CHARLEVILLE 0-15

BALLYGARVAN 0-11

JJ HURLEY REPORTS

BALLYGARVAN bowed out of the McCarthy Group Insurance Junior A Football Championship after a brave but frustrating defeat to Charleville in Glenville on Saturday evening.

Twice the Carrigdhoun men looked odds-on favourites to push on for victory, but their failure to put away the Avondhu side when on top proved costly in the end.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, Ballygarvan led by 0-10 to 0-8, but they allowed Charleville back into the contest and were outscored by seven points to one over the closing stages.

For Cork senior footballer Sean Brady, it was something of a bittersweet occasion as he made a welcome return from the injury he picked up against Dublin during the summer.

‘Great to get back on the pitch, but bitterly disappointed. Looked to put up a big score on them in the first half. We got it up to six but they tied it up before half-time,’ he said.

‘Playing up a hill like that going in level is not going to do, and Charleville pushed on in the second half.’

Ballygarvan got off to a flyer as Daniel Mackey opened the scoring after less than two minutes.

Despite the persistent rain and greasy conditions, they led by 0-4 to 0-0 after 13 minutes, with Niall Dowd swinging over two fine scores from the left-hand side.

The tally was stretched to 0-6 on 15 minutes as Dylan O’Connor made no mistake with a two-point free.

As though someone had thrown a light switch, Charleville roared into the contest, with Jack O’Callaghan on target from a two-point free on 18 minutes.

Taking control of the game — and with Ballygarvan giving away easy possession — the North Cork side pegged Ballygarvan back to a three-point lead by the 22nd minute.

With the South East side failing to make any real headway up front, a two-point score and a single white flag, both from O’Callaghan, tied the contest at the break.

The early period of the second half saw both sides trading scores, and the teams were level on 42 minutes at 0-8 apiece as Piaras O’Halloran and Michael O’Mahony combined for a superb score during that spell.

Despite the introduction of All-Star hurler Darragh Fitzgibbon, points from Evan O’Connor and Sean Brady had Ballygarvan leading by two with ten minutes remaining.

However, Charleville rediscovered their appetite for the contest and lashed over four unanswered points to lead 0-12 to 0-10 by the 56th minute.

A point from O’Connor moments later reduced the margin to a single score, but Jack Buckley pushed his side two clear on 59 minutes.

O’Connor then had a glorious goal chance but Charleville netminder Jesse Smith produced an outrageous stop.

Two more scores — including a fisted point from Fitzgibbon — saw Charleville home to face Kilmacabea in the semi-final of the competition.

Scorers

Charleville: J. Callaghan (0-5, 0-4f), P. Carroll (0-3), D. Casey, D. Buckley (0-2 each), J. Buckley, D. Fitzgibbon (0-1 each).

Ballygarvan: N. Dowd (0-4, 0-1f), D. O’Connor (0-3, 0-2f), M. O’Mahony (0-2), D. Mackey, S. Brady (0-1 each).

Charleville: J. Smith; S. Liddy, B. O’Connell, D. O’Sullivan; J. Meade, M. Flynn, O. O’Connell; P. Carroll, J. Carroll; D. Casey, C. Buckley, L. Biggane; J. Callaghan, D. Fitzgibbon, J. Buckley.
Subs: D. Fitzgibbon for C. Buckley (44), J. O’Brien for S. Biersan (51), S. O’Sullivan for R. Biggane (61).

Ballygarvan: C. Fitzgerald; P. Ryan, A. Dunne, Z. Davidson; S. Fenton, D. O’Donovan, L. Lyons; P. O’Halloran, M. O’Mahony; K. O’Regan, D. Mackey, D. O’Connor; N. Dowd, S. Brady, D. Bouse.

Subs: S. Brady for D. Mackey (40), D. Bouse for K. O’Regan (45), M. O’Connor for D. O’Connor (50), M. Cussen for D. Mackey (53), E. Mackey for A. Dunne (60).

Referee: Pat O’Leary (Kilmurry).