'This is like a dream' - St James seal promotion after convincing West Cork final win
CELEBRATIONS: Team captain Conor Hayes (St. James) with the Mick McCarthy Cup and his team mates and selectors celebrate their victory in the Bandon Coop Carbery Junior A Football Championship final at Ahiohill. Picture: Martin Walsh.
St James were crowned Bandon Co-Op Carbery JAFC champions and gained promotion to next year’s Premier Junior grade in Ahiohill on Sunday afternoon.
St Oliver Plunkett’s superbly prepared facility played host to a large attendance on the biggest day in West Cork GAA’s junior football calendar.
Whether it was nerves or just failing to deal with such a big occasion, a young Argideen team never played to their full potential.
St James won’t care one iota. Fluid in attack and compact in defence, the Ardfield club shook off some poor shooting to keep the scoreboard ticking over throughout a scrappy second period.
The Ardfield club were full value for their win and will relish the chance to show what they can do at Premier Junior county level in 2023.
“This is like a dream,” St James manager Alan O’Shea commented.
“Every year we are written off. We were ranked the seventeenth best team in West Cork football at the start of the championship. Well, we are out of the junior ranks now. It is unreal.
“We cannot wait to go up Premier Junior next year. What a boost for the club. This is a mentally tough and driven group. They always give everything and have heart, real heart. You can’t say much more about an unbelievable group of players.”
The Ardfield club began at a high tempo and never allowed their opponents to settle. It was 0-5 to 0-0 after 12 dominant minutes after St James’ James O’Driscoll, Conor Hayes, Frank Hayes, Joseph O’Sullivan and Aaron Hayes (free) split the posts.
The eventual winners should have been further ahead but kicked six wasteful wides. Darragh Holland (free) and Fergal Walsh scores gave Rangers a glimmer of hope as they changed ends 0-5 to 0-2 in arrears.
Alas, any hope Argideen had of narrowing the gap evaporated during a poor third quarter. Wayward shooting was compounded by Rangers’ Padraig Butler receiving a black card after 38 minutes.
Ian Evans’ free was St James’ first score in 27 minutes but quickly answered by a Darragh Holland free at the opposite end.
That was the moment St James took control with three Frank Hayes points along with late Conor Hayes and Ian Evans (free) efforts making it an unforgettable day for the ‘men from the mountain’.
F Hayes 0-4 (0-1 free), I Evans (0-2 frees) and C Hayes 0-2 each, J O’Driscoll, A Hayes (0-1 free) and J O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
D Holland (0-2 frees) and F Walsh 0-2 each, P Butler 0-1.
N Evans; M McCarthy (B), James O’Sullivan, T Feen; P Whelton, C Hayes, M McCarthy (D); K O’Leary, J O’Driscoll; K O’Brien, A Hayes, Joe O’Sullivan; F Hayes, C Hayes (captain), D White.
D O’Sullivan for K O’Leary (36), I Evans for D White (36), D Hayes for James O’Sullivan (40), E Deasy for P Whelton (55), A O’Shea for Joe O’Sullivan (62).
L McCarthy; F Butler, D O’Donovan, S Henchion; A Guinevan, G Crowley (captain), B Fleming; P Butler, D Holland; M Lawton, E Lawton, C O’Donovan; L O’Leary, F Walsh, S Walsh.
D Harrington for L O’Leary (32), C Smith for C O’Donovan (40), S Maxwell for M Lawton (54).
Liam O’Shea (Carbery Rangers).
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