Town and Bal set for final showdown

AFTER four games played for both Ballinascarthy and Newcestown, all roads lead to Rossmore for the final of the RCM Tarmacadam Carbery JAHC final on Sunday at 3.30pm.

Most people expected Bal and Clonakilty to ease through to the final but Dohenys and Newcestown’s second string had other ideas.

Defending champions from last year, the Pedlars’ Cross club got the fright of their lives against the Dunmanway men in the semis

It was the sort of game Bal required after easing past St Colums and St Oliver Plunketts. Now they can go into this final knowing exactly what they need to work on.

In the other semi-final, Newcestown shocked the fa Clonakilty and did so without star man Daniel Twomey in the last 20 minutes. Twomey had to be substituted to attend his son’s christening.

In truth, the town were the much better team and led by seven entering the closing stages. Clon made the score look a bit more respectable in scoring 1-2 late on.

Olan Walsh, Daire McAree, Eoin Kelly and Murt Kenneally have been real standouts this season.

Bal’s key men include Ben Murray, his brother Luke, Ciaran O’Neill and Jeremy Ryan.

Newcestown have managed to score 6-71 in four games, around 1-19 per match. They’ve conceded 2-48, roughly 1-11 per game.

Ballinascarthy have scored an 8-78 in four games while their concession rate around 0-17 per game.

The holders haven’t conceded a goal from play yet with a Denis Dullea penalty the only one they’ve conceded in the championship.

Bal have the best attack on average in the whole JAHC but are behind their opposition on Sunday, Clonakilty and Dohenys in terms of defensive averages.

Newcestown on the other hand sit second on average for both charts.

The second string side have been a team that nobody really fancied to reach this final. The majority expected Bal to make it but who will have the drive to get over the line in this final?

All will be revealed by five o’clock on Sunday (barring extra time or an infamous penalty shootout of course).