Beara footballers into U21 final after extra effort to squeeze past Valley Rovers
Beara's Tom O'Connor scores a goal past Valley Rovers' goalkeeper Josh Woods during the McCarthy Insurance Group U21 A football semi-final at Ballineen. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Beara saw off Valley Rovers after extra time in the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork U21 A FC semi-finals in Enniskeane on Saturday thanks to a Tom O'Connor goal.
A low-scoring encounter played on a heavy pitch saw Beara deservedly qualify for this year’s U21AFC county final. Valley’s were more than a match for their opponents but conceded four points in extra-time which proved their undoing.
Adam Casey (mark) opened the scoring but Beara’s response was positive with Adrigole’s Tommy O’Sullivan floating over two superb points. Ciarán McCarthy levelled matters after 11 minutes but, disappointingly, that would be Rovers’ last score of the half.
Not that their opponents took immediate control however, as defences got on top and a tight semi-final’s next score didn’t arrive for another 10 minutes. Ben O’Sullivan handed Beara their first lead via a close-range free.
The semi-final’s key moment arrived after 25 minutes. Fintan Fenner embarked on one of his trademark runs. The Beara captain hand-passed to Tom O’Connor who sent a left-footed bullet into the top corner.
Ben O’Sullivan added a free and Rovers’ inability to capitalise on two goalmouth scrambles saw the rural division go in 1-4 to 0-2 ahead at the interval.
Eoin Guinane and two Oisin McCarthy (one free) efforts were answered by Fintan Fenner (free) to make it 1-5 to 0-5 after 40 minutes. Incredibly, that would be Beara’s only score of the half.
Guinane and Luke Casey reduced the deficit before Ciarán McCarthy kicked a terrific equaliser after 45 minutes.
Disappointingly, neither side would score again during a fractious closing quarter. Beara goalkeeper Killian Murphy made a fantastic injury-time save to ensure the semi-final went to extra-time.
That saw Ciarán McCarthy land a free to put Valleys ahead.
Fintan Fenner responded with a Beara free early in the second period. As darkness fell, Fenner landed another free before Tom O’Connor and Ben O’Sullivan (free) won it 1-9 to 0-9 for an ecstatic Beara.
The winners must await the outcome of the opposite side of the draw before finding out who they will face in this year’s U21 A decider. Bishopstown will take on either Aghada or Ballinora in the second semi-final.
T O'Connor 1-1, B O’Sullivan, F Fenner 0-3 f each, T O’Sullivan 0-2.
C McCarthy 0-3 (0-1 f), O McCarthy (0-1 f), E Guinane 0-2 each, A Casey (m), L Casey 0-1 each.
K Murphy (Castletownbere); D Harrington (Glengarriff), D Harrington (Urhan), M Downing (Adrigole); D O’Sullivan (Adrigole), S Sé (Adrigole), N O’Shea (Urhan); F Fenner (c, Castletownbere), A O’Sullivan (Urhan); L Harrington (Glengarriff), L Kelly (Castletownbere), G O’Shea (Adrigole); T O’Connor (Adrigole), B O’Sullivan (Adrigole), T O’Sullivan (Adrigole).
J Hanley (Castletownbere) for L Kelly (34, inj), D Crowley (Urhan) for T O’Sullivan (Adrigole) (57), A O’Sullivan (Urhan) for T Sullivan (Adrigole) (72), S Power for L Harrington (73, inj), O Murphy (Castletownbere) for D Harrington (79).
A Woods; C O’Sullivan, T McGrath, B Lordan; C Johnson, N Daly, L Casey; O McCarthy, E Guinane; J Murphy, C McCarthy (c), S Ryan; A Casey, D Carthew, E O’Shea.
S Browne for C Johnson (26-29 bs), H O’Sullivan for J Murphy (h-t), S Browne for B Lordan (49), J Twohig for D Carthew (66, inj), L Humphries for L Casey (67).
Brian Crowley (Castlehaven).
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