Blues win battle of the west as Carbery fall flat

Bantry Blues 1-12

Carbery 0-7
By Michael Ellard

NO verbal punches were pulled after Carbery crashed to an ignominious defeat at the hands of Bantry Blues to decide the ‘big battle of the west’ in yesterday’s TSB Cork county senior football championship semi-final at Dunmanway. “Things went bad for us against Nemo Rangers in the final last year but this was a thousand times worse,” declared team manager Pat Sheehy, after Carbery hit the canvas in a most inglorious fashion. Selector John Corcoran added: “This was the darkest hour for our division in living memory.” To say Carbery were bad would be an understatement. But fair play to Bantry Blues who, while never reaching spectacular heights, capitalised on the glaring inadequacies of their opponents to book themselves a final showdown with Nemo Rangers in a fortnight’s time. Nothing went right for the Carbery side, which managed to score just three points from play. The decision to play Eoin Sexton at full back and Jason Whooley in the pivotal berth backfired disastrously, while their much-vaunted midfield pairing of Michael O’Sullivan and Pat Connolly, never figured conspicuously, outshone by the Bantry centre-field pairing of Damien O’Neill and Graham Canny.

Paul O’Rourke, Bantry Blues, on the attack in the Cork County senior championship semi-final in Dunmanway. Other players in picture are Eoin Sexton, Michael Fehily and Martin Cronin, Carbery, Graham Canty is the other Bantry player in view.

Carbery were rocked in the opening five minutes when Philip Clifford, who always held the whiphand over his intercounty colleague Sexton, gave Bantry the ideal start with two points from his lethal left boot. Much worse was to follow for Carbery. Left corner-forward Brian O’Sullivan blasted wide after a splendid forward movement and then a fisted effort from right half-forward Keith O’Sullivan also failed to find the target.

A goal at this satge might have settled Carbery, but taking full advantage of the let-offs Bantry proceeded to put in some impressive scoring.

Bantry, with Padraic O’Regan excelling at centre-back, were five points to the good after 22 minutes, when utter calamity befell Carbery. The impressive Jeremy Canty robbed corner-back Pat Nolan of possession, and with the innate skill of a goal-poacher supreme, billowed the Carbery net from close-range.

At his stage it looked as if Carbery would be subjected to a humiliating defeat. But with their pride stung, the south west divisional representatives hit back with two points from Brian O’Sullivan and Pat Connolly to leave it 1-8 to 0-3 in the Blues favour at half-time.

Bantry’s place in the final could have been as safe as the gold in Fort Knox immediately after the resumption, but erratic shooting up front from the Blues forwards gave Carbery a glimmer of hope.

Two points from frees within the space of a minute, kicked over by captain Brian O’Sullivan, lifted Carbery heads, and as the Bantry defence came under increasing pressure, cracks began to appear in the Blues armour. But Carbery were unable to take advantage.

In a succession of horror misses, Brian O’Sullivan hit the crossbar with a thundering drive, centre forward Martin Cronin saw his attempt at goal come off the post, and finally, O’Sullivan in the clear, elected to punch the ball across the face of the goal when the Bantry net should have been his intended target.

Those lost opportunities sounded the death knell for Carbery, and Bantry came back strongly, a succession of scintillating points from Jeremy Canty, Philip Clifford and Paul O’Rourke sending them into the final.



Scorers for Bantry Blues: J. Canty 1-3 (0-2 from frees); P. Clifford 0-4 (0-1 from 45; 0-1 from free); S. McCarthy 0-2; P. O’Rourke 0-2; D. Barron 0-1.

Carbery: B. O’Sullivan 0-4 (0-3 from frees); M. Cronin, D. McCarthy and P. Connolly (free) 0-1 each. BANTRY BLUES: D. McAuley; E. McCarthy, M. O’Connor, T. O’Mahony; P. Cronin, P. O’Regan, N. Twomey; G. Canty, D. O’Neill; G. Barry, S. McCarthy, P. O’Rourke; D. Barron, P. Clifford, J. Canty. Subs: S. O’Neill for Barry; E. Sheehan for Barron. CARBERY: P. White (Newcestown); P. Nolan (Gabriel Rangers), E. Sexton (Kilbrittain), D. Duggan (Ilen Rovers); T. Deane (Tadgh McCarthaig’s), J. Whooley (Ilen Rovers), M. Fehilly (Diarmuid O’Mathuna’s); M. O’Sullivan (Carbery Rangers), P. Connolly (Ilen Rovers); K. O’Sullivan (Newcestown), M. Cronin (St. Colms), S. Levis (Muintir Bhara); K. McMahon (Carbery Rangers), P. Hegarty (Tadgh McCarthaig’s), B. O’ Sullivan (Ilen Rovers). Subs: D. McCarthy (Newcestown) for Whooley; F. Collins (Ilen Rovers) for Connolly; J. O’Connell (Bandon) for K. O’Sullivan; S. Hayes (Carbery Rangers) for McMahon.

Referee: J. Geaney (Kilshanning).