Barryroe GAA

12 October, 2022

Match Report 'West Cork Gael' Southern Star 3/12/2005

Barryroe so unlucky in minor final

St. Colman's 3-08 Barryroe 2-10

Robbery without violence! Just a minute remained of this fascinating Cork County Minor B Hurling Championship decider between Barryroe and St. Colman's, which was played at Brinny on Sunday afternoon last. St. Colman's an amalgamated team from Cloyne and Russell Rovers, had been in arrears all through the match playing second fiddle to a Barryroe fifteen who had turned on a manificient exhibition of skilful, sublime and lovely one-touch hurling. Just when it seemed that the lads from the Barony of Ibane were in sight of a historic first county hurling title at this level, disaster struck. St. Colman's won a sideline ball some forty metres out from the Barryroe goalmouth near the left touchline. Pauide O'Sullivan, brother of Cork senior Diarmuid, the axis on which so many of the winners attaching moves revolved around, centred a delightful ball towards goal. As they had done on countless occassions over the hour, the Barryroe defenders cleared their lines. However, up popped industrious St. Colman's midfielder Thomas O'Shea to gather the breaking ball, leave a bevy of defenders in his wake and billow the Barryroe net giving superb custodian Billy O'Donovan no chance in the world.

The vital major saw the victors hit the front for the very first time in the game. In the remaining four minutes of play the Barryroe boys did have opportunities to draw level again, but with O'Shea, Paudie O'Sullivan, Maurice Lynch, and captain James Costin in unrepentant mood as they defended heroically in the last dramatic moments of a fabulous game, the St. Colman's lads just held out for a last-gasp win. It was truly a shattering result for the gallant Barryroe boys, because, for three quaters of this game, they ran their much illustrious and vaunted opponents ragged. While the victors saw cause to pick-up most balls, while engaging in prolonged bouts of intriciate passing, which often broke down at the last moment, the Blues first-time play was joy to behold.

With Tadhg Harrington giving an inspirational performance in the pivot position, Aidan Carroll sound as a rock at full back, Kevin O'Driscoll showing shome deft touches as left half back and Brian Colgan, Ian McCarthy and Sean Young all providing excellent early cover for Billy O'Donovan, Barryroe got off to a dream begining. A delightful move involving Peter Keohane, John O'Donovan and industrious captain Brian O'Donoghue saw the latter fouled. John O'Donovan made no mistake from the resultant free to open the Blues tally and signal a period of early Barryroe dominance. At this juncture they had a maked swing around the middle of the park, where the astute play of Mattie O'Regan and Gearoid Holland was ensuring a good supply of ball to their lively forwards. Thomas O'Shea, Jamie O'Sullivan, Michael Walsh and Paudie O'Sullivan were doing their utmost to shake a somewhat lethargic St. Colman's into more positive action, exemplified when the latter pointed to open their scoring in the 11th minute. But it was Barryroe, with Ciaran Hurley, O'Donoghue, Peter Keohane and the diminutive John O'Donovan calling all the shots, who hit them with a brace of majical majors inside the next seven minutes.

After Keohane fed Hurley with a peach of a delivery in the 13th minute, the latter was unlucky to see his screamer superbly saved by the outstanding Alan Reilly. However, the breaking ball was slammed home with pace and panache by the swashbuckling John O'Donovan. Goal number two arrived in the 18th minute, when, following a gigantic free by the outstanding Tadhg Harrington, up popped the lurking O'Donovan to billow his opponents net for a second time. It sent the huge Barryroe following in the big crowd into orgies of understandable delight. When the brilliant O'Donovan added a point, the victors had a dropped a staggering seven points in arrears, 2-02 to 0-01, and just twenty-one minutes having been played. Paudie O'Sullivan knocked over a free in the 22nd minute, but still a sluggish St. Colman's looked to be in dire straits. How they relished the lifeline thrown in the 26th minute. A fabulous solo effort from the classy Paudie O'Sullivan for once spread-eagled the solid Barryor defence, leaving Thomas Ryan space and opportunity to display his considerable skills by duly dispatching the ball past Billy O'Donovan. O'Sullivan was now operating in the half-forward line, Thomas Ryan was on the 'mark', while John Ahern had replaced corner back Tadhe Crowley as St. Colman's upped the tempo considerably.

Barryroe gave the best possible reply, when, following a fine move involving Keohane, the industrious Donal O'Dwyer and the classy Ciaran Hurley, the latter was grounded and the reliable O'Donovan made no mistake from the resultant free. A scintillating first thirty minutes concluded as Paudie O'Sullivan left just a point between the teams as reliable match official Conor Lane from Banteer blew for the the interval. Brian O'Donoghue set the scene for a rip-roaring concluding thirty minutes, when he expertly converted a close-in free after the influential Ciaran Hurley was taken down. Wiith Kevin O'Driscoll, Harrington, Carroll, Colgan, Ian McCarthy and Young sticking to their task like leeches, they were relieved to see a bullet of a drive from Paudie O'Sullivan stopped at point-blank range by the magnificent Billy O'Donovan in the 34th minute. The resulting 65 was duly dispatched by O'Sullivan in the 3th minute, narrowing the gap to just a goal, 2-04 to 1-04.

It was now an absolute cracker of a match, with non-stop action, fabulous skills and intense endeavour displayed by both sides. However, four absolutely gems of unanswered points by Barryroe looked to have titled the scales of victory in their direction. The first from all of sixty metres came from Peter Keohane, Harrington had sublime effort in the 42nd minute, Donal O'Dwyer an equally good white flag and Keohane again at the end of the third quarter, to leave Barryroe looking rosy, a commanding doubles score lead, 2-08 to 1-04 being enjoyed. Now came the final throw of the dice by beleagurered St. Colman's. John Ahern, making his second appearance having been substituted a little earlier by the man he had replaced in the first half, Tadhg Crowley, was placed between the posts with Alan Reilly moving to full forward. The latter soon had the desired impact. After the brilliant Billy O'Donovan had again saved at close-range from Paudie O'Sullivan, Reilly, from an acute angle on the left corner, rattled home a vital goal. John O'Donovan gave the best possible reply when he hit over a marvellous individual score in the 48th minute, but one sensed that the adrenalin was now flowing freely through the veins of the East Cork boys.

With Anton Walsh, Jamie O'Sullivan, O'Shea and Anthony Walsh now playing out of their skins, three peaches of scores from Paudie O'Sullivan from dead ball situations in the 50th, 54th and 56th minutes had the massive crowd on their feet in expectation of a grand finale. A mammoth free by the lion hearted Tadhg Harrington in the 57th minute looked to have done the trick for never-say-die Barryroe, but St. Colman's thanks to a life-saving point by James Costin in the 58th minute, when his rasper flew just over the bar and that last gasp goal by O'Shea, picked this one out of a raging hot fire, leaving the gallant Blues absolutely devasted after a titanic showing.

Southern Star verdict: What a game to win for St. Colman's, what really hard luck on a gallant and luckless Barryroe. The victors looked to be dead for three-quarters of this match, and while not quite ready for burial, it took a supreme effort to raise themselves from what looked a watery grave. That they rose, Lazarus-like, to snatch victory speaks volums to their courage, grit and determination. Spare a thought for West Cork champions Barryroe. Going into the game as outsiders they gave a performance of consummate skill, superb hurling and while defeat may have been their lot, they can feel justifably proud of the endeavours.

At the conclusion of a sporting match, Martin O'Brien, PRO, Cork Minor Board, presented the trophy to an overjoyed James Costin, captain, St. Colman's.

Barryroe: Billy O'Donovan, Brian Colgan, Aidan Carroll, Ian McCarthy, Sean Young, Tadhg Harrington 0-02 (1f), Kevin O'Driscoll, Gearoid Holland, Mattie O'Regan, Brian O'Donoghue (Capt.) 0-01 (1f), Donal O'Dwyer 0-01, Peter Keohane 0-02, Ciaran Hurley, Pierce Wycherley, John O'Donovan 2-04 (3f). Sub: Eddie Dwyer for Ian McCarthy.

St. Colman's: Alan Reilly 1-00, Dave Jermyn, Maurice Lynch, Tadhg Crowley, Richard Barry, Jamie Costin 0-01, Michael Walsh, Thomas O'Shea 1-00, Anton Walsh, Thomas Ryan 1-00, Jamie O'Sullivan, Anthony Quinlan, Anthony Walsh, Paudie O'Sullivan 0-07 (6f, 1x65), Alan Roberts. Sub: John Ahern