Dungourney 3-21

Bantry Blues 1-11

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

BANTRY Blues’ hopes of a run in the county junior B hurling championship were dashed by this 16-point quarter-final loss at blustery Cloughduv on Saturday.

Bar an opening salvo when they led thanks to points by Jack Sheedy and a Tom O’Donnell free, the Blues were outclassed by a superb Dungourney side that would be at home in a higher division.

This was a sporting affair, bar two moments of indiscretion in the closing half. A brief flare-up saw red cards brandished to Blues’ Dara McCarthy and Dungourney’s Conor Sweeney. Late in the game Bantry also lost John Crowley to a similar fate.

Bantry tried to the end. Goalkeeper Alan O’Sullivan was soundness personified, the Sheedy duo of Jack and Dara worked their socks off, while Tom O’Donnell, Seánie O’Leary, Jack McCarthy, Connie O’Leary and Owen Minihane battled to the final whistle. Scoring power – or more correctly, lack of it – proved to hasten the Blues demise.

Once Dungourney went into overdrive after that early Blues scoring burst, the points flowed from Fionn Daly, James Ahern and Ciarán Flynn. Dungourney built up a commanding 0-11 to 0-5 lead by the 23rd minute, and only the bravery of Alan O’Sullivan denied Cormac Griffin and Colin Murphy from scoring certain goals. The trend continued to the short whistle, the winners leading 0-16 to 0-7.

Bantry made a positive restart. Two cracking points by Tom O’Donnell (free) and a delightful score by Dara Sheedy gave their supporters a glimmer of hope. But the light was soon extinguished as Ciarán Flynn, from the restart, burst through the Bantry defence before whistling a bullet past Alan O’Sullivan. The show was over. Two goals by Ciarán Flynn and Colin Murphy made it game, set and match at the three-quarter stage.

A goal by Jack Sheedy in the 46th minute signalled Bantry’s unyielding spirit. But it was too little, much too late.

Scorers

Dungourney: James Ahern 0-10 (6f, 1 65); Ciarán Flynn 2-2; Fionn Daly 0-6; Colin Murphy 1-1; Niall Flynn, Cormac Griffin 0-1 each.

Bantry Blues: Jack Sheedy 1-2; Tom O’Donnell 0-4 (3f, 1 65); Dara Sheedy 0-4 (2f, 1 65); Seánie O’Leary 0-1.

Dungourney: Brian Aherne; Shane Rohan, Conor Padden, Conor Morgan; Seán Geaney, Warren McCarthy; Niall Flynn; Cian Ryan, Dan McGrath; Conor Sweeney, Colin Murphy, Fionn Daly; Ciarán Flynn, James Ahern, Cormac Griffin.

Subs: Fionn Fives for Fionn Daly (43), Eamonn Barry for Warren McCarthy (49), Paddy Leahy for Ciarán Flynn (53).

Bantry: Alan O’Sullivan; Owen Minihane, Connie O’Leary, Christopher Cronin; Conor Cronin, Dara McCarthy, John Crowley; Kevn Coakley, Dara Sheedy; Jack Sheedy, Dan Looney, Jack McCarthy; Paddy Cronin, Seánie O’Leary, Tom O’Donnell.

Subs: Billy Sheehan for Paddy Cronin, Stephen Coughlan for Conor Cronin (both ht).

Referee: Colm Walsh (Ballinora).