Barryroe GAA

Saturday 02 May 2015Junior A Football - Championship

Ballinacarraigna., 19:00PM

Tosnú maith, leath na hoibre.

Never was the old Irish saying more true, than in a wet and windy Ballinacarraiga on Saturday night. Barryroe played with the wind in the first half and struck quickly. With a minute gone, Kierán Hurley, bundled the ball towards Mark Crowley, who buried it for a great start. Bantry then had a point, before Jack Cahalane pointed a free. Bantry had a second point, before a run of points by Jack Cahalane, Kieran Hurley and David O'Sullivan gave the light blues a 1-09 to 0-02 lead.

On twenty two minutes, Mark Crowley had a second goal, then added a point and with Bantry just adding a point in reply, Barryroe had a comfortable 2-10 to 0-03 lead at the break.

The wind had increased during the break and we wondered how Bantry might use it. We need not have worried. Conditions got worse and balls were dropped, but with Bantry so wedded to hand passing, they pretty much isolated their inside forwards. Barryroe funnelled men back to fraustrate the Bantry team although this meant that they had to try to carry the ball against the strong wind, as they vacated an area 25 metres either side of the Bantry 45. The result was pretty much stalemate, with Bantry adding just four points to Barryroe's two, from Jack Cahalane and Dave O'Sullivan.

Barryroe did have a couple of goal chances late in the game, but did not take them.

It's hard to know what to make of the game. Bantry were poor and the direct running of the Barryroe forwards caused panic in the Bantry back line in the first half. The Barryroe defence gave nothing away through and with veteran Jason Fleming calling the shots in midfield, they were comfortable throughout.

Much tougher tests await.

Some match pictures.