Buttevant 0-19

Adrigole 2-10 

TOM LYONS REPORTS

ONLY three points separated the sides at the end of this McCarthy Insurance Group intermediate A football semi-final in Kilmichael on Saturday but, in reality, it was a case of Buttevant taking the foot off the pedal in the closing minutes when they seemed to be cruising to a comfortable win. 

Three times in the game Buttevant had forged ahead, but each time Adrigole clawed their way back into contention. Add in two goals for the Beara men, while Buttevant missed two glaring goal chances.

This was a heart-breaking fourth semi-final defeat in a row for Adrigole.

In 2023, they lost after extra time to Mitchelstown. A year later, it was a one-point defeat to Boherbue. Last year saw, again, an extra-time loss, against Ilen Rovers. Now, there’s an unwanted new chapter in this team’s story.

But Adrigole never gave up the ghost in this game, which was level at half time and was not decided until the last quarter when the winners kicked five unanswered points in a row. 

Adrigole's Tom O'Connor goes past Buttevant's Kevin Crowley on his way to scoring a goal for the Beara side. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The first half was a case of Buttevant’s patient, handpassing style as against Adrigole’s more direct, fast-attacking approach. 

The scores were level midway through the half but then Buttevant kicked three in a row to open up a lead. A two-pointer and a cracking Tom O’Connor goal had Adrigole back in the game. All square at the break. 

The third quarter saw Buttevant again building a three-point lead, only to get hit by a second Adrigole goal, this time from Neil O’Sullivan. 

By the end of the third quarter Buttevant were again two in front and, again, Adrigole struck back with a two-pointer to level with 12 minutes remaining. 

Buttevant were dominating the kickouts now and with Mark Lenehan in superb kicking form, they laid siege to the Adrigole goal, resulting in five unanswered points as the game edged towards the final whistle. 

The lead would have been doubled had the Buttevant forwards converted two great goal chances. 

But Adrigole, plagued with injuries, were not done yet and a two-pointer closed the gap to a dangerous one-goal lead in the 60th minute. There was time for an equalising goal but it never came as a very efficient Buttevant rearguard guaranteed their side’s progression to a second successive county final, having won the premier junior last season.

‘We’re relieved. The last two victories we had, we were elated but today we did our best to lose it there at the end,’ said Buttevant manager Joey Hanlon. 

‘We missed two really good goal chances in the last quarter but credit the lads, all the experience they have gathered over the years came to the fore in the last ten minutes. We held onto the ball well, only conceding two scores in the last quarter. 

‘My heart goes out to Adrigole, a fabulous side. They lost a good guy early on and Charlie O’Sullivan was injured. He was excellent when he came on.’

Adrigole's Fergal Carey in contol against Buttevant's Conor Hanlon. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Adrigole, against the slight breeze, hit the ground running in this encounter – Ben O’Sullivan, who unfortunately had to retire early with a leg injury, and Cian O’Shea both pointed. 

However, with Anthony O’Neill and Kevin Lenehan beginning to dominate midfield, Buttevant struck back with a point from Mark Lenehan, who was to kick a noteworthy eight points from play, and a two-pointer from impressive centre forward David Hanlon. 

The pendulum swung again with Cian O’Shea kicking two frees for Adrigole to put them in front at the end of the first quarter, 0-4 to 0-3. 

The second quarter belonged to Buttevant as Lenehan levelled. Points from Hanlon, Lenehan and Kevin Sheehan had them three in front. A superb two-pointer by David Harrington closed the gap to a point, with Aaron Trimm answering for Buttevant. 

Out of the blue, Adrigole struck for the first goal of the game in the 31st minute when Tom O’Connor collected a first-time ground ball from Cian O’Shea and rifled a cracking shot to the bottom corner of the net from 30 metres. Adrigole were briefly in front before Aaron Horgan pointed the equaliser, 1-6 to 0-9 at the break. 

Adrigole's Cian O'Shea races away from Buttevant's Ryan Fowley. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The second half belonged to an ever-improving Buttevant as they limited the Beara men to three scores.

A goal, touched in by Neil O’Sullivan after an O’Shea shot was half blocked, in the 40th minute and two-pointers from Charlie O’Sullivan in the 47th minute and Tom O’Connor in the 60th minute kept Adrigole in touch as Buttevant hit a succession of fine points from Lenehan, the two Hanlons, Tadhg O’Connell and Ryan Fowley.

The game was tied in the 40th minute following O’Sullivan’s goal and again in the 47th minute, but Buttevant then kicked five in a row as they cruised for home only to be rattled by O’Connor’s two-pointer in the 60th minute. 

However, the Buttevant shutters went up in injury time. The green flag Adrigole needed to survive never materialised. 

Buttevant marched on, while Adrigole came to terms with a fourth semi-final loss in four seasons.

OUR STAR: Buttevant wing forward Mark Lenehan is the clear winner with eight points from play over the hour. 

Scorers - Buttevant: Mark Lenehan 0-8; David Hanlon 0-5 (1 2pt); Tadhg O’Connell, Aaron Trimm, Kevin Sheehan, Conor Hanlon, Aaron Horgan, Ryan Fowley 0-1 each. Adrigole: Tom O’Connor 1-2 (1 2pt); Neil O’Sullivan 1-0; Cian O’Shea 0-3 (2f); David Harrington (2pt), Cathal O’Sullivan (2pt) 0-2 each; Ben O’Sullivan 0-1. 

Buttevant: Ronan Donovan; Kevin Crowley, Michael Walsh, Billy O’Riordan; Aaron Trimm, Kyle Bowles, Aaron Horgan; Anthony O’Neill, Kevin Lenehan; Mark Lenehan, David Hanlon, Donal Ryan; Kevin Sheehan, Conor Hanlon, Tadhg O’Connell. Subs: David Walsh for A Trimm (40), Ryan Fowley for K Lenehan (42), Séamus Madigan for D Ryan (51), Edmund O’Donoghue for A Horgan (60). 

Adrigole: William O’Sullivan; Daniel Harrington, Fergal Carey, Darragh O’Sullivan; Mark Downing, Seán O’Shea, Cathal O’Sullivan; Neil O’Sullivan, Tiernan Sullivan; Denis Collins, Tom O’Connor, David Harrington; Cian O’Shea, Gerard O’Shea, Ben O’Sullivan.  Subs: Diarmuid O’Sullivan for B O’Sullivan (15), Seán O’Sullivan for T Sullivan (ht), Liam Harrington for D O’Sullivan (42), Charlie O’Sullivan for D Harrington (42), Jack Crowley for W O’Sullivan (45). 

Referee: Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).