West Cork junior football joy for Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh

Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh 2-10 St Mary’s 1-8

TADHG Mac Cárthaigh claimed the Mick McCarthy Cup following victory over St Mary’s in the Bandon Co-Op West Cork JAFC final in Dunmanway on Thursday night.

The Caheragh club won its first divisional junior A football title in nine years thanks to a blistering start and two goals inside the first 10 minutes. Keeping their opponents at bay, and inspired by Colm and Kevin O’Driscoll, Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh were full value for their win.

Caheragh got off to a terrific start with Brian O’Driscoll and Charlie McCarthy splitting the posts inside the first two minutes. Worse was to follow for a lethargic Mary’s when a turnover resulted in the ball being worked to Sean McCarthy who found the bottom corner: 1-1 to 0-0 and less than four minutes gone.

Struggling to gain any foothold, Mary’s were powerless to prevent a rampant Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh from extending their lead with a second goal after eight minutes. Brian O’Driscoll was prominent in a six-man move that ended with Paddy Burke arrowing the ball into the net.

St Mary’s wasted three scoring opportunities before Brian McCarthy (free) got his team on the scoreboard. Caheragh were guilty of some sloppy play prior to goalkeeper Brendan Herlihy fouling Michael O’Driscoll inside the square. Brian McCarthy converted the resulting penalty to reduce the deficit to five points at the first water break.

A free-flowing second quarter saw Mary’s Niall Kelleher float over two scores and Darren O’Donovan add another. Yet, Micheál O’Donovan and Eoin O’Donovan efforts hand Caheragh a merited 2-5 to 1-4 interval advantage.

Mary’s went mightily close to making it a one-point game when Ryan Scannell rattled an upright early in the second half.

An even period saw Niall Kelleher and Gavin O’Neill exchange frees before Charlie McCarthy (free) and another O’Neill free edged Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh further ahead, 2-8 to 1-5, after 46 minutes.

Brian O’Driscoll (mark) and Brian McCarthy (free) scored at opposite ends during a frantic final quarter. Brian O’Driscoll was black carded with six minutes to go but Mary’s, despite going close on a couple of occasions, had left themselves with too much to do.

Charlie McCarthy and Mary’s Brian McCarthy (both frees) plus Brian Everard concluded the scoring on a night Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh once again became West Cork JAFC champions.

Scorers for Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh: P Burke 1-1, S McCarthy 1-0, C McCarthy 0-3 (0-2 f), B O’Driscoll 0-2 (0-1 mark), G O’Neill 0-2 f, M O’Donovan, E O’Donovan 0-1 each.

St Mary's: B McCarthy 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-3 f), N Kelleher 0-3 (0-1 f), D O’Donovan, B Everard 0-1 each.

TADHG MAC CÁRTHAIGH: B Herlihy; K Murray, S Fitzgerald, K O’Regan; E O’Donovan, D Kingston, M O’Donovan; B O’Driscoll (c), K O’Driscoll; S McCarthy, C McCarthy, P Burke; G O’Neill, E Daly, C O’Driscoll.

Subs: D O’Connor for K Murray (39), D McCarthy for E Daly (42), L O’Donovan for E O’Donovan (54), G Hurley for P Burke (60), T Keating for S McCarthy (63).

St MARY'S: B Corcoran; D Curran, P Daly (c), J Hurley; B Everard, B O’Brien, R Scannell; C McGillicuddy, R O’Connor; J Collins, B McCarthy, S Keohane; N Kelleher, M O’Driscoll, D O’Donovan.

Subs: D Scannell for J Collins (h-t), J Collins for B O’Brien (48), A O’Driscoll for M O’Driscoll (48).

Referee: Tommy Barry (Bantry Blues).