Sam Maguires celebrates two superb football wins

SUPER Sam Maguires were celebrating double success recently when both the U17s and U16s brought silverware back to Dunmanway.

The U17s kicked it off when they won the West Cork Division B final, beating Owen Gaels 4-9 to 2-11. Paudie Crowley scored an early goal before Shane Barry and Gavin Farr added points. The full-back line of Sean Kearney, Luke McCarthy and Caolan O’Driscoll was immense, too. Eoin Buckley scored Sam’s second goal just before the break.

Owen Gaels rallied early in the second half and the Dunmanway side found themselves a few points down, but a goal from Seanie Murphy sparked Sams again. Goalkeeper Kilian Vasallo then saved a Gaels’ penalty and the rebound.

The strong half-back line of Jimmy O’Sullivan, Oran McCarty and Keith McCarthy combined with the impressive midfield partnership of Matthew Crowley and Ryan Kelly was the platform this win was built on, as Sam Maguires won by four points.

The Sam Maguires U16 team that won the Rebel Óg P2B FC final against Killeagh. Back from left, Barry Herlihy, Mikey O'Donovan, Ryan Kelly, Matthew Crowley, Ian Bryan, Ben Quigley, Sean Kearney, Thomas Kingston, Jimmy O'Sullivan, Oran McCarthy (captain), Shane Barry, Finain Hurley, Luke McCarthy, Mikey Bennett, Jerry O'Mahony and Olly Barry. Front from left, Niall Owens, Ryan Collins, Keith McCarthy, Caolan O'Driscoll, Seanie Murphy, Paddy Collins, Adam Russell, Euan Lehane and Shane O'Sullivan.

The 2005 and ’06 lads on this team had no time to rest as they faced into a  Rebel Óg P2B FC final against Killeagh the following Saturday.

They qualified for the final after an epic victory over red-hot favourites St Michael’s, Shane Barry with a long-range match-winning free deep into injury time.

Sam Maguires defeated Killeagh, 0-13 to 2-3, in the final in Bishopstown. The first quarter was tight, 0-1 apiece, before Sams bossed the second quarter and led 0-7 to 0-1 at half time. Seanie Murphy, Paudie Crowley and Jack McSweeney kicked the points, with Keith McCarthy, Ryan Kelly, Mathew Crowley, Shane Barry, Ian Bryan and Jimmy O’Sullivan all working hard.

Killeagh rattled Sams with an unanswered 2-2 early in the second half to move two points clear, but the Dunmanway side stayed calm.

When Killeagh missed a penalty, Sams responded with a point. In the final quarter, and with the speedy Oran MaCarthy and Keith McCarthy digging deep, Sams were slotting points one by one. In the last five minutes the Dunmanway side dominated, Barry and Crowley scoring four late points in a four-point win.