Fossa grab second chance to claim historic county title

COUNTY JUNIOR FC FINAL REPLAY Fossa 2-12 Beale 0-8

THE drawn encounter two weeks ago suggested that Fossa might find it difficult to get the better of a resolute Beale combination in the replayed County Junior Football Championship in the Austin Stack Park last Sunday, given that the North Kerry side had victory well within their grasp on that particular occasion.

However, it was a much different scenario which unfolded and developed this time round with Fossa getting to grips with the situation from a very early stage, maintaining their scoring advantage up until the interval, and consolidating that lead with a second goal at the start of the fourth and final quarter, thereby putting paid to any hopes Beale might have had of salvaging the situation. Certainly, it was a performance which owed much to their collective input, and organisation, with the emphasis always, being on supporting the player in possession.

Having scored eight goals throughout the Championship campaign, with three of those scored in the drawn encounter, there was always the likelihood that Fossa were capable of adding some more in this particular game, and the two scored, one in either half, were crucial to the outcome. Indeed, they could have added a few more, and in this respect they had the capability to open up the Beale defence and create goal chances.

Beale, by contrast, without the injured James McMahon didn’t have a player capable of orchestrating matters, and it was only when Ian Blake and Darragh Buckley came off the bench that they added a cutting edge to their attack. Indeed, on reflection, if both had been included in the starting fifteen it might well have made a significant difference, even if such was Fossa’s superiority overall that it would hardly have altered the eventual result.

Fossa got the perfect start and were three points in front after seven minutes with midfielder Fintan Coffey scoring two from play, and Man of the Match Tadgh O’Shea adding a third. With Coffey dominant in midfield and providing the platform, Fossa effected a lot of turnovers and blocks in all quarters of the pitch, with Beale struggling to build any real momentum and largely being reduced to sporadic attacks.

A pointed free from Ger O’Gorman opened their account in the 12th minute, but a goal at the other end one minute later really opened up daylight between the teams in a contest with scores very much at a premium up until that particular juncture.

A defensive lapse was capitalised upon by Mikey O’Shea, who provided the assist and the opportunity for Paudie Clifford whose finish to the Beale net was pretty emphatic from close range. Fossa lost the services of Matthew Rennie, who featured prominently in the drawn game, and he appeared to be struggling with an injury from an early stage having started at wing forward. Beale, for a period, enjoyed some supremacy territorially with Barry O’Mahony a central figure in their attack, and points from Ian Mannix and Cormac Linnane (free) brought them closer, 1-3 to 0-3, by the 24th minute.

For a period, Fossa were somewhat at odds with the situation, even if as the first half drew to a close they could well have scored a second goal with Tadhg O’Shea being denied by a superb save from Sean Dee with a gilt-edged chance from close range. A pointed free from Domnhall O’Sullivan in added time meant they retired for the interval four points in front, 1-4 to 0-3, an advantage increased to five courtesy of another pointed free from Tadgh O’Shea early in the second half.

They kicked three wides within five minutes of the restart, and with half time substitute Darragh Buckley kicking a fine score, Beale remained in touch. Fossa were compact in defence, industrious in midfield and resourceful in attack with Domnhall O’Sullivan a target and outlet, Tadgh O’Shea a prolific scorer, Paudie Clifford providing inch perfect deliveries, and Lorcan Daly’s surging runs offering a lot of impetus on the forty.

Ian Blake and Darragh Buckley with limited opportunities carried Beale’s main scoring threat at the other end, but the absence of McMahon, along with Fossa’s resolute rearguard unit supplemented by players in numbers retreating to offer support, meant that Beale never really looked like creating that much needed goal opportunity.

Tadgh O’Shea’s precision finish for Fossa’s second goal in the 46th minute left Beale with a mountain to climb, being eight points behind, 2-8 to 0-6, and such was the manner in which Fossa were able to manage the game and dictate the trend of proceedings thereafter there was never the likelihood that Beale would make inroads and overhaul the deficit.

Fintan Coffey fisted his third point, Kenneth Clifford kicked his first, and fittingly it was their top scorer Tadgh O’Shea who sealed the success with the final score of the game. It completed what has been a historic Championship campaign for a club that is located on the shores of Lough Lein in the shade of the McGillicuddy Reeks and was founded back in 1970. Having also gained promotion to Division Three of the County League this year it’s been a very special season.

Interestingly, their colours of red and black were also carried to Championship success by both Kenmare and Glenbeigh/Glencar in the Intermediate and

Junior grades respectively. FOSSA: Colin Myers, Colm Walsh, Paddy Sheehan, Anthony Wharton, Darragh Rice, Mark Dennehy, Daniel O’Keeffe, Fintan Coffey (0-3), Colin Davidson, Matthew Rennie, Lorcan Daly, Paudie Clifford (1-0), Tadgh O’Shea (1-6, 0-3f), Domnhall O’Sullivan (0-2f), Mikey O’Shea. Subs: Kenneth Clifford (0-1) for M Rennie, Kevin McCarthy for D Rice, Michael O’Keeffe for L Daly, DanielO’Connell for M O’Shea. BEALE: Sean Dee, Killian Walsh O’Boyle, Colm Kissane, Johnny O’Sullivan, Shane Joy, Paul Collins, Philly Blake, Jeremy King, Neilus Mulvihill, Daniel Ellis, Shane Hanrahan, Ger O’Gorman (0-1f), Ian Mannix (0-1), Barry O’Mahony, Cormac Linnane (0-1f). Subs: Darragh Buckley (0-3, 1f) for S Joy, Ian Blake (0-2) for B O’Mahony, Jake O’Connell for C Kissane, Cillian Courtney for I Mannix. REFEREE: Tom McCarthy (Desmonds)