Adrigole 0-18

Bandon 0-13

TOM LYONS REPORTS

TIM O’Sullivan hailed his side’s performance as Adrigole got their McCarthy Insurance Group intermediate A Football Championship campaign off to the best possible start.

When they saw their three-point half-time lead wiped out within five minutes of the restart, it was looking ominous for the Beara men as they faced into a strong breeze.

But they dug deep in that third quarter to again lead by two as the last quarter began.

It was that final quarter of this hard-fought championship encounter in Skibbereen on Saturday afternoon that really separated the sides at the finish. Playing superb possession football, they tacked on three more points while holding Bandon scoreless for the entire quarter.

While Adrigole benefitted from the breeze in the first half, kicking four two-pointers, Bandon failed to do likewise in the second half, managing only one.

‘It was a real championship battle,’ said a delighted Adrigole manager Tim O’Sullivan, in his sixth season in charge.

‘We expected Bandon to be really tough, they were in a higher grade last season.

‘We’ll be facing a tough Boherbue side in the next round and if we had lost here today, we’d be under fierce pressure. I thought we were brilliant in the second half, the way we controlled the game. It was great possession football and the subs who came on did really well in the last quarter.

‘We kicked four fine two-pointers in the first half. Ben (O’Sullivan) had a bad injury early in the year, missed most of the league, but came back and played a blinder today.’

Adrigole's Fergal Carey breaks from Bandon's Michael Cahalane. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

With the breeze to their backs, Adrigole began with a fine two-pointer from top scorer Cian O’Shea, but it was Bandon who looked the stronger side in that first quarter, responding with five points in a row.

Mike Cahalane kicked two while Mark Sugrue, Charlie Long and Conor Calnan had one each.

An Adrigole point from full back Fergal Carey made it 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of a tough, gritty first quarter.

It wasn’t looking good for Adrigole at that stage but with Carey, Seán O’Shea and Cathal O’Sullivan coming to the fore in their defence, they finally found their shooting boots. A pointed 45 was followed by two two-pointers from Ben O’Sullivan and Cian O’Shea.

When Mark Sugrue had Bandon’s only point in that quarter from a 45, Adrigole answered with another two-pointer from Charlie O’Sullivan.

It was 0-10 to 0-7 at half time but the advantage was with Bandon in the second half with the strengthening breeze. They wasted little time asserting their authority as Cahalane kicked a two-pointer from play and Conor Calnan levelled the game within five minutes.

Bandon's Mark Sugrue holds off Adrigole's Mark Downing. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

But Bandon failed to build on their early momentum, managing only three further points in the quarter while battling Adrigole kicked five points. Cahalane (play and free) and Sugrue had Bandon points while O’Sullivan (three), O’Shea and Charlie O’Sullivan pointed for Adrigole.

Entering the final quarter it was anybody’s game, with Adrigole two in front but it was then that we saw the best of the Beara men. They played the possession game to perfection, denying Bandon the ball and patiently building three more scores from Tom O’Connor (two) and O’Shea.

Bandon needed a late goal to survive but never looked likely to get it.

‘When we saw the championship draw, we knew we were in a tough group – Bandon down from premier intermediate, Boherbue in the final a couple of years ago and Kildorrery,’ said O’Sullivan.

‘We concentrated totally on this first game against Bandon and now we know if we get a result against Boherbue, we should make the quarter-final. We made the semis for the last two seasons, most unlucky to lose to Ilen after extra-time last year, but, as always, it’s one game at a time.’

OUR STAR: There was no separating Ben O’Sullivan and Cian O’Shea, 11 points between them, but it was Charlie O’Sullivan, with his work rate, leadership and scoring threat for the winners who really caught the eye all through.

Scorers

Adrigole: Cian O’Shea 0-6 (2 2pt, 1f); Ben O’Sullivan 0-5 (1 2pt); Charlie O’Sullivan 0-3 (2pt); Tom O’Connor 0-2 (1f); Fergal Carey, Neil O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Bandon: Michael Cahalane (1 2pt, 2f), Mark Sugrue (1 2ptf) 0-5 each; Conor Calnan 0-2; Charlie Long 0-1.

Adrigole: William O’Sullivan; Daniel Harrington, Fergal Carey, Liam Harrington; Mark Downing, Seán O’Shea, Cathal O’Sullivan; Neil O’Sullivan, Tiernan Sullivan; Denis Collins, Tom O’Connor, Charlie O’Sullivan; Cian O’Shea, Ben O’Sullivan, Gerard O’Shea.

Subs: Diarmuid O’Sullivan for D Collins (49), Darragh O’Sullivan for B O’Sullivan (temp, 49), Darragh O’Sullivan for L Harrington (51), Connie O’Shea for T Sullivan (51).

Bandon: Ciarán McCarthy; Ciarán Twomey, Brian Crowley, Olan McSweeney; Cathal Lynch, Peter Murphy, Charlie Long; Robert Long, Tim Twohig; Brendan Twohig, Peter Callanan, Jack Cullinane; Michael Cahalane, Mark Sugrue, Conor Calnan.

Subs: Conor Twomey for Peter Callanan (49), Denis O’Mahony for Robert Long (49), Jack Calnan for B Twohig (56).

Referee: Liam O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).