Encouraging season for Bandon's ladies footballers

2022 proved another positive year for Bandon LGFA and there is plenty to look forward to heading into the New Year.

The West Cork club finally got an opportunity to celebrate recent successes with an LGFA social night held at the Copper Grove in Bandon.

The Lilywhites captured the 2021 West Cork LGFA minor and subsequently the 2022 county A2 minor titles along with this year’s Cork LGFA junior county Division 5 League trophy.

Bandon’s 2020 U16 A West Cork winning squad was also honoured at an event former multiple All-Star, Cork All-Ireland LGFA and Camogie dual winner Briege Corkery was the guest of honour.

The club’s decision to restart an adult LGFA team saw Bandon resume fielding competitively at junior level back in 2019. The curve remains upwards despite Bandon losing both a junior E county final to Macroom and league semi-final to Killshannig in 2021.

Most impressively of all, Bandon fielded two adult ladies football teams for the first time in the club’s history during the past twelve months. That proved a wise choice as the Lilywhites claimed a Division 5 county league trophy in a competition Muintir Gabriels, Lisgoold, Knocknagree, Killshannig, Macroom and St Colum’s were also involved.

Encouragingly, there is talent coming through Bandon’s youths ranks as evidenced by qualification for 2022 U16 and minor county A2 deciders.

Nemo Rangers proved too strong for Bandon in the Cork LGFA U16 A2 county final, winning 6-2 to 3-6. Niamh Cotter (3-0), Maggie France (0-3), Anna Crowley (0-2) and Sarah Burrows (0-1) provided the scores in a final Nemo were deserving winners.

Bandon minors’ emerged from a disappointing West Cork divisional campaign in which Clonakilty dominated. A fifth-place finish sent Richard Tarrant’s young side into the county minor A2 championship.

Claiming that A2 minor county title helped turnaround Bandon’s fortunes and brought a successful conclusion to their year.

Bandon overcame Killshannig 2-9 to 2-4 in the penultimate county championship round. Laura Cummins top-scored for the Lilywhites with 2-5 that afternoon. Rachel O’Donovan, Hannah Buckley, Meave Coughlan and Molly O’Donovan also got on Bandon’s scoresheet.

That outcome meant the West Cork club would face Bishopstown in the A2 minor county decider at the latter’s 4G pitch on December 4th.

A Rachel O’Donovan goal plus Laura Cummins and Sarah Burrows (0-2 each) points handed the West Cork side an early 1-4 to 0-0 lead.

O’Donovan netted for a second time prior to Laura Cummins converting a penalty and it was 3-6 to 0-1 at half time. Bandon were full value for their eventual 3-15 to 1-2 county finals success with Laura Cummins (1-4), Rachel O’Donovan (2-0), Sarah Burrows (0-4), Ella Cullinane and Aisling O’Connor (0-2 each), Maggie France, Rachel Butler and Hannah Buckley (0-1 each) providing the scores.

“We are thrilled with the win,” Bandon minor manager Richard Tarrant said.

“This is a great boost for the club going forward. The girls played brilliantly throughout and did what was asked of them. The performance was very satisfying from our point of view.” 

Bandon’s minor county final success did not occur overnight but the panel’s experience of playing at junior level proved a huge bonus.

THRIVING

Add to that, Bandon’s thriving underage setup and the Lilywhites have every reason to look forward to next year’s West Cork and county competitions with renewed optimism.

“Most of the Bandon minor team have played with our club’s junior teams over the last couple of years,” Richard Tarrant added.

“We also added seven or eight of the club’s U16 panel to the group. Those players really energised the whole set-up when the minor county competition kicked off and after we were knocked out of the Cork LGFA junior championship.

“It has been a long season. 

The minor panel girls’ willingness to make up for a couple of near misses in the junior competitions, earlier in the year, really shone through.

“They trained really well over the last month leading up to that county final against Bishopstown. All but five of them will be eligible to play next year, so we would be hopeful of putting up a strong performance in our division once again next year and see where that takes us.

“I must give a massive thank you to all who helped make this minor county final victory possible and congratulations to the girls on their success. Hopefully, they will continue to play for many years to come and a win like this can only help.”