The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
PATH TO THE FINAL: BEAUFORT
COUNTY FINAL Beaufort 4-13 Na Gaeil 2-18 (AET)
This final was pretty nuts and mean that in the best possible way. It had a little bit of everything. Swings and roundabouts. Moments of real drama and tension, feats of derring-do, bravery and heroism.
A final that, to use that oft used cliché, nobody deserved to lose. It would have been a travesty had Beaufor t lost it and it was a travesty that Na Gaeil did given the effor t they put in. That said the best team did triumph on this occasion, stressing that the margins were incredibly fine.
It took extra time, a pair of swapped goals at the star t of the second period and a frantic final few moments to decide it. Beaufor t proved that when the chips are down they can stand with the best of them.
MUNSTER QUARTER-FINAL Beaufort 5-16 Ballylooby-Castlegrace (Tipperary) 1-9
If the County Final had a little bit of everything, Beaufor t’s first ever foray into provincial competition was a damp squib. Coming almost six months after their County Final triumph, the Mid Kerry men travelled to Cahir for their clash with Ballylooby-Castlegrace.
Éanna O’Malley’s men took control of this one from the off and held a 2-7 to 0-5 lead with goals from Ronan Ferris and Liam Carey. That only gave a slight indication of how decisive the victory would be for the Kerry kingpins in the second half as they added an additional 3-9 for a nineteen point victory.
MUNSTER SEMI-FINAL Beaufort 5-23 Michael Cusacks (Clare) 0-4
Were Beaufor t expected to win this game? Absolutely they were. The result was a surprise to precisely nobody. The margin of it, however, did come as something of a surprise.
Kilrush’s creditable show against Kilcummin in the Munster intermediate championship suggested that Clare football was in such a place that Cusacks could at least give a decent account of themselves.
In the end that just didn’t materialise. Beaufor t though could be most satisfied with how everything went. A big win in front of a big home crowd on their first ever home game in provincial competition was a big day for the club, if not for the neutral.
MUNSTER FINAL Beaufort 2-13 Dromtariffe 2-12
(AET)
This one was drama from first to last. As a matter of fact there was drama even before the ball was thrown in at all when Liam Carey, Beaufor t’s main man, was injured in the warm-up. A hammer blow to Beaufor t’s chances in the game with Cork kingpins Dromtarriffe.
The Duhallow men were more than familiar with their surrounds in Mallow and attacked this game with real gusto. Indeed they raced into an early lead and led by double scores at halftime, 2-6 to 1-3. Beaufor t showed they were made of stern stuff, however, to battle back into contention in the second half and could even had snatched victory at the last with a shot by Ciarán Kennedy blocked on the line – 2-11 each. Beaufor t had just that little bit more composure to win it in extratime for a worthy victory.
ALL IRELAND SEMI-FINAL Beaufort 0-12 Dundalk Young Irelands 0-10
It’s been a strange sor t of trip to Croke Park for Beaufor t. They’ve won games by huge margins, but in the big games, it’s been tight all the way. They’ve done it the hard way (except for those days when they haven’t had to).
It speaks well of a team that they’re about to dig a result out and the All Ireland semi-final with Dundalk Young Irelands was cer tainly a case of digging it out. The Wee County champions were doggedly determined and held a three point lead at halftime having dominated the first half, 0-7 to 0-4.
The introduction of Liam Carey ten minutes before halftime – plus a change in emphasis for the second half – helped turn the tie around. They were clearly the better team in the second half, but Dundalk were hard to shake off.
The game was still a live proposition well into injury time.