Bantry Blues no 'one-man band' insists manager O’Donovan after semi-final win
MAIN MAN: Bantry Blues' Ruairi Deane is tackled by Kilshannig's Shane O'Connell during the Bon Secours Cork PIFC semi final at Coachford. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Bantry Blues manager David O’Donovan felt they were unfairly written off before Saturday’s Bon Secours Cork Premier IFC semi-final in Coachford.
Finalists last season against Kanturk, they showed huge heart and commitment before edging a depleted Kilshannig due to injury.
They await Castletownbere or Cill na Martra in the final.
Missed goal chances, including one from the penalty spot, could have been costly too.
“We probably felt a bit disrespected during the week that everybody was kind of writing us off based on what; we don’t know. That we were a one-man band. We didn’t think there was so much of a disparity,” O’Donovan said.
The one-man band he is referring to is county player Ruairí Deane, who had been hampered with injury. Deane played a crucial role in this epic contest and scored 1-3 - his goal in the fifth minute got the ball rolling.
“When I started with Bantry 18 months ago, we felt we had to bring in a lot of young players to re-energise the team, especially after they got relegated the year before. We had nine or ten players under 23 playing today.
“Whatever happens in two weeks or three, the future is bright for Bantry football.
“Ruairí is someone they have looked up to in the last 10 years, obviously with his inter-county involvement. He is a Bantry person first and foremost.”
In a game that ebbed and flowed, Kilshannig were dealt blow after blow. Already without their leader Killian O’Hanlon, they lost his brother Eanna and Brian Guerin in the first-half, all to leg injuries.
It was going to be a tall order, but the 2022 IAFC champions left everything on the field of play. Ciarán O’Sullivan drew them level after quarter of an hour, 1-2 to 0-5.
They were outscored four points to one in the second quarter, and trailed 1-6 to 0-6 at the interval.
A healthy start to the second-half, which yielded 1-2 including a goal from Tom Cunningham, saw them regain the lead.
Bantry heads could have dropped but they rallied with four unanswered points, two gems from Arthur Coakley.
Only the minimum separated the teams in a frenetic fourth quarter. Kieran Twomey’s third narrowed the gap 1-12 to 1-11 in stoppage.
There was still time for plenty more drama with Paddy Cronin crashing a penalty off the woodwork, when surely a tap over point would have been the safe option.
Because at the other end, and in the final play, the winners had to do everything in their power to deny Kilshannig extra-time.
R Deane (1-3, 0-3 frees), A Coakley (0-5, 0-1 free, 0-1 mark), P Cronin (0-2, 0-1 mark), S O’Leary and K Casey (0-1 each).
: T Cunningham (1-2, 0-1 free), K Twomey (0-3, 0-1 free), B Curtin, J Twomey, C O’Sullivan, A O’Connell, E O’Hanlon and C McMahon (0-1 each).
: M Casey; S Thornton, T Cronin, C O’Brien; J O’Neill, M Óg O’Sullivan, E Minihane; B Foley, D McCarthy; K Casey, S O’Leary (Capt), S Keevers; P Cronin, R Deane, A Coakley.
Subs: E O’Donoghue for M Casey (18 inj).
: G Creedon; C O’Shea, E Burke (Capt), S O’Connell; B Curtin, B Guerin, M Twomey; J Twomey, C O’Sullivan; A O’Connell, E O’Sullivan, T Cunningham; K Twomey, E O’Hanlon, Diarmuid O’Sullivan.
Subs: B Creedon for E O’Hanlon (7 inj), K O’Connell for B Guerin (30+1 inj), C McMahon for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (33), Darragh O’Sullivan for M Twomey (42).
: Peter O’Leary (Cloughduv).
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