Boherbue junior footballers rally from two goals down to defeat Valley Rovers

Boherbue 1-14 Valley Rovers 2-9 

BOHERBUE staved off a determined challenge from Valley Rovers in an engaging Bons Secour JAFC quarter-final at Donoughmore on Saturday.

Credit the Innishannon side for Rovers battled with trademark tenacity but failed to match the quality and composure of a sharper Boherbue. As the contest progressed, the Duhallow champions recovered from a hesitant opening and put together a well organised and efficient performance.

Cool under pressure, Boherbue combined excellent work to register telling scores to land a merited victory.

Fresh from landing the South East title four days previously, Rovers hit the game at full throttle, enjoying a definite edge, Hughie O’Donovan set up Pa Hurley to net with a sweet strike. And Valleys might well have goaled again only for Aaron O’Leary to blaze over the crossbar.

Rovers received a further confidence boost just on the call of the water break, Misko Savic on hand to fire home a second goal. Trailing 2-2 to 0-4, Boherbue dug their heels in, prompted by the telling play of Daniel Buckley, Kevin Cremin, Andrew O’Connor and Jerry O’Sullivan.

In a complete change around of dominance, Boherbue exerted a spell of concerted pressure, confirmed on chalking up seven points without reply with free-taker Denis McCarthy leading the charge for Boherbue to enjoy a 0-11 to 2-2 advantage at the interval.

Favoured by the swirling breeze on the restart, Rovers threw down the gauntlet, Hurley pointed a pair for parity. Boherbue weathered the pressure, rewarded on a brace of O’Sullivan points followed by a neat Liam Moynihan goal.

Credit Rovers, trailing by five points, they plugged away, white flags to O’Donovan and Gary Deane left the minimum between the sides. It made a hectic finale, Boherbue defended brilliantly and on the counter-attack, O’Sullivan and Niall Murphy combined for Adrian Murphy to land the insurance score.

Victory sets up a semi-final date against Seandún representatives Passage.

Scorers for Boherbue: D McCarthy 0-6 f, A O’Connor 0-3, G O’Sullivan 0-3 (0-2 f), L Moynihan 1-0, D Buckley, A Murphy 0-1 each.

Valley Rovers: P Hurley 1-2 (0-1 f), H O’Donovan 0-4 f; M Savic 1-0, A O’Leary 0-2, G Deane 0-1.

BOHERBUE: K Murphy; C J O’Sullivan, N Murphy, M Murphy; D Buckley, J Daly, M O’Gorman; D O’Sullivan, K Cremin; A O’Connor, A Murphy, R O’Connor; G O’Sullivan, D McCarthy, L Moynihan.

Subs: R Moynihan for D O’Sullivan (h-t), P Daly for M Murphy (47), B Herlihy for D McCarthy (51), B Murphy for R O’Connor (53), J Herlihy for M O’Gorman (56).

VALLEY ROVERS: M Power, S Lynch, J Lynch, C O’Keeffe; C Kilduff, N O’Donovan, S O’Leary; M Savic, G Farrell; A Kenneally, H O’Donovan, G Deane; P Hurley, A O’Leary, C Crowley. 

Subs: D Lordan for G Deane (22), Deane for S O’Leary (h-t), A Walsh for M Savic (47), N Lawton for C Crowley (53).

Referee: C O’Murchú (Brian Dillon's).