Beara jump first hurdle

BEARA......0-13

AVONDHU...0-10

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

BEARA overcame Avondhu and difficult weather conditions to safely negotiate the opening round of the Cork SFC Divisions section at Cill na Martra last weekend.

Freezing temperatures and flurries of snow made life awkward for both sets of players in a game that Beara edged by three points thanks to a second-half scoring burst. 

The winners utilised players from all six clubs in their division to progress to the second round but know that they will need a serious improvement if interest in this year’s championship is to be prolonged.

Playing catch-up from the opening minutes, Avondhu would have been well beaten before the half time whistle were it not for Beara kicking eight wides.

‘Beara haven’t been successful at the senior grade in recent years so today was an important win for a team with eight or nine U21s out there,’ commented Beara manager Peter Murphy. 

‘We always were that couple of points ahead even after they came back at us. You just have to keep the scoreboard ticking over and we nullified them. We kicked a couple of good late scores to settle it.

‘It is only March and I think it is a shame to be asking players to compete in a championship match this early in the year. 

‘I really think this is something that should be looked at by the Cork County Board because I believe the longer you keep players playing at the highest level then the better it will be for the Cork senior football set-up. 

‘Divisional players deserve a second or third go just like club players.’

Beara led 0-6 to 0-4 at the break thanks to David Harrington (two frees), Sean T O’Sullivan and Andrew O’Sullivan points. Padraigh Clancy (two), Cathal O’Mahony and Tadgh O’Sullivan scored for an Avondhu side that lost Colin Scott, Seamus Fox and Lorcan Finn to injury inside the first 15 minutes.

The winners would have been further ahead but for some woeful first-half shooting and appeared in trouble once Charlie Lillis (free) and Teddy O’Shea found their range to make 0-6 apiece early in the second period.

Thankfully for Beara, experienced duo Dave Fenton and Andrew O’Sullivan took the game by the scruff of the neck with the former kicking over five points – including three difficult frees – and the latter dominating centre field during the final third of the game. 

To their credit, Avondhu didn’t go down without a fight, Charlie Lillis scoring twice and Tadgh O’Sullivan floating over three points in the closing quarter. Yet, Beara were not to be undone and went into defensive mode, putting numbers behind the ball to protect their three-point lead until the final whistle.

Scorers 

Beara: David Harrington (2f), Dave Fenton (3f) 0-5 each, Sean T O’Sullivan 0-2, Andrew O’Sullivan 0-1. 

Avondhu: Padraigh Clancy (1f), Teddy O’Shea (2f) 0-3 each, Charlie Lillis 0-2, Tadgh O’Sullivan and Cathal O’Mahony 0-1 each.

Beara: William O’Sullivan (Adrigole); Aidan O’Neill (Urhan), Lorcan Harrington (Castletownbere), Rory O’Driscoll (Garnish); Jason Harrington (Adrigole), Declan Dunne (Castletownbere), Cillian O’Shea (Urhan), Andrew O’Sullivan (Castletownbere), Brian O’Sullivan (Garnish); Sean T O’Sullivan (Garnish), Dave Fenton (Castletownbere), Eoghan McElhinney (Glengarriff); Phillip O’Shea (Urhan), David Harrington (Adrigole), Reece Dillane (Castletownbere).

Subs: Jason Goggin (Adrigole) for B O’Sullivan (18, blood), Brian O’Sullivan for J Goggin (20), Jason Goggin for P O’Shea (57), Ciarán McElhinney (Glengarriff) for D Harrington (59).

Avondhu: Kieran Cotter (Glanworth); Lorcan Finn (Mitchelstown), Patrick Angland (Killavullen), Sean Flynn (Buttevant); Darren Roche (Grange), Brian Geurin (Kilshannig), Seamus Fox (Killavullen); Padraigh Clancy (Fermoy), Mark Keane (Mitchelstown); Sean O’Sullivan (Mitchelstown), Teddy O’Shea (Ballyclough), Colin Scott (Grange); Charlie Lillis (Killavullen), Tadgh O’Sullivan (Kilshannig), Cathal O’Mahony (Mitchelstown).

Subs: J P McAuliffe (Kilshannig) for C Scott (12, inj), Eoin O’Sullivan (Kilshannig) for S Fox (17, inj), Kevin Fox (Killavullen) for L Finn (19, inj), Paul O’Sullivan (Killavullen) for J P McAuliffe (44), Padraigh O’Shea (Liscarroll) for C Lillis (50).

Referee: Pat O’Leary (Kilmurry).