Lisgoold land first East Cork Junior A football title against Carraig na bhfear
Lisgoold manager Owen Hegarty celebrates with supporters after the historic win over Carraig na bhFear
LISGOOLD are East Cork JAFC kingpints for the first time after two late goals sealed a famous triumph in miserable weather conditions at Glenville.
Caolan O'Brien and substitute Tom Savage were the heroes in what was a hard-fought conclusion to the Michael O'Connor Motor Factors-sponsored championship.
Aided by the wind in the opening half, the winners looked to have settled to their task impressively, but an 18-minute barren spell without a score changed the narrative as halftime approached.
After Carraig na bhFear's top scorer Oisin Crowley had raised the game's first white flag, Lisgoold responded in style with well-taken points from play from Caolan O'Brien, James O'Driscoll, Shaun Murphy and a monster free from John Cashman.
Territorially, Lisgoold were on top at this juncture. However, inspired by some excellent play from Paul Sheehan, Carraig responded in fine fashion.
Billy Connolly kicked over a following fine approach work before Oisin Crowley trimmed the margin to the minimum after a super intervention by Sheehan at the other end.
Crowley then landed the equaliser as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark, which a relieved Lisgoold answered when John Cashman converted a close-range free. 0-5 to 0-4 for Lisgoold at the exchange of ends, but would that slender advantage be enough?
Initially, their second-half play was excellence rewarded by two more well-taken frees into the wind by Cashman. Suddenly another shift in power.
Two half-time Carraig na bhFear subs began to energise their challenge, with Paul O'Keeffe making a marked impression highlighted by a quality point.
Two more Crowley frees soon squared the match and with 20 minutes remaining it was 0-7 each. Stoppages and injuries were creeping in as the contest reached a stage when the next score would be vital. Lisgoold showed their metal again with Cashman pointing from an awkward angle.
Then the first of the big moments arrived after 52 minutes.
Another John Cashman free hung in the sky, but this time seemingly heading wide. Cathal Hickey stretched to keep the ball alive and Caolan O'Brien was on hand to send it to the net from close range. Lisgoold back in the box seat with a four-point advantage.
Incredibly though the clock was to tick until minute 69, with a backlog of injury time, so there was ample scope for more action. A few more questions had to be answered by Lisgoold, especially after Tadhg O'Donoghue stood tall to fire a brace of unanswered points to trim the margin back to two.
Cashman again responded to push Lisgoold free, completing a half dozen successful kicks and then there followed the second big moment as sub Tom Savage reacted fastest to the break after the ball came back off the Carraig keeper.
John Cronin took a black card for the Lisgoold cause late on to deny a potential goal concession and despite their gallant efforts, another Crowley point was the only reward for the opposition.
Lisgoold's passing game had brought the best out of them as they played into the second half wind- their experience of hurling success in recent years also had stood them in good stead as they saw the game out.
Of the 14 outfield players only Shaun Murphy, who led them superbly from full-back, is a non-hurler.
J Cashman 0-6 f, Caolan O'Brien 1-1, Tom Savage 1-0, Shaun Murphy, James O'Driscol 0-1 each.
Oisin Crowley 0-6 (0-5 f), Tadhg O'Donoghue 0-2, Billy Connolly, Paul O'Keeffe 0-1 each.
W Kingston; J Hegarty, S Murphy, C O'Sé; K Cashman, M Hegarty, C Scannell; C Cashman, J Cronin; J O'Driscoll, C O Brien, L Walsh; C Hickey, J Cashman, L O'Shea.
T Savage for O'Driscoll (inj 40) C Hallahan for L Walsh (52), D Healy for O'Shea (55), S Coleman for C Cashman (59)
P O'Brien; P Geaney, R McCarthy, C Cooney; P Sheehan, T Geaney, B Murphy; T O'Donoghue, C Hayes; John Forde, J Ahern, James Forde; S O'Donoghue, B Connolly, O Crowley.
D Dunphy for S O'Donoghue and P O'Keeffe for J Ahern (both h-t), A Dorgan for James Forde (39), C Murphy for John Forde (54), F Murphy for C Cooney (60).
Eoin Coleman (Youghal).
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