Scully points Goleen to league glory

Goleen 0-5

Ilen Rovers 0-4

KEVIN O’BRIEN REPORTS

A POINT from Goleen’s Padraig Reidy with 12 minutes to go proved decisive as they edged out Ilen Rovers by a single point to win the Carbery/Beara Division 3 Football League final in a bitterly cold Ballydehob.

Barry Collins opened the scoring with a brilliant effort off the right wing following a great team build-up with Liam Dearle and Emmet Hourihane involved. 

Patrick Scully got the first of his four frees in the fourth minute to register Goleen on the scoreboard. Two minutes later he kicked Goleen in front for the first time with another successful free. 

Throughout the game there were brilliant individual battles such as Goleen’s young, energetic centre forward Padraig Reidy going up against the wise and experienced Michael Hellen at centre back, the two sets of midfielders with Ilen’s Peadar O’Driscoll and Davey Ryan and Goleen’s David O’Leary and Paudie Scully battling hard for possession. 

It took Rovers 23 minutes to get their second score. Like buses, after a long wait, two came at once with midfielder Peadar O’Driscoll kicking a super score from 30 yards out before Barry Collins pointed his second from a free on the left wing. 

Patrick Scully equalised with his third free following a dangerous Padraig Reidy run through the middle before being brought to the ground. The sides went into the break level at 0-3 apiece. 

Rovers came out the stronger after the resumption and had a penalty claim waved away by referee Gerdie O’Donovan, as Goleen goalkeeper Ronan Kennedy lost possession close to his goal but made amends with a diving save to keep Goleen’s lead intact. 

Patrick Scully nudged his team into the lead when he pointed his fourth of the game. 

With 12 minutes remaining, Goleen’s Padraig Reidy burst through the defence to slot his effort over the bar in what would turn out to be the winning effort. Ilen took until the 58th minute to grab their first point of the second half with Davey Ryan splitting the posts. 

It set up a nervy finish as Goleen looked to hold onto what they had. They did have a glorious chance to kill the game off when Reidy went one-on-one with Ilen shot-stopper Oisin Coakley and it was the goalkeeper who came out on top with a tremendous close-range save to keep his side in it.

There were no more chances as Goleen captured the league title to end the season on a high.

Scorers

Goleen: Patrick Scully 0-4 (4f), Padraig Reidy 0-1.

Ilen Rovers: Barry Collins 0-2 (1f), Peadar O’Driscoll, Davey Ryan 0-1 each.

Goleen: Ronan Kennedy; Dan O’Callaghan, Tom Fitzgerald, James Scully; Shane O’Leary, Dan O’Driscoll, Andrew Murphy; David O’Leary, Paudie Scully; Sam Coughlan, Padraig Reidy, Patrick Scully; Jason Whitley, John Cullinane, Danny Cullinane.

Subs: Kieran Sheehan for Danny Culliane (53), Jed Little for Jason Whitley (55), 

Ilen Rovers: Oisin Coakley; Davin Whooley, Brendan Duggan, Andrew Collins; Hughie O’Neill, Michael Hellen, Eoghan O’Neill; Peadar O’Driscoll, Davey Ryan; Barry Collins, Emmet Hourihane, Matthew Bushe; Liam Dearle, Aaron O’Sullivan, Adam Hayes

Subs: Kevin Minihane for Matthew Bushe (40), Aidan Coughlan for Liam Dearle (42), David Whooley for Adam Hayes (53).

Referee: Gerdie O’Donovan (Gabriel Rangers).