SAHC: Bride Rovers roar back to beat Castlelyons in final replay

Bride Rovers 2-15

Castlelyons 2-14

There are ways to win finals and there are ways to win finals - Bride Rovers will remember this SAHC final replay victory for ever.

Beating neighbours and rivals is always a nice box to tick, as is coming with a late surge when all seemed lost. In hitting Castlelyons for an unanswered 1-4 in the last ten minutes of action, the Rovers combined it all into an almost-unbelievable package.

With the game in its 53rd minute of normal time, a super James Kearney point put Castlelyons 2-14 to 1-11 in front and their supremacy was not in doubt. Having led by 0-9 to 0-5 at half-time despite a slow start, they had weathered an early Bride Rovers restart on the restart before hitting them with a pair of goals.

Even when Jamie Peters and Adam Walsh cut the deficit, there wasn’t a sense of something dramatic in the offing - Bride Rovers looked to be limited to speculative goal chances from Brian Roche, who broke even with Niall O'Leary over the game as a whole. Those efforts were repelled by a hardworking defence, led by captain Colm Spillane.

What will be a source of regret to Castlelyons for the winter is that the goal to cut a four-point lead to one was so avoidable - Paddy O’Flynn was trying to send the ball back into the mixer but instead it eluded everybody and nestled in the corner.

Josh Ahern might have levelled when a clearance was sent straight to him but shot wide; even so, four added minutes afforded them time. When the leveller came, it was a score befitting of the occasion.

Cillian Tobin, like his opposite number Spillane, had excelled in a sweeping role in both the drawn game and the replay and, with goalkeeper Cian Hogan in possession, he demanded the ball and from his own 45 he sent it flying between the posts.

Two minutes later, it was Tobin’s clearance which broke kindly for David Barry to put them back in front. Now, it was Castlelyons seeking the time: while they worked the ball into enemy territory - and might have had a free - they could not get away the shot that might have sent the game to extra time.

The way the game started, with Rovers firing three early points as Castlelyons - with the wind - shot seven wides before their opening score, this outcome looked the likelier one. However, they were so many twists and turns to take before that.

That one to get Castlelyons off the mark was worth the wait, Niall O’Leary throwing over a beauty from halfway, out on the left side, and from there they took control, with Bride Rovers unable to make headway in attack.

By half-time, the lead was 0-9 to 0-5, while a Bride Rovers fightback with the wind was expected and materialised, Castlelyons’ response was just as strong.

Adam Walsh’s goal put the Rovers ahead again, 1-8 to 0-10, but such a state only pervaded for a matter of seconds as Colm Spillane tied matters again.

They almost snaffled a goal in the wake of that as a massive delivery from goalkeeper Jack Barry hopped awkwardly in front of his opposite number Cian Hogan - in trying to scoop clear, the ball almost rebounded in off Cillian Tobin. Even so, Anthony Spillane’s second of the game had Castlelyons back in front and, though Adam Walsh levelled, it was the last time that equality existed.

A superb delivery from Keith O’Leary - effective throughout in a third-midfielder role - was brilliantly taken down by David Morrison and he revisited his goalscoring form from the semi-final win over Blarney by blasting a low shot home.

Walsh did provide an initial reply for Rovers with a free from his own 65 but Spillane drove out of defence to set up Keith O’Leary for his second and with a 12 left a three-point lead became six as Shane Cotter’s driving run set up Leon Doocey for another goal.

That made it 2-13 to 1-10 and looked to have set them on course for victory. There was a lot more in store, though.

Scorers for Bride Rovers: A Walsh 1-7 (0-6 f), P O’Flynn 1-1, D Barry 0-2, J Peters, C Tobin, S O’Connor, B Roche, C O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Castlelyons: L Doocey 1-1, D Morrison 1-0, A Fenton 0-3 (0-2 f), E Maye, A Spillane, K O’Leary 0-2 each, C Spillane, N O’Leary, S Moroney, J Kearney 0-1 each.

BRIDE ROVERS: C Hogan; D Cashman, E Roche, C Tobin; J Ahern, C Hazelwood, S O’Connor; J Peters, C O’Sullivan; P O’Flynn, B Roche, A Walsh; K Kearney, C Ryan, D Barry.

Subs: R O’Connell for Kearney (40), J Mannix for O’Sullivan (54).

CASTLELYONS: J Barry; D Spillane, C Barry, C Spillane; S Moroney, N O’Leary, C McCarthy; J Kearney, E Maye; S Cotter, A Fenton, L Doocey; K O’Leary, A Spillane, D Morrison.

Subs: B Spillane for Morrison (56).

Referee: M Maher (St Finbarr’s).