tim Walsh, Eoghan Murray; Cian O’Neill, Séamus Crowley, Ian Crowley; Conor O’Neill, Peter Collins; Kevin Dullea, Seán Daly, Donncha Collins; Cathal Duggan, Sam Kingston, Barry O’Driscoll.

Subs: Padraig O’Sullivan for David Collins (20), Seadhna Crowley for C Duggan (ht), Gearóid White for S Daly (38), Páraic White for S Kingston (45), Stephen Crowley for C O’Neill (57), Martin Murphy for K Dullea (60).

Diarmuid Ó Mathúna: Eoghan O’Callaghan; Eoin Mangan, Cathal Mangan, Nick Hilliard; Robbie Lucey, Jeremiah Hurley, Shane Corcoran; Matthew Draper, Gearóid O’Donovan; Aaron Draper, Ted Lordan, Conor O’Sullivan; Jamie Lucey, Jack O’Callaghan, Kevin O’Donovan.

Subs: Gavin Aherne for S Corcoran (18), Ronan McCarthy for A Draper.

Referee: James Kingston (Carbery Rangers).