The Bantry Blues GAA Club

		Bantry triumph in replay Bantry 1-7, O’Donovan Rossa 1-3 Master mariners Bantry, in the guise of their juvenile footballers, were in choppy waters for thirty-five minutes of this pulsating South West Cork under 16 A football championship final replay, played at sunny Ballydehob on Sunday afternoon last. Mercurial marauders, Skibbereen, had plundered the Blues vessel during the opening thirty minutes to snatch a priceless goal, thanks to a great opportunist strike from John Hodnett, ironically sporting a blue tinted hairstyle, after just eleven minutes of play had elapsed. It enabled the vanquished to take a narrow two points lead, 1-2 to 0-3, into the interval break.
Noel Coakley, treasurer, South West, Bord na nOg presents the under 16 football cup to Mark Cronin, captain of the Bantry team that defeated O’Donovan Rossa in the final in Ballydehob.

Skibb again resumed in positive fashion, as following sustained pressure outstanding centre back Alan Tanner flashed over one of the scores of the match, a gem of a point from a free converted from almost fifty metres out. It proved the high point of the O’Donovan Rossa challenge, as the Blues ship was rapidly returning to even keel.A productive last twenty-five minutes, during which they fired a series of all out attacking salvoes that yielded a goal and four points while keeping their opponents scoreless, helped them sail into serene waters leaving gallant Skibbereen to ponder on what might have been.

Skibbereen began with the slight breeze to their backs but had to soak up early Bantry pressure as following a foul on Colm McCarthy, Mark Cronin fired the resultant free just wide of the target. Alan Tanner and Sean Brosnan then combined for the latter to force a good save from Bantry custodian Danny Murray.Colm O’Neill finally got Skibbereen off the mark after six minutes of play when he kicked over a close in free.

Shane McCarthy now moved to midfield with Sean Brosnan taking up duties on the ‘mark’, where his height was to prove a thorn in the side of the Bantry defence. At this juncture, Alan Tanner was acting as a very effective ‘sweeper’ for O’Donovan Rossa. An improved Bantry were rewarded with their opening point, as Seamus O’Donovan crashed over a beauty from almost the centre of the field.

A minute later, Skibb stunned the big Blues following with a peach of a goal. A long raking delivery from Alex Hamilton was fielded in style by Shane McCarthy, who turned to place John Hodnett with a neat pass and the latter fired home the leather past a helpless Danny Murray.

Bantry gave the best possible reply as Shane Drummy, who was part of an effective full forward division, hit the target. The action was fast and furious now, as at the other end a rasper from Brosnan skinned over when a goal looked on the cards. Solid defence from Shane O’Neill, Conor Long and the tireless Andrew Hodnett saw no further first half Bantry scores. However, it took a super stop by Christopher Hodnett from under his own crossbar to prevent a certain Bantry goal from Colm McCarthy just before the break.

Skibbereen restarted with all guns blazing as following an Alan Tanner free, Brosnan made another super catch to turn and shoot just wide of the target. Then it was the turn of Bantry goalie Murray to come to the rescue once again, as he denied Conal O’Neill after the Skibb player rattled in a long-range shot.

Alan Tanner opened up a three points gap following a superbly pointed free after five minutes of second half play, but strangely, Skibb were to score no more for the remainder of the hour. Now it was the turn of Bantry to turn up the heat as Brian Keohane, Kevin Mulcahy and Brian Andrews all began to cut off the Skibb supply route to goal. Inside, Colm McCarthy’s astute distribution, Shane Drummy’s clever footwork and the scoring ability of Seamus O’Donovan was now telling a different tale.

Seamus O’Donovan was clean through but shot just wide of a gaping goal. He quickly made up for his lapse, scoring the point of the match directly from a sideline kick. The pressure was now on with the score at 1-3 to 0-4 and Skibb still to the good. Mark Cronin pointed a free to leave the narrowest of margins between the teams with nine minutes of play remaining. Such was the intensity of the Bantry pressure that one felt if they goaled, they would surely take the spoils. So it proved to be.

A magical movement instigated by Padraig Sheehan saw him sweep the ball into the path of the lion hearted Joe McCarthy. He slipped it neatly to Seamus O’Donovan who knocked it home from an acute angle. A lighter O’Donovan Rossa fifteen was clearly tiring now. Finishing on a high Bantry sealed victory, as Seamus O’Donovan and Shane McCarthy both pointed.

Skibbereen could have snatched it in injury time as firstly Alan Tanner, having been set up by Colm O’Neill, was narrowly wide. Then a marvellous four-man movement saw John Hodnett’s attempt just roll wide of a yawning goal with the ’keeper stranded. It was not to be and a delighted Bantry captain Mark Cronin received the cup from Noel Coakley, Bord Na nOg, at the conclusion of a grand sporting match well controlled by Fergus Minihane from the host club Gabriel Rangers.

Referee, Fergus Minihane, Gabriel Rangers.

Man of the Match, Seamus O’Donovan, Bantry.

Scorers – Bantry: Seamus O’Donovan 1-3, 0-1 from side-line, Shane Drummy 0-1, Padraig Sheehan 0-1 from free, Mark Cronin 0-1 from free, Shane McCarthy 0-1. O’Donovan Rossa: John Hodnett 1-0, Sean Brosnan 0-1, Colm O’Neill 0-1 from free, and Alan Tanner 0-1 from free.

Bantry: Danny Murray, John O’Sullivan, Kevin Harrington, Ken Deane, Brian Andrews, Brian Keohane, Kevin Mulcahy, Mark Cronin, Alex Hamilton, Keith Cotter, Padraig Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, Seamus O’Donovan, Colm McCarthy, Shane Drummy.

O’Donovan Rossa: Christopher Hodnett, Shane O’Neill, Shane O’Donovan, Conor Long, Andrew Hodnett, Alan Tanner, Colm Crowley, Sean Brosnan, Conal O’Neill, John Hodnett, Colm O’Neill, Tadhg O’Donovan, Colin Crowley, Shane McCarthy, Aaron O’Regan.

By The Southern Star