Carbery crowned in Cork

Carbery 1-11 Bishopstown 0-7

They won the coveted Andy Scannell Cup in style and from the minute outstanding captain Michéal O’Sullivan pointed them into the lead after the first passage of play there was only going to be one result.

Dictating the flow of play, they ran Bishopstown ragged and their 1-5 to 0-2 interval lead bore little resemblance to the superiority they enjoyed in the first-half, while playing with the stiff wind.

When Bishopstown, for a fleeting moment, did threaten a resurgence after the resumption, Carbery upped the tempo again to devastate their city opponents. Bishoptown never got out of the traps. It was a nightmare occasion for them, when absolutely nothing went right.

It seemed they were over-hyped by the ambition to make the great breakthrough. Whatever the reason, Bishopstown froze. The manner in which they squandered possession had to be seen to be believed. They had no leader on the park, while Carbery had several.

Full back and man of the match Eoin Sexton, centre-back Sean Levis, midfielders Míchéal O’Sullivan and Kevin McMahon and full-forward Pat Hegarty were in gladiatorial form. Carbery outplayed Bishopstown down the middle and never allowed the city side an opportunity to impose their will on a final watched by an attendance of 7,349.

Following O’Sullivan’s opening point, Carbery playing some superb football and extended their lead to four points before James O’Shea broke Bishopstown’s duck with a point in the 20th minute. The Bishopstown captain pounced for another five minutes later and his contribution was the sum total of the losers’ scoring in an abysmal first-half display.

Carbery should have been out the gap at half time. In total control of every department, they rocked Bishopstown in the 21st minute when Michéal O’Sullivan beautifully floated in a 45 metre free. Wing forward Frank Arundel broke the ball down into the path of the hard-working Alan O’Connor and the St. Colums player made no mistake from close range.This goal set up Carbery for their six-points interval advantage but it could have been much more but for some wayward kicking.

It was clear Bishopstown had to come out with all guns blazing if they were to harbour any hope of retrieving what appeared to be a lost cause. In fact, the opposite happened. At the restart, the magnificent Sean Levis soloed downfield and pointed with aplomb. Then Pat Hegarty popped over his third of the game to stretch Carbery’s lead to eight points. Bishopstown previously had a mountain to climb. Now they had an Everest to scale. Hope briefly flickered for them when corner-forward Jack Ferriter, marked out of it in play by the trojan-like Eugene Murphy, kicked three points in succession from frees, during what was Bishopstown’s best period. Substitute Shane Conlisk added another. The once intimidating gap had now been reduced to four.

But with the Carbery defence on top and wing back Michael Fehilly playing a blinder, Bishopstown failed to make any further ground. The ’Town’s forwards were held in a vice-like grip. But after two lightning fast points from centre-forward John Hayes and Frank Arundel, which powered Carbery six points in front again entering the final quarter, Bishopstown saw their hopes of glory finally go up in smoke when first James O’Shea and then Brian Cuthbert, blasted wide.

Following these cruel setbacks, Bishopstown never figured again. Another pointed free from Ferriter was all they could manage in the closing stages, while Carbery copper-fastened their division’s fourth title with sublime points from Levis and John Hayes.

Scorers: Carbery: A. O’Connor 1-0; P. Hegarty 0-3; S. Levis 0-2; J. Hayes 0-2; M. O’Sullivan, M. Moore, D. Hayes, and F. Arundel 0-1 each. Bishopstown: J. Ferriter 0-4 (0-4 from frees); J. O’Shea 0-2; S. Conlisk 0-1.

CARBERY: P. Prendergast (Bandon); E. Barrett (St. Oliver Plunketts), E. Sexton (Kilbrittain), E. Murphy (Carbery Rgs); B. O’Brien (Barryroe), S. Levis (Muintir Bhaire), M. Fehilly (D. O’Mathuna); M. O’Sullivan (Carbery Rgs), K. McMahon (do); A. O’Connor (St. Colums), J. Hayes (Carbery Rgs), F. Arundel (Muintir Bhaire); D. Hayes (Carbery Rgs), P. Hegarty (T. McCarthaigh), M. Moore (Carbery Rgs).

Subs: M. Cronin (St. Colums) for O’Connor (injured); B. Harte (Argideen Rgs) for Moore; A. O’Leary (Argideen Rgs) for Hegarty; M. Milner (Randal Og) for Arundel; K. Walsh (Bandon) for Fehily.

BISHOPSTOWN: M. Galvin; M. Kilgallon, N. O’Donovan, S. Murphy; J. A. O’Sullivan, M. Hayes, B. Healy; A. O’Connor, R. Honahan; B. Cuthbert, A. Buckley, J. Murphy; J. Ferriter, J. Honohan, J. O’Shea.

Subs: M. Cogan for Buckley; S. Conlisk for J. Murphy; J. O’Sullivan for J. Honohan; T. Hayes for J. A. O’Sullivan; D. Cullinane for M. Hayes.

Referee: N. Barrett (Carrigtwohill).