1998 County Team Player Profiles Munster Club campaign.
PATH TO THE FINAL BACK
This page is kindly sponsored by The Westlodge Hotel, Bantry.
BANTRY VERSUS NA PIARSAIG IN 1ST ROUND COUNTY MATCH PLAYED AT MACROOM ON THE 10TH OF MAY.
The previous year Na Piarsaig shocked Bantry Blues a week after the Blues had eliminated Nemo Rangers. This year the Blues had 3 Championship newcomers in Graham Canty, Colman Keohane and Jeremy Canty and were missing suspended captain, Damien O Neill. However , Bantry were well prepared for the city challenge and were ahead at the break by 4 points despite conceding an early goal. Within 5 minutes of the restart the game was all but over as goals from Philip Clifford and Jeremy Canty(2) eased Bantry into the quarter final. Top scorer was Philip Clifford with 1-6 .
FINAL SCORE :Bantry Blues 3-14 Na Piarsaig 1-10.
BANTRY: D. McAuley; N. Twomey, C. Keohane , E. Mc Carthy , G. Canty, M. O'Connor, E. Sheehan; S. Dineen, M. Moran; S. McCarthy,P.O'Regan P. O'Rourke; P. Clifford, J. Canty, D. O'Shea. Subs: , K.Cronin.
BANTRY V. CORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE COUNTY 2ND ROUND MATCH AT INCHIGEELA ON JUNE THE 7TH.
Unknown quantity C.I.T. (with several intercounty players) gave Bantry a real fright with 2 late goals to come within a point ,with only minutes remaining. Bantry were decimated with injuries before and during the match with Des Mc Auley, Eamon McCarthy, Damien O Neill and Stephen Dineen all victims.Powerful 2nd half performances from Mark O Connor and Declan O Shea helped Bantry towards the quarter final. Declan was top scorer with a tally of 1-4.
FINAL SCORE : Bantry Blues 1-16 C,I.T. 3-7.
BANTRY: ;K. Cronin, N. Twomey, C. Keohane, G. Canty,P. O Regan , M. O Connor, E. Sheehan; D. O'Neill, M. Moran; S.McCarthy ,S.Dineen, P. O'Rourke; P. Clifford, J. Canty, D. O'Shea .Subs G. Barry and A. O Shea
BANTRY V. IMOKILLY IN COUNTY QUARTER FINAL ON 26TH OF JULY ,1998.
This was no contest as Bantry rediscovered their scoring touch to blast East Cork divisional side Imokilly out of the Championship. Bantry were at their scintillating best scoring from all angles and distances and led at half time by 11 points to 2. Overall no fewer than 8 Bantry players got on the scoresheet including man of the match Eric Sheehan who kicked 2 marvellous points.
Final Score was :Bantry Blues 0-19, Imokilly 0-6
BANTRY: D. McAuley; N. Twomey, M. O'Connor, E. McCarthy; G. Canty, P. O'Regan, E. Sheehan; D. O'Neill, M. Moran; S. McCarthy, A. O Shea, P. O'Rourke; P. Clifford, J. Canty, D. O'Shea. Subs: C. Keohane,S. Dineen and A. Farrelly.
COUNTY SENIOR SEMI FINAL VERSUS CASTLEHAVEN WAS PLAYED ON AUGUST 16 AT SAM MAGUIRE PARK, DUNMANWAY.
Bantry Seniors trained extremely hard for this match and the mood in the camp was such that there was absolutely no way that they were going to be beaten. This was probably the best performance by any Bantry team in recent times , considering that Castlehaven were reigning Munster Club Champions.
Brendan Larkin of The Examiner sets the scene:
"Castlehaven get bad case of Blues as Bantry stroll into decider "
Bantry Blues 1-13
Castlehaven 0-6
by Brendan Larkin of the Examiner.
BANTRY BLUES' footballing machine rolls relentlessly on.
At Sam Maguire Park, Dunmanway, yesterday they produced a magnificent display to crush
Castlehaven by a staggering 10-point margin in the first semi-final of the TSB Cork County
senior championship, and in the process served notice that they will take some beating in
this year's final.
From goalkeeper Des McAuley through to corner forward Philip Clifford, Bantry purred like
a well-oiled machine, and had their place in the decider well and truly secured long
before the final whistle.
While it would be difficult to select a man of the match, the performances of Mark
O'Connor, Padraig O'Regan, Michael Moran, team captain Damien O'Neill, and Jeremy Canty
deserve special mention.
O'Connor was unbeatable at full and must have played his best ever game in a blue jersey.
O'Regan was rock solid at centre-back and even found time to join in the attack and kick
the best score of the game.
Moran and O'Neill ruled the roost at midfield and up front Jeremy Canty used his powerful
strength to great effect while 19-year old Philip Clifford and the deadly accuracy of
Declan O'Shea from frees ensured Bantry took full advantage of the plentiful supply of
ball that came their way.
It was a chastening defeat for Castlehaven. Seldom have this great club side been totally
outclassed in most facets of the game.
True, they can point to the loss of Larry Tompkins who picked up a calf injury in training
late in the week, but it's doubtful if he could have done much to deny Bantry their hour
of glory.
The Blues won the toss and elected to play against the strong wind in the first half and
it was a decision that was to prove crucial to the eventual outcome. Right from the
throw-in they took command and could have had a goal in the opening minute, but Philip
Clifford opted to take his point with the goal at his mercy.
Playing some delightful inter-passing football, Bantry threatened to ride roughshod over
the 'Haven and were three points to nil in front after six minutes before the Castlehaven
footballers finally managed to progress out of their own defence.
A good passing movement put Alan Crowley in the clear but, like Clifford at the other end,
he opted to fist the ball over the bar despite having only the Bantry 'keeper to beat.
That score settled the 'Haven and with Bantry unable to sustain their early dominance,
John Cleary left just the minimum between the sides after 15 minutes.
A combination of poor finishing and good defending by Mark O'Connor denied the 'Haven the
equaliser before Bantry Blues upped the tempo of their game again and only the thickness
of the crossbar denied Declan O'Shea a goal in the 23rd minute after a great four-man
move.
Bantry remained firmly in the driving seat from there to the half-time break and superb
points from Padraig O'Regan, after a 70-metre run, and a delightful effort by Damien
O'Neill had them 0-7 to 0-4 in front and well pleased as they turned around to play with
the strong wind to their advantage.
The second half belonged almost entirely to Bantry but for all their territorial
advantage, there was still just the three points between the teams at the end of the third
quarter, with each side having added just a point apiece.
The incessant Bantry pressure finally told in the 47th minute when Stephen Dineen's line
ball was superbly fielded by Philip Clifford at the edge of the Castlehaven square, and
after having his first effort blocked, he billowed the net on the rebound and there was no
way back for the 'Haven.
The remaining minutes were a stroll for the Blues. Five points in a row were added as the
Blues coasted to a comprehensive victory and a place in this year's final, their first
since 1995 when they won the title in their first final appearance.
On this display who's to say they won't repeat that feat.
Scores: Bantry: P. Clifford 1-3; D. O'Shea 0-4; J. Canty 0-2; G. Canty, P. O'Regan, D.
O'Neill, S. Dineen 0-1 each.
Castlehaven: J. Cleary 0-3 (0-2 frees); B. Deasy 0-2 (0-1 free); A. Crowley 0-1.
BANTRY: D. McAuley; N. Twomey, M. O'Connor, E. McCarthy; G. Canty, P. O'Regan, E. Sheehan;
D. O'Neill, M. Moran; S. McCarthy, S. Dineen, P. O'Rourke; P. Clifford, J. Canty, D.
O'Shea. Subs: A. O'Shea for O'Shea; C. Keohane for G. Canty.
CASTLEHAVEN: M. Maguire; D. McCarthy, L. Collins, L. O'Connell; D. Cahalane, B. Collins,
M. O'Brien; D. O'Regan, A. Crowley; J. Maguire, C. Crowley, F. Cahalane; B. Deasy, B.
Collins, J. Cleary; Subs: P. Hurley for O'Brien; D. Hurley for Cahalane.
Referee, R. O'Sullivan (Kilmurry).
Declan O Shea
TSB SENIOR COUNTY FOOTBALL FINAL VERSUS DUHALLOW AT PAIRC UI CHAIOMH ON THE 4th of OCTOBER.
Bantry had to wait 7 weeks between the semi final versus Castlehaven and the final. Many thought that it would upset Bantry's rhythm . However as Michael Ellard of The Examiner writes Bantry reclaimed the Andy Scannell in spectacular fashion scoring 17 points:
Blues' deadly accuracy sees off brave Duhallow
Bantry Blues 0-17
Duhallow 2-6
by Michael Ellard
DUHALLOW fought valiantly to the death, but the superb accuracy,
sharpened on the glinting edge of a glorious ambition, powered Bantry Blues to an
exhilarating victory in yesterday's magnificent TSB Cork county senior football
championship final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The die appeared to be well and truly cast for Duhallow when Bantry, weaving a most
impressive tapestry of scintillating attacking football, opened up a commanding
seven-point lead in the opening minutes of the second-half.
But before the coveted cup wended its way to the famous bay area of West Cork, for the
second time in three years, Duhallow came storming back from a seemingly impossible
situation to make Bantry sweat before the accomplishment of another fabulous title triumph
was achieved by a skilful Blues side.
In a showpiece that really sparkled and tingled following the
change of ends, Bantry always looked the better side, and the new champions of Cork
football were particularly outstanding in the first-half and led a surprisingly subdued
Duhallow team something of a merry dance.
Crucially, with Damien O'Neill and Michael Moran forming a successful partnership, Bantry
won the battle for midfield supremacy from the off, and with centre-back Pádraig O'Regan
turning in a five-star performance, Duhallow, although playing with the advantage of a
slight wind, were left to live on scraps.
Making intelligent use of their possession and with their quicksilver forward line posing
all sorts of problems for a beleaguered Duhallow defence Bantry scorched into a four-point
lead after the first quarter. The foundations for victory had been laid while Duhallow's
vibrant hopes of upsetting the favourites took a severe pounding in the opening sequences.
But in the 17th minute Duhallow were thrown a much-needed lifeline and rampant Bantry were
temporarily rocked on their heels when left-corner forward Mark O'Sullivan set up John
Paul O'Neill for a peach of a goal, which threatened for a brief moment to turn the
previously irresistible Blues tide. However, Duhallow, who kicked nine wides to their
opponents' four and apart from O'Neill's goal failed to score from play in the first-half,
were unable to capitalise on the injection of hope they received after the blond Newmarket
striker billowed the Bantry net from close-range.
Instead, with O'Regan performing like a colossus in the key pivotal defensive berth and
Graham Canty also doing exceedingly well in a tremendous half-back line, Bantry resolutely
battened down the hatches.
And with O'Neill and Moran continuing to grow in stature at midfield, the Bantry forwards,
led in cavalier style by Philip Clifford, Declan O'Shea and Paul O'Rourke, kicked a
plethora of some marvellous points to propel their side into a 0-8 to 1-1 interval lead.
Drastic measures were called for by Duhallow to stop the rot. A new midfield pairing of
Andreas O'Sullivan and Denis O'Connor was introduced with Danny Culloty moving to
centre-forward. All to no avail, however, as Bantry continued to exert their dominance
after the resumption, and when the gap between the sides, in tangible terms, reached seven
points, Duhallow appeared to be on the verge of a humiliating defeat.
It was then, however, that the switches made by the Duhallow selectors began to bear
fruit. Substitute Denis O'Connor from Boherbue began to make a marked impression in the
centre, while Danny Culloty started to win important ball in his new position, after
Pádraig O'Regan went over on an ankle.
Mark O'Sullivan also emerged as an influential figure as Duhallow began the long haul of
pegging Bantry back.
O'Sullivan supplied the final pass to John Paul O'Neill, who pounced to score his second
goal in the 40th minute after first being denied by a fantastic double-save from Bantry
goalkeeper Des McAuley. 
Duhallow had suddenly risen from the depths of despair and when
Mark O'Sullivan kicked two points in rapid succession, the second from a free, to leave
just the bare minimum between them entering the closing quarter, the paying attendance of
14,084 all under-14s were allowed free entry an emotion-charged crowd held its
breath in eager anticipation of a stirring finale.
Man of the match Philip Clifford lifted the siege for Bantry when he pointed a free, and
then two events of particular significance occurred. Duhallow right-half forward Dermot
O'Sullivan scorned the opportunity of bringing his side back within a point of Bantry,
while the Blues, now under pressure, moved Mark O'Connor to the centre-back position.
It was a switch born of necessity but what a fruitful one it turned out to be for Bantry.
O'Connor played heroically in his new position and inspired Bantry when the need was
greatest. With five minutes to go there were two points between them, but with O'Connor
reaching Trojan heights, Duhallow's challenge was crushed, and regaining their confidence,
Bantry finished in the true style of champions with three points without from substitute
Andy O'Shea, corner-forward Declan O'Shea, who converted a free, and team captain Damien
O'Neill.
Scorers. Bantry Blues. P. Clifford 0-6 (0-4 from frees); D. O'Shea 0-4 (0-2 from frees);
P. O'Rourke 0-2; D. O'Neill 0-2; M. Moran, S. McCarthy and A. O'Shea 0-1 each.
Duhallow. J. P. O'Neill 2-1; M. O'Sullivan 0-4 (0-3 from frees); D. Buckley 0-1.
BANTRY BLUES: D. McAuley; N. Twomey, M. O'Connor, E. McCarthy; G.
Canty, P. O'Regan, E. Sheehan; D. O'Neill, M. Moran; S. McCarthy, S. Dineen, P. O'Rourke;
P. Clifford, J. Canty, D. O'Shea. Sub. A. O'Shea for McCarthy.
DUHALLOW: J. P. O'Leary (Millstreet); D. Moynihan (Newmarket), J. Walsh
(Kanturk), D. Riordan (do); A. Keane (Freemount), M. Angland (Kiskeam), S. Walsh
(Knocknagree); D. Culloty (Newmarket), P. Murphy
(Rockchapel); D. O'Sullivan (Cullen), J. P. O'Neill (Newmarket), J. Buckley (Knocknagree);
D. Buckley (Dromtarriffe), A. O'Sullivan (do), M. O'Sullivan (Newmarket). Subs. D.
O'Connor (Boherbue) for Murphy; J.
Herlihy (Kiskeam) for D. O'Sullivan; D. O'Brien (Newmarket) for Walsh.
Referee was Jas Cummins (Glanworth).
| Bantry players celebrate in style after winning the 1998 County. Padraig O Regan holds the cup along with Eugene Connolly, Damien O Neill, Paul O Rourke,, Colman Keohane, Andy O Shea and Philip Clifford. Sitting in the passengers seat is great Blues fan, Dinsy O Shea. |
 |
 |
 |
 |