Bantry Blues 4-10

Glanmire 1-18

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

ARTHUR Coakley’s injury-time penalty edged Bantry Blues past Glanmire and confirmed the Carbery club’s premier intermediate football status following a thrilling encounter in Clonakilty on Saturday.

Anyone lucky enough to have been present in Ahamilla certainly got their money’s worth.

Bantry won and escaped the drop, while Glanmire will face Castletownbere in a relegation play-off. But that sentence doesn’t even begin to tell half the story.

A Harry Browne injury-time penalty looked to have won it for Glanmire. But Bantry were awarded another penalty even deeper into injury-time which Arthur Coakley converted. That was the last kick of a dramatic afternoon.

Add in Glanmire goalkeeper and former All-Ireland winner Colm O’Neill kicking three two-point frees, a half-time flare-up, Dara Sheedy and Ruairí Deane shining and you get a glimpse of what was one of this year’s best football championship games.

Bantry Blues' Dara Sheedy breaks past Glanmire's Bryan Murphy. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘I got the hair cut this morning and whatever bit was there, there’s certainly not a whole lot left after that!’ Bantry manager Shane O’Neill quipped.

‘The only word that I can use to describe it is relief. They never threw in the towel, they kept trying, kept trying.

‘From a neutral point of view, I think whatever it cost to get in, they certainly got value for money.’

The Blues were thrilled at the full-time whistle while Glanmire were aggrieved at the foul count favouring their opponents and numerous decisions not going their way.

Jack O’Neill’s goal plus Arthur Coakley and Dara McCarthy points edged Bantry ahead early on. Glanmire got on the scoreboard via David Lynch and Harry Cogan to end the quarter 1-3 to 0-2 behind.

Match-winner Arthur Coakley scored the late, late penalty. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Next, Bantry pounced for their second goal when Arthur Coakley netted after 17 minutes. Billy O’Mahony kept Glanmire in touch.

Two Coakley frees extended Bantry’s advantage after Harry Cogan fired over his second score. The Blues were penalised for a three-up infringement and Colm O’Neill showed his class to convert for a two-pointer. The Blues deservedly led 2-4 to 0-6 at the interval.

A determined Glanmire dominated the third quarter. Unanswered Darragh Murray, Colm O’Neill (free), Harry Cogan (free) and David Lynch efforts levelled matters, 2-4 to 0-10.

O’Neill then landed another free to hand Glanmire their first lead after 39 minutes. Jack O’Neill equalised before Cork senior Ruairí Deane landed a sublime two-pointer. Harry Cogan replied but Dara Sheedy made it 2-8 to 0-12 with ten minutes remaining.

Another O’Neill two-point free conversion preceded David Lynch curling over to push Glanmire ahead with time almost up.

Then, another moment of controversy as Glanmire were incensed with the non-award of a free, and Bantry pounced. Dara Sheedy’s attempt dropped short and substitute Owen O’Neill palmed to the net.

Bantry Blues' Sean O'Leary tackles Shane O'Driscoll of Glanmire during the McCarthy Insurance PIFC in Clonakilty on Saturday evening. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Undeterred, Glanmire won a free and, who else, Colm O’Neill converted his third two-pointer to make it 3-8 to 0-17. Bantry were further punished when Harry Cogan edged Glanmire back in front.

It was far from over, however, as Bantry worked the ball to Dara Sheedy, who kicked a two-pointer.

Deep into injury-time, Dan Hogan was brought down in the square. Harry Browne converted the resulting penalty.

All over? Not a hope.

Arthur Coakley slotted home an even later spot-kick, five minutes into injury-time, to win it.

‘I just said to the lads there in our talk after the game that, to be fair to them, they never folded,’ Shane O’Neill concluded.

‘They kept at it even though we kept just getting struck down time after time. They never threw in the towel.’

OUR STAR: Glanmire goalkeeper and former All-Ireland winner Colm O'Neill totalled eight points including three two-point frees.

Scorers

Bantry Blues: A Coakley 2-3 (1-0 pen, 2f); J O’Neill 1-1; O O’Neill 1-0; D Sheedy 0-3 (2pt); R Deane 0-2 (2pt); D McCarthy 0-1.

Glanmire: C O’Neill 0-8 (3 2ptf, 2f); H Cogan 0-5 (1f); D Lynch 0-3; H Browne 1-0 (1-0 pen); B O’Mahony (1f), D Murray 0-1 each.

Bantry Blues: B Clancy; T Cronin, C Cronin, E O’Shea; C O’Brien, M Óg O’Sullivan, D McCarthy; J O’Neill, R O’Mahony; B Sheehan, S O’Leary, K Casey, A Coakley, R Deane, D Sheedy.

Subs: Jack Sheedy for K Casey (ht), O O’Neill for B Sheehan (39), K Coakley for D McCarthy (53).

Glanmire: C O’Neill; R McSweeney, B Murphy, C O’Donovan; D Murray, C Nelligan, S O’Driscoll; J Kingston, C Hackett; D Hogan, D Lynch, H Cogan; B O’Mahony, T Hourihan, H Browne.

Subs: H Jones for C Hackett (ht), D Molden for S O’Driscoll (44), B Galvin for B O’Mahony (49), C Crowley for T Hourihan (51), J Crowley for D Lynch (55).

Referee: J Enright (Ballyteague).