Barryroe earn first-ever Carbery JAFC crown with extra-time victory over Kilmacabea
SUROUNDED: Kilmacabea's Diarmuid O'Callaghan is tackled by Barryroe's Ryan O'Donovan and Tomas O'Buachalla during the Bandon Co-Op West Cork JAFC final at Dunmanway. Pic: Eddie O'Hare
Barryroe caused a surprise by overcoming Kilmacabea to win the club’s first-ever Bandon Co-Op Carbery JAFC title after extra-time in Dunmanway on Friday.
An evening of high drama and superb football ended with Barryroe crowned West Cork champions and boy, did they earn it.
Led by former Tipperary senior Robbie Kiely and a youthful panel, Barryroe, predominantly a hurling club, added a coveted football title to their rich list of historic achievements.
Most of this terrific Carbery decider was a shootout between two of the best forwards in the region.
Kilmacabea’s Damien Gore finished with 0-11 while Barryroe’s Ryan O’Donovan - the best player on the pitch - shot 1-8. Such high scoring underlined each player’s quality considering the awful weather conditions.
It was 0-6 to 0-5 in Kilmac’s favour at the short whistle. Gore kicked all six of his side’s scores with O’Donovan contributing four of Barryroe’s and Cork minor Olan O’Donovan adding another.
The pace was unrelenting in the second period despite heavy showers and an increasingly slippery playing surface.
A brilliantly converted Ryan O’Donovan goal made it 1-7 to 0-7 early in the second half but back came Kilmacabea with two Gore scores and a Daniel O’Donovan effort levelling matters once again.
Right on full-time, Damien Gore wriggled past two defenders and split the posts to make it 0-13 to 1-8.
Ryan O’Donovan answered within sixty seconds and went one better to level it up, 0-13 to 1-10, and force extra-time.
Adam McSweeney and Brian O’Donovan points sandwiched an Ian Jennings effort to leave Barryroe 1-12 to 0-14 ahead at the end of the first period of additional time.
Both sides emptied their respective tanks despite worsening weather conditions. Kilmacabea thought they had drawn level only for a late attempt to rebound back off a post.
Amid a welter of excitement, another Kilmacabea effort from Dan O’Donovan dropped under the crossbar into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Gearoid Holland.
The final whistle shrilled shortly after and a Barryroe team that won their quarter, semi and final in extra-time celebrated an historic moment.
R O’Donovan 1-8 (0-3 frees), O O’Donovan, R Crowley, B Donovan, A McSweeney 0-1 each.
D Gore 0-11 (0-5 frees, 0-1 mark), I Jennings 0-2, D O’Donovan 0-1.
G Holland; M Walsh, S O’Riordan, P Moloney; T Ó Buachalla, D O’Sullivan (captain), J Moloney; R Kiely, J O’Brien; D Murphy, O O’Donovan, C Dineen; R O’Donovan, S Holland, M Crowley.
D McCarthy for P Moloney (ht), B O’Donovan for S Holland (47), A McSweeney for J O’Brien (49).
C McCarthy; L Tobin, D Whooley, M Jennings; D O’Callaghan (captain), M Collins, O Tobin; J Collins, R Hourihane; D McCarthy, I Jennings, R Shanahan; E Shanahan, L McCarthy, D Gore.
D O’Donovan for E Shanahan (36), O Kerrisk for J Collins (42), J Ronan for R Shanahan (55).
Shane Scanlon (Newcestown).
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