Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh 2-15

Aghabullogue 1-14

BRENDAN KENNEALLY REPORTS

BÉAL Átha’n Ghaorthaidh left the form of their first-round defeat to Kanturk far behind them when they had a fully-merited victory over last year’s premier intermediate champions Aghabullogue in the senior A championship at Macroom on Sunday afternoon.

Béal Átha hit the ground running and were five points clear in as many minutes. Even when Aghabullogue fought back to take the lead, the Gaeltacht men stayed in the hunt and held a point lead when they struck for an injury-time goal from Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin and led by that amount at the break, 1-10 to 0-10.

Aghabullogue, now assisted by the breeze, were on top in the third quarter, with Luke Casey’s point on 44 giving them a slender lead but they had no answer to the Béal Átha revival subsequently, led by Ben Seartan who added 1-4 to his personal tally in that closing period.

Within half a minute of the start, Conchúr Ó Loinsigh kicked the Gaeltacht men in front with a super two-pointer from the left wing. Next, Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin added a point. When Ben Seartan kicked another two-pointer, it was 0-5 to nil in less than five minutes. Béal Átha had got a perfect start.

Aghabullogue began to settle, Luke Casey and Cialan O’Sullivan had points in quick response, John Corkery’s point in the tenth minute cutting the Béal Átha lead to 0-5 to 0-3.

Two minutes later the scores were level when Mathew Bradley converted a two-point free before another point from Luke Casey had Aghabullogue in front after the opening quarter.

Ben Seartan had an equalising point for the Ballingeary side before the importance of the two-pointers became very clear. Two massive kicks from Seamus Ó Tuama gave his team a four-point lead and a huge confidence boost by the 20th minute, and Aghabullogue had to set about reining in their opponents once again.

Team captain John Corkery kicked a point and then another from a free, and Cialan O’Sullivan’s second point reduced the deficit to the minimum.

In injury time Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin fired home a smashing goal to give Béal Átha a huge boost. Mathew Bradley kicked a late 45 for Aghabullogue to leave Béal Átha 1-10 to 0-10 in front after an excellent first half.

Aghabullogue kicked four points without reply in the third quarter with Pádraic O’Sullivan, Mattie Bradley, Shane Tarrant and Luke Casey on target. Béal Átha did not register a score until Ben Seartan kicked a 46th minute equaliser.

In the 53rd minute Ben Seartan kicked a superb two-pointer, set up by Cian Ó Duinnín. Seartan and Seamus Ó Tuama then added a point apiece as a rampant Béal Átha applied pressure that Aghabullogue could not withstand.

The Béal Átha cup of joy was overflowing when Ben Seartan fired in a goal as the game went into time-added, while a super goal from Mathew Bradley for Aghabullogue just before the final whistle could not alter the outcome.

Scorers

Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh: B Seartan 1-7 (2 2pt); Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin 1-1; S Ó Tuama 0-5 (2 2pt); C Ó Loinsigh 0-2 (2pt).

Aghabullogue: M Bradley 1-4 (2ptf, 1f, 45), J Corkery 0-3 (1f); L Casey 0-3; C O’Sullivan 0-2; S Tarrant, P O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh: Darren Ó Coill; Seán Ó Donnchú, Éanna Ó Duinnín, B Ó hArgáin; C Ó Duinnín, Gavin Ó Laoire, Nollaig Ó Laoire; Conchúr Ó Loinsigh, Daire Ó Briain; Daire Ó Ceallacháin, Seamus Ó Tuama, Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin; D MacThomáis, Ben Seartan, Donagh Seartan.

Subs: Seán Ó Muineacháin for D MacThomáis (ht, inj), Éanna Ó Céilleachair for N Ó Laoire (51).

Aghabullogue: Ian O’Sullivan; Paul Dilworth, Dhani Merrick, Tom Long; Oisín O’Connell, Shane Tarrant, Paul Ring; Colm Gillespie, Adam Murphy; Pádraic O’Sullivan, John Corkery, Aaron O’Sullivan; Mathew Bradley, Luke Casey, Cialan O’Sullivan.

Subs: Evan O’Sullivan for A O’Sullivan (45), Seán O’Sullivan for S Tarrant (50).

Referee: Liam O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).