Classy Randal Óg sweep to emphatic county title win

In Peter Collins and Pádraig O’Sullivan, Ballinacarriga boys had best two operators on the field

SILVER SYMBOL: Randal Og celebrate their Cork JBFC final success at Pairc Ui Rinn.

Cork JBFC final: Randal Óg 2-10 Goleen 1-6

Randal Óg claimed Cork's JBFC title with a well deserved win over their divisional rivals from Goleen on Saturday at Pairc Uí Rinn.

Truth be told, the Ballinacarriga outfit just had that bit more class and in Peter Collins and Pádraig O’Sullivan, they had the best two operators on the field. Collins kicked 1-4 from midfield, with his penalty after half-time, in response to Goleen taking the lead, proving to be the pivotal score of the game.

Meanwhile O’Sullivan, who operated on the forty, tacked over 0-4 from play including three in a row after Collins’ penalty. Goleen gave everything they had, with Matthew Sheehan and veteran John Cullinane always to the fore but in the end they just came up short.

Randal Óg got off to the perfect start when Barry O’Driscoll goaled inside two minutes. He was best placed to take advantage of a misjudged long delivery as he slotted the ball expertly past Ronan Kennedy to settle his side’s nerves.

O’Driscoll followed up his opening gambit with a free before Pádraig O’Sullivan stretched Randal Óg’s lead further with a fine point from play.

The Ballinacarriga side were that bit more purposeful in attack than their Carbery rivals though Shane O’Leary did open Goleen’s account with a booming score from play before Peter Collins responded in kind for Randal Óg to leave them leading by 1-3 to 0-1 as they broke for water.

Goleen then began to take control. Matthew Sheehan was lord of the skies around the middle and he edged his side closer with a point from play before a ’45 from Darren O’Donovan left just the goal between them as half time approached.

Patrick Scully brough them closer before Collins’ registered Randal Óg’s first score in fifteen minutes. A second ’45 from O’Donovan then left Goleen trailing by two, 1-4 to 0-5, when Peter Finnegan blew the half time whistle.

TALL ORDER: Randal Og's Conor O'Neill tussles with Jack O'Driscoll of Goleen in Saturday's JBFC final.

Goleen then took the lead with a penalty just after the break. Daniel O’Driscoll drew the foul before O’Donovan planted his spot-kick past Ciarán Murray.

In Collins, however, Randal Óg had the player of the game. He put his side back in front from the spot before adding a free from a difficult angle to give his side a 2-5 to 1-5 lead. Pádraig O’Sullivan then stretched that lead with his second and third points of the game to leave his side five clear at the second water break.

Randal Óg played with great poise thereafter. Further points from O’Sullivan to Collins gave them a 2-9 to 1-5 lead and despite all of Goleen’s grit, all they could muster was an O’Donovan free in response.

There was still time for Seán Daly to kick a sweet insurance score for the victors as they headed back west with the wind in their sails and county medals in their pockets.

Scorers for Randal Óg: P Collins (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees), P O’Sulliavn (0-4), B O’Driscoll (1-1, 0-1 free), S Daly (0-1).

Scorers for Goleen: D O’Donovan (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2 ’45, 0-1 free), P Scully, Matthew Sheehan and S O’Leary (0-1 each.

RANDAL ÓG: C Murray; P Duggan, S Crowley, I Crowley; C Nyhan, S Patterson, C O’Neill; D Collins, P Collins; K Dullea, P O’Sullivan, S Crowley; B O’Driscoll, C O’Neill, S Daly. 

Subs: P Galvin for S Crowley (39), S Kingston for D Collins (57), C Duggan for O’Sullivan (62), S Crowley for Nyhan (64), P White for Crowley (66).

GOLEEN: R Kennedy, Michael Sheehan, P Sheehan, P Reidy; P Collins, J Scully, J Little; J O’Driscoll, Matthew Sheehan; T Cullinane, J Cullinane, P Scully; D O’Donovan, D O’Driscoll, S O’Leary. 

Subs: T Reidy for Little (20), F O’Sullivan for Sheehan and J Coughlan for Scully (both 46), E Sheehan for J Scully and J O’Regan for O’Leary (both 53).

Referee: Peter Finnegan (Douglas).