Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh 1-17

Dohenys 1-10

TOM LYONS REPORTS

MUCH was expected of this McCarthy Insurance Group Senior A Football Championship tie in perfect conditions in Kilmichael with the prize of a quarter-final place for the winners.

However, while the first half was very competitive, Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh were clearly the better side in the second period. Once they struck for their goal in the 33rd minute, they never looked like being caught afterwards.

Dohenys, as always, never threw in the towel and battled right to the end but lack of real penetration in attack proved their downfall.

Dohenys almost had the ball in the Béal Átha net in the third minute with goalkeeper Darren Ó Coill saving point-blank from Keith White. They did rattle the net in the tenth minute, Seán Murphy being sent through by Rhys Coakley.

That goal saw Dohenys leading all through the first half, with the slight breeze, but they conceded a free just outside the arc in the dying seconds of the half and goalkeeper Darren Ó Coill made no mistake with the last kick of the half to cut Dohenys’ three-point lead to one at the break.

‘That was a vital score for us,’ admitted Béal Átha manager Liam Seartan.

‘We weren’t happy at all with our first-half performance. Maybe three of our lads were playing well. The rest, not so well. Misplaced passes, legs a bit dead.

‘We knew we were lucky to be only a point behind after playing poorly in that first half but we knew our forwards could kick two-pointers and they did in the second half. The breeze did pick up and the black card helped us as well.

‘Once we got going, we were very good, and I knew we could be. We’re happy to be in the quarter-final but as the cliché says, loads to work on for the next day.’

Dohenys' Fionn Herlihy in action.

The first half could be best described as cagey, both sides concentrating on defence rather than attack. The result was that only four scores were registered, two each, but one was the Doheny goal by Seán Murphy in the tenth minute. Their only other score was a 45 by goalkeeper Stephen Daly. Béal Átha had scores from Donagh Seartan and Conchúr Ó Loingsigh. It was 1-1 to 0-2 at the end of an underwhelming first quarter.

There was a slight improvement in the forward play in the second quarter, three scores apiece until Ó Coill’s two-pointer free with the last kick of the half.

The sides were level when Conchúr Ó Loingsigh kicked two points but a two-pointer by Gavin Farr and a point from another Stephen Daly 45, following another fine save by Ó Coill from Fionn Herlihy, had Dohenys in front by three.

But that was as good as it was going to get for Dohenys.

Séamus Ó Tuama and Keith White swapped points, but then Ó Coill’s two-point free cut the lead to one, 1-5 to 0-7 at the break.

The breeze was picking up as the second half began with another two-point free from Ó Coill, after Dohenys suffered a big blow with a black card for corner back Jerry Farrell. Béal Átha were in front and there to stay.

In the 33rd minute, Éanna Ó Céilleachair fisted a goal for the winners for the biggest lead so far, and then added another point.

Dohenys, to their credit, regrouped with Eoin Lavers, Shane Barry, Donal Rice, Ian Bryan, Keith White, Keith McCarthy and Seán Murphy leading the way. Barry, Gavin Farr and White (free) pointed, but Béal Átha answered with scores from Seamus Ó Tuama and Seán Ó Donnchú. It was 1-12 to 1-8 at the end of the third quarter, game still on but Béal Átha in control.

Keith White (free) cut the lead to three, but Dohenys’ hopes were deflated when Séamus Ó Tuama struck two two-pointers in the space of a minute to open the gap to seven, with Donagh Seartan adding a point in the 54th minute.

Dohenys threw the kitchen sink at the Béal Átha defence in the closing minutes but all they had to show was an Eoin Lavers’ point as the winners’ defence put up the shutters.

OUR STAR: Keith White (Dohenys), Séamus Ó Tuama and Conchúr Ó Loingsigh of Béal Átha impressed, but the vital two-point frees and outstanding saves by goalkeeper Darren Ó Coill made him our man-of-the-match.

Scorers

Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh: Séamus Ó Tuama 0-6 (2 2pt); Éanna Ó Céilleachair 1-1; Darren Ó Coill 0-4 (2 2ptf); Conchúr Ó Loingsigh 0-3; Donagh Seartan 0-2; Seán Ó Donnchú 0-1.

Dohenys: Seán Murphy 1-0; Gavin Farr (2pt), Keith White (2f) 0-3 each; Stephen Daly (2 45s) 0-2, Shane Barry, Eoin Lavers 0-1 each.

Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh: Darren Ó Coill; Seán Ó Donnchú, Éanna Ó Duinnín, Ciarán Ó Nuanáin; Cian Ó Duinnín, Barra Ó hArgáin, Gavin Ó Laoire; Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin, Daire Ó Briain; Daire Ó Ceallacháin, Donagh Seartan, Nollaig Ó Laoire; Ben Seartan, Séamus Ó Tuama, Conchúr Ó Loingsigh.

Subs: Éanna Ó Céilleachair for B Seartan (12), Seán Ó Muineacháin for N Ó Laoire (45).

Dohenys: Stephen Daly; Ellis Farrell, Eoin Lavers, Jerry Farrell; Shane Barry, Cathal Daly, Donal Rice; Adam O’Donovan, Ian Bryan; Gavin Farr, Fionn Herlihy, Rhys Coakley; Keith McCarthy, Seán Murphy, Keith White.

Subs: Jack McCarthy for R Coakley (40), Nathan McCarthy for G Farr (46), Barry O’Donovan for A O’Donovan (50), Jerry Collins for S Barry (53).

Referee: Robert Whelan (Gleann na Laoi).