Beara pass UCC exam to win through to last 16 of Cork SFC

BEARA 1-20

UCC 1-16 (aet)

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

Key influence: Andrew O'Sullivan

BEARA outlasted UCC to reach the last 16 of this year’s county senior football championship following a titanic battle in Dunmanway on Friday evening.

A marvellous game between two hugely committed sides ebbed and flowed for nearly an hour and a half before Beara’s greater hunger, desire and determination won out at the expense of a UCC side that began with ten Kerry native and one Waterford representative.

Extra time was necessary to decide the outcome after two evenly matched sides couldn’t be seperated following a breathless hour’s play. Beara trailed 1-8 to 1-6 at the interval and were staring defeat in the face when Conchur Harrington missed a close-range free in the final minute to leave UCC a point ahead.

Credit to the Urhan player who took responsibility for another free awarded deep into injury time before bisecting the posts to make it 1-12 apiece and forcing extra time.

Beara were the better side in additional time and led by the inspirational Andrew O’Sullivan and Sean Terry O’Sullivan the eventual winners outscored their opponents by eight points to four to book their place in the knockout stages of the county senior championship.

The importance of this victory for Beara GAA cannot be understated and all eyes will now turn to the division’s U21’s who face Valley Rovers in the county football semi-final on Sunday.