Glenbeigh/ Glencar are back in Junior final

COUNTY PREMIER JFC SEMI-FINAL

Glenbeigh/Glencar 1-14 Ballydonoghue 2-8

THE second Junior Premier Football Championship semi-final of the afternoon proved to be a much tighter affair with Glenbeigh/ Glencar’s experience and Division One pedigree eventually guiding them to victory against a very good up and coming Division 3 side Ballydonoghue.

Ballydonoghue will probably look back at the game as an opportunity missed as at times they had their opponents on the ropes, however Glenbeigh/Glencar had the experience and know how to see out the game and get vital scores when they needed them most.

Glenbeigh/Glencar started very strongly and soon had two points on the board with frees from Gavan O’Grady. Ballydonoghue replied with two frees from their own sharpshooter Paul Kennelly, as he proved equally adept from placed balls. Glenbeigh/Glencar took control around the middle of the field , and with captain Colin McGillycuddy especially prominent, they racked up points through flying winger Caolim Teahan, Jack Brosnan and Tommy Cahill (free), to push them three ahead with 15 minutes gone.

Ballydonoghue did miss a good goal chance in this period when a great pass from Kennelly found midfielder Eamon Walsh who shot wide when a goal looked on. This miss was to prove costly as Glenbeigh/Glencar’s Teahan sliced through the Ballydonoghue defence to score a super goal in the 19th minute. Glenbeigh/Glencar now led by 6 points , 1-5 to 0-2 ,and looked home and dry even at this early stage of the game.

Amazingly though Glenbeigh/ Glencar didn’t score for the rest of the half as some wayward shooting by the Mid Kerry men invited Ballydonoghue back into the contest. Jack Foley goaled for the North Kerry men after Glenbeigh/Glencar goalkeeper Rory O’Connor had saved from Eamon Walsh, only to parry at the feet of Foley who side-footed to the empty net.

Then five minutes into injury time Ballydonoghue struck for goal number 2. Glenbeigh/Glencar goalkeeper Rory O’Connor hauled down Dara Sheehy for a penalty ,and referee Denis Sayers showed O’Connor a black card for his foul. Paul Kennelly made no mistake as he struck his penalty low and hard to the net to leave the sides level at the interval, 1-5 to 2-2.

Ballydonoghue started the second half without star Kerry minor Jason Foley who received a head injury just before the break, but an early point after 50 seconds from Damien O’Carroll put them ahead for the first time in the game. Glen- beigh/Glencar replied through a Gavan O’Grady free but Ballydonoghue then pushed 2 ahead with points from Dara Sheehy and Paul Kennelly ,to leave the score 1-6 to 2-5 with 8 minutes gone in the second half.

Glenbeigh/Glencar were crying out for leaders, Pa Kilkenny and Colin McGillicuddy stepped up to the plate ,and also Gavan O’Grady who pointed his own free after he was fouled following a powerful 50 metre run. O’Grady soon added two more and one each from Cahill, Teahan and Daniel Griffin saw Glenbeigh/Glencar move 4 clear.

Ballydonoghue kept fighting and replied with two points from Kennelly and another from O’Carroll to close the gap, but O’Grady and Tommy Cahill kicked late points to seal a three-point win and a place in the Junior Premier Football Championship final for the Mid Kerry side.

GLENBEIGH/GLENCAR: Rory O’Connor, Sean Roche, Padraig Griffin, Kieran Doyle, Jack Brosnan (0-1), Pa Kilkenny, Stephen O’Sullivan, Colin McGillicuddy, Fergal Griffin, Caolim Teahan (1-2), Darran O’Sullivan, Bernard Murphy, Tommy Cahill (0-3, 0-2f), Gavan O’Grady (0-7, 5f), Daniel Griffin (0-1). Subs: Danny O’Sullivan for P Griffin, 36th min), Kieran Courtney for B Murphy, 38), Jeremiah Hoare for J Brosnan, inj, 52), Caoilte Purcell for D Griffin, 63), Shane Riordan for T Cahill, 63). BALLYDONOGHUE: Dara O’Shea, Colin O’Mahony, Jason Foley, Stephen Lonergan, Jack Gogarty, Michael Foley, Diarmuid Behan, Eamon Walsh, John O’Mahony, Jim Cremin, Dara Sheehy (0-1), Damien O’Carroll (0-2), Jack Foley (1-0), Paul Kennelly (1-5, 0-5 f, 1-0 pen), Kieran Lynch. Subs: Conor Kennelly for J O’Mahony, 25), Billy Foley for J Foley, inj, 31), John O’ Mahony for D Behan, 58).

REFEREE: Denis Sayers (Austin Stacks)

MAINMAN A difficult one to call as there were fine performances from Pa Kilkenny, Jason Foley, Gavan O’Grady and Caolim Teahan, but Colin McGillicuddy took the game by the scruff of the neck when his side needed him most in the middle period of the second half.

KEY MOMENT The injury to Jason Foley on the stroke of half time. The Kerry minor held the Ballydonoghue defence together in the first half and his strong runs from full back were sorely missed by the North Kerry men in the second period.

TALKING POINT Can Glenbeigh/Glencar finally get their hands on the county title that they crave? On this performance they have a lot of work to do as a young and hungry Na Gaeil side await them in the final.

Photo By Donald Walsh Darran O’Sullivan, Glenbeigh/Glencar (left) and Eamon Walsh, Ballydonoghue, wrestle for possession during their County Premier Junior Football Championshipsemi-final played at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.