Four-goal Buttevant take U16 title

Buttevant 4-17 Castlelyons 1-18

BUTTEVANT are Rebel Og Co Under 16 B2 HC 13 aside kingpins after they defeated Castlelyons in a highly entertaining final at Castletownroche on Sunday.

From the offset both teams were quick into the action. Evan Linehan and J.C Guiney traded an early point by the third minute. They were also tied at 0-4 to 1-1 by the 7th minute with Colm McCarthy (2) Leon Doocey having points for the Imokilly side with Conor O’Hanlon having Buttevant’s first goal in the sixth minute.

At this stage Castlelyons were shading matters and three rapid points by key players Colm McCarthy (2) and Leon Doocey moved them 0-7 to 1-1 in front. As the half went on Buttevant quickly got to grips.

JC Guiney pointed a ‘65 before they struck for their second goal in the 12th minute when good work by Neil O’Connell resulted in Kyle Trimm billowing the net. In their next attack they came close to a third goal when Conor O’Hanlon cut through the heart of the Castlelyons defence with his effort at goal going narrowly over for a point 2-3 to 0-7.

At the end of the first quarter the winners moved 3 clear when Neil O’Connell scored a great point from an acute angle. Castlelyons responded with a point each by Colm McCarthy and Declan Geary.

They were struck for another goal in the 22nd minute when a delivery by the outstanding Michael O’Neill was finished to the net by Kyle Bowles 3-5 to 0-9. The remainder of the half saw the Avondhu side stretch their lead when J.C Guiney and Kyle Bowles were on target.

These two points were quickly cancelled out when Colm McCarthy reeled off points at the otherend 3-7 to 0-11. In the closing moments the winners tagged on two more points by Kyle Bowles and Michael O’Neill while Castlelyons had a pointed free by Leon Doocey who trailed at the break by 3-9 to 0-12.

On the changeover Castlelyons laid an early marker with Leon Doocey and Colm McCarthy having a point each by the 34th minute to come within four points 3-9 to 0-14. In a thrilling half both teams battled hard for supremacy.

Buttevant got the next three points with Castlelyons responding by Even Linehan, Colm McCarthy and Leon Doocey to leave just four points between the teams by the 42nd minute.

At this stage the better balanced Buttevant outfit were showing the greater urgency with Niall O’Riordan, Mark O’Connell, Michael O’Neill, Kyle Trimm, Conor O’Hanlon, JC Guiney and Kyle Bowles playing leading roles as they surged forward.

A period of sustained pressure saw JC Guiney (3) and Michael O’Neill have points by the 49th minute that moved them 3-16 to 0-17 clear. With time running out Castlelyons who also had some fine displays by Declan Geary, Michael O’Sullivan, Darragh Spillane, Declan Morrisson, Leon Doocey and Colm McCarthy threw caution to the wind in an attempt to get back into contention.

In the 52nd minute they gave themselves a lifeline when Ian Ryan had a goal following a goal mouth scramble. Castlelyons tried hard to get a second goal to set up a thrilling finish but some outstanding defending by the entire Buttevant back line comprising of Conrad Cremin, Niall O’Riordan, Brian O’Connor, Mark O’Connell and Adrian Carey certainly kept them at bay while their keeper Aaron Trimm was also in splendid form making some vital clearances his goal line.

In the 54th minute Castlelyons had a close in free saved on the Buttevant goal line with the resultant clearance down the field setting up Kyle Bowles who pointed following great work by Neil O’Connell.

At the end of normal time Buttevant sealed victory when a huge clearance out of the half-back line by Michael O’Neill was gathered by Kyle Bowles who finished to the net as they claimed a deserved victory.

After the game Noel O’Neill PRO of the Rebel Og Northern Board presented the cup to the Buttevant outstanding captain Michael O’Neill amongst a large Buttevant gathering. off

BUTTEVANT: A Trimm, C Cremin, N O’Riordan, B O’Connor,, M O’Connell, A Carey, M O’Neill 0-2, C Hanlon 1-1, D Ryan, K Trimm 1-0, J.C Guiney 0-9 (0-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), K Bowles 2-4, N O’Connell 0-1 Sub: E O’Donoghue for A Carey

CASTLELYONS: G O’Neill, J Cullinane, D Geary 0-1, M O’Sullivan, S Casey, D Spillane, E Linehan 0-2, D Morrisson 0-1, L Shanahan, L Doocey 0-5 (0-1f), C McCarthy 0-9 (0-6f), I Ryan 1-0, O Hallihan Subs: A Moran for J Cullinane, M Griffin for I Ryan

REFEREE: Ciaran Murphy (Glanworth)