ILEN ROVERS 0-24 

ADRIGOLE 0-22 (AET)

ILEN Rovers are back in a county final for the first time in 18 years – and they did it the hard way.

They trailed Adrigole 0-19 to 0-15 as the clock ticked past 60 minutes in Wolfe Tone Park, Bantry, on Saturday. The Beara club was within touching distance of the  McCarthy Insurance Group Intermediate A FC final.

But Dan MacEoin had other ideas. 

The veteran Ilen forward, plagued by injuries in recent years, took centre stage. Rovers were awarded a free that was brought back outside the two-point arc for MacEoin to convert.That was after 61 minutes. 

Winning a turnover two minutes later, Adrigole were forced to foul and, once again, their opponents moved back outside the arc.

MacEoin was coolness personified as he stepped forward to nervelessly fire over a second consecutive two-point free and take the semi-final to extra-time.

From that moment onwards, all the momentum was with the Carbery club who outscored Adrigole five points to three and booked their place in this year’s county decider.

Ilen Rovers' Barry Collins drives past Adrigole's Daniel Harrington and Denis Collins. (Photo: Anne Marie Cronin)

‘It’s bloody great,’ Dan MacEoin admitted shortly after the final whistle.

‘The lads have put their shoulder to the wheel all year, in fairness to them.

‘I’ve had a long year with injuries and am just getting back, so it’s nice to give something back.’

This victory was far from a one-man show as Michéal Sheehy, Dermot Hegarty, Sean Connolly and Jack Collins were superb for the winners.

Now, the disappointment of three relegations in four seasons – from PSFC level to the IAFC grade  – have been tempered by the prospect of a rejuvenated Ilen Rovers claiming a county title at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on November 2nd, as Ballinora await.

As for Adrigole, a third county semi-final loss in as many years will be hard to take considering how consistently the Beara club has performed during that period. They will rue the fact this semi-final was there for the taking when leading by four points on the stroke of full time.

Ben O’Sullivan, Cian O’Shea, Tom O’Connor, Charlie O’Sullivan and Sean O’Shea covered every blade of grass but it wasn’t enough to prevent another county final loss, and more heartbreak. 

Ilen led 0-11 to 0-9 at the end of the first half. There was still little to choose between the sides by the conclusion of the third quarter where Charlie O’Sullivan and Ben O’Sullivan scoring bursts had the Beara men 0-16 to 0-13 ahead. Tom O’Connor’s free extended that advantage before a Dan MacEoin free left a goal in it once again.

Michéal Sheehy and Ben O’Sullivan exchanged scores prior to another Tom O’Connor free on the stroke of full time that looked to have wrapped things up for a rampant Adrigole.

It wasn’t to be as MacEoin’s brace of injury time two-point frees forced extra-time.

Another MacEoin placed ball made it 0-20 to 0-19 before Cian O’Shea and Diarmuid O’Sullivan turned the tables and restored Adrigole’s one-point advantage in this thriller.

Barry Collins levelled matters, 0-21 apiece, as the teams changed ends for the final time.

Diarmuid O’Sullivan handed the Beara club their final lead one minute after the resumption. From that point onwards however, Ilen found another gear with unanswered Kevin O’Driscoll and Dermot Hegarty points preceding man-of-the-match Dan MacEoin’s 12th point to conclude the scoring.

Following years of disappointment, Ilen Rovers are back in a county final – the first since the 2007 senior decider against Nemo Rangers – with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Scorers - Ilen Rovers: D MacEoin 0-12 (3f, 2 2ptf, 2pt); M Sheehy 0-6 (2 2pts); D Hegarty 0-2; S Connolly, A O’Driscoll, B Collins, K O’Driscoll 0-1 each. Adrigole: C O’Sullivan 0-5 (1f); B O’Sullivan (1 2pt), C O’ Shea (1 2pt) 0-4 each; T O’Connor 0-3 (3f); D Collins (2ptf), D O’Sullivan 0-2 each; L Harrington, D Harrington 0-1 each.

Ilen Rovers: D O’Sullivan; D Coakley, J Collins, C O’Dwyer; A O’Sullivan, J Hickey, D O’Driscoll; D Hegarty, P O’Driscoll; B Collins, S Connolly, A O’Driscoll; D MacEoin, M Sheehy, S Minihane. Subs: A Holland for S Minihane (38), S Carey for D O’Driscoll (43), K O’Driscoll for A O’Driscoll (49), E Hourihane for A O’Sullivan (et), C O’Driscoll for D Coakley (et, inj).

Adrigole: W O’Sullivan; C O’Shea, F Carey, D Collins; M Downing, S O’Shea, C O’Sullivan; N O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; G O’Shea, B O’Sullivan, C O’Shea; L Harrington, T O’Connor, D Harrington. Subs: D O’Sullivan for C O’Shea (33), C Carey for C O’Sullivan (43), D O’Sullivan for C O’Sullivan (58), O Sullivan for D Collins (et).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).