The Bantry Blues GAA Club

Tadhg Mac Carthaigh 2-11, Bantry Blues 1-8

Nobody said it was going to be easy !

By The Southern Star

The junior footballers of Caheragh knew only too well that their T.E. Services football championship clash with the second string of near neighbours Bantry was, potentially, a banana skin situation.

Defeat would be considered a major shock; victory would mean little in terms of prestige. So events transpired as the ‘Blues’ really put it up to them and when they led by a five points margin early in the closing half a real upset looked on the cards.

But the Caheragh lads refused to panic, piled on the pressure and eventually swept their great rivals out to sea with a torrent of points and two smashing goals to run out deserving winners.

Against the wind, Caheragh were first to show as Mark Barrett and James Herlihy led the way with good scores. Bantry soon settled in and Kevin Harrington, free, together with Paddy Goggin restored equality. Tadhg Deasy, Brian O’Neill and Ivan Kingston had three points on the trot to leave the winners sitting pretty, 0-5 to 0-2 after ten minutes.

Bantry were back on level terms again before they hit a purple patch approaching the break. Alex Hamilton hit the turf and scorer-in-chief Kevin Harrington made no mistake from the penalty spot. When the full forward added a point, a handy lead of 1-7 to 0-6 was the reward at half time.

Four wides inside three minutes made for furrowed Caheragh brows on the resumption. When Kevin Harrington added a point from a free the blood pressure level was elevated a little further. Amazingly, it signalled high tide for the mariners as the waves of now raging Caheragh attacks began to engulf them. Ivan Kingston gave the winners a lead they never again lost with twenty-five minutes remaining.

A two-goal salvo from Brian O’Neill and Colm O’Sullivan inside three minutes left Bantry now in deep troubled waters. Both goals were replica-like situations, shots saved and the rebounds swept past John Tobin. The Bantry net minder was faultless, bringing off a point-blank save from Colm O’Sullivan soon afterwards. His counterpart, Niall Murray, had earned his spurs a little earlier as he foiled Kevin Harrington with a great reflex save.

It was cruise control time now for Caheragh and a flurry of points saw them sail into serene waters to record a hard earned victory. Donie McCarthy of Dohenys did a good job on the whistle; arrangements at Kealkil were fine the only spoilsport being the terrible weather conditions.

Scorers – Tadhg Mac Carthaigh: Brian O’Neill 1-3, Tadhg Deasy 0-3, 0-1 from free, Ivan Kingston 0-3, Colm O’Sullivan 1-0, James Herlihy and Mark Barrett 0-1 each. Bantry: Kevin Harrington 1-5, 0-5 from frees, 1-0 from penalty, Paddy Goggin, John Harrington and Pádraig O’Regan all 0-1 each.

Tadhg Mac Carthaigh: Niall Murray, Denis O’Sullivan, William O’Sullivan, Michael Kingston, Liam O’Donovan, James Kingston, D.J. Cadogan, Pat Hegarty, Brian O’Neill, Mark Barrett, James Herlihy, Tony Herlihy, Colm O’Sullivan, Tadhg Deasy, Ivan Kingston. Subs, Kevin Barrett and Kieran Daly.

Bantry: John Tobin, Michael Lynch, Ted Hurley, D. J. Murray, Mark Cronin, Niall Canty, Alan Farrelly, John Harrington, Paddy Goggin, Pádraig O’Regan, Donie O’Shea, Finbarr Harrington, Brian Harrington, Kevin Harrington, Alex Hamilton.