Ballinacourty secure a county title in a game of goals galore
Abbeyside team celebrate with family and friends after capturing the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Junior B Football Final with victory over Gaultier at Lemybrien. Photos: Eddie Dee
Ballinacourty won a second JJ Kavanagh & Sons County Junior B Football Final when they proved too strong for Gaultier at Lemybrien on Saturday last.
In this clash of two third-string sides, played in heavy rain, at the break, sitting in the back of the stand, writing some notes on what was to be seen in the opening half, I wrote that it was a one-way fixture, with Ballinacourty by far the stronger of the two sides.
They struck three first-half goals between the 11th and 28th minutes and held their opponents scoreless from the 8-minute till the third minute of added time. It was all one-way traffic, and there could only be one way this game would finish.
Ballinacourty did win the game, but I clearly underrated what Gaultier could do. In the second half, they came back, hitting some fine scores, and in the end, possibly winning the toss and deciding to play into the wind in the first half and going 25 minutes without a score in that opening half might have gone against them. Sometimes, when presented with a chance, you take it. Maybe they should have played with the elements at their backs in the first half, try and build up a lead, and then hope they can do enough in the second half when playing against the elements and take as many chances that will come your way while playing against the elements.
Gaultier, in the early stages, did well. They opened the scoring through Craig O’Keeffe on four minutes. Shane O’Donovan responded for Ballinacourty before Dean Kearns restored the lead for the Barony men.
This was as good as it got for Gaultier, however, in the opening half. Shane O’Donovan levelled matters on 10 minutes and seconds later they netted the first of their goals when Fionn Ó Murchú played in James O’Mahony, one of a number of Ballinacourty players in this panel who have helped ‘Courty win the Conway Cup in the past, and he finished past Aidan O’Brien.
Three minutes later, Ballinacourty struck a second goal, and to say there was a degree of luck to it would be an understatement. Charlie Feeney hit a ’45 for his side, but while he seemed to get enough of a strike on the ball to get the distance, he never got the height to put it over the bar, and as it neared the goal, it hit the tips of Aidan O’Brien’s fingers and dropped into the net.
David Hickey, Charlie Feeney and Hickey again hit points to give their side a 2-5 to 0-2 advantage by the 20-minute.
Two minutes out from the break, Billy Dumbrell pulled down John Dillon as he raced down on goal, which led to referee Martin Curran blowing his whistle. Still, as he got closer to the goal and said that the incident happened inside the 13-metre line, he stretched out his hands and awarded a penalty, which Nicky Dee dispatched to the net.
The same player followed up with a two-point score, and John Dillon also pointed to give Ballinacourty a 3-8 to 0-2 lead on 30 minutes.
Ballinacourty continued to pile on the pressure, and Fionn Ó Murchú had a chance taken off the line before Dean Kearns ended a long drought without a score for Gaultier when he pointed from a free in the third added minute to leave his side trailing 3-8 to 0-3 at the break.
Gaultier made changes to their team for the second half and opened the scoring with a point from Craig O’Keeffe on 35 minutes, but almost straight away Maurice Power played in Shane O’Donovan for a fourth goal for the West Waterford side.
From the very next attack, Gaultier came down the field, and when the ball came to Dean Kearns, he blasted past Sean Kiely, and the Barony men followed up with minor scores from Oliver Power and Dean Kearns to leave them trailing 4-8 to 1-6 after 41 minutes.
The winners hit a fifth goal almost straight away as James O’Mahony found Shane O’Donovan to open up a 14-point lead for his side.
After both sides sent on some fresh legs, Gaultier hit a second goal, Dean Kearns again the finisher, and he followed up with a point to reduce Ballinacourty’s lead. Gaultier was now gaining confidence; the only problem was that the clock was ticking down for them fast.
Nicky Dee and Dean Kearns swapped scores from frees, Ryan O’Connor had a chance blocked on the line by Sean Kelly on the hour mark, denying Gaultier a third goal, but they did hit a third goal seconds later through Cormac O’Mahony.
Shane O’Donovan 2-2, Nicky Dee 1-3 (1-0 pen, 1 tp, 1f), Charlie Feeney 1-1 (1-0 ’45), James O’Mahony 1-0, David Hickey 0-2, John Dillon 0-1.
Dean Kearns 2-5 (0-3f), Cormac O’Mahony 1-0, Craig O’Keeffe 0-2, Oliver Power 0-1.
Sean Kiely; Fionn Dwyer, Evan McInerney, David Morrissey; Fionn Ó Murchú, Maurice Power, Shane Crotty; Ronan Sheehan, David Hickey; Charlie Feeney, Nicky Dee, John Dillon; Shane O’Donovan, James O’Mahony, Tiernan Murray.
Jamie Ryan for David Morrissey (41), Richie Foley for Shane Crotty (41), David Power for Shane O’Donovan (47), Shane Briggs for John Dillon (47).
Aidan O’Brien; Billy Dumbell, Killian Jones, Adam Roche; Robin Croke, Donall Bray, Jack Dalton; David Heffernan, Darragh Walsh; Craig O’Keeffe, Cormac O’Mahoney, Barry O’Sullivan; Liam Murphy, Dean Kearns, Oliver Power.
David Corcoran for Billy Dumbrell (HT), Padraig Brambrick for David Heffernan (33), Ryan O’Connor for Laim Murphy (47), Kevin Keogh for Robin Croke (53), Chris Hand for Jack Dalton (56).
Martin Curran (Old Parish).
