Intermediates off to a winning start
Unfortunately, Storm Kathleen saw the 3rd round of the Cavanaghs’ of Fermoy Division 2 game being postponed on Saturday evening. Thankfully a clearer, sunnier but blustery day in Barryroe on Sunday meant the Intermediates got their league campaign underway. It was a lively game with both sides well matched.
Ballygiblin 0-19 Barryroe 1-13
We faced into a very strong wind in the first half, but we were quick off the mark with Eoin Flynn providing a lovely pass down the line to Shane and he tore towards the goals but unfortunately his shot was stopped by the keeper and the ball made its way down to the other end of the pitch for an opening wide for Barryroe. We opened the scoring with Ryan Donegan splitting the posts, but Barryroe responded with a brilliant point from a tight angle and the Barryroe man managed to judge the wind perfectly to slot over. Joseph then put us ahead from a free, but Barryroe responded winning the puckout and slotting over. Joseph was again on the board from play after a link in play involving Darragh Flynn and Sean O’Sullivan with Darragh pinpointing a pass to the unmarked Joseph. Shane Beston was again unlucky to not hit the back of the net, a superb hook denying him in front of goal after Darragh fed a lovely free into his brother Eoin in the corner. Eoin found Shane again with a lovely pass.
Barryroe levelled again in the 10th minute with a point from play and we inched ahead again when Darragh, rushing forward from his halfback position was fouled, Joseph converting, but we would go 12 minutes without another score, clocking up 3 wides while Barryroe managed an impressive 1-04 in the same period. The only goal of the game coming in the 16th minute with a lovely pass inside and Eoin Geary was unlucky not to get a touch to the ball batted to the net on his left and they got 2 further long-range points to leave it 0-04 to 1-07 as we headed for the final 8 minutes of the half. Again we had a goal chance in the 23rd minute with Sean O’Sullivan passing inside to the onrushing Ryan Donegan and with the keeper off his line it seemed like a goal was inevitable but the Barryroe defence had other ideas and they somehow managed to get a block in. The ball was cleared but eventually ended in a Ballygiblin free in and it would be our last score of the half with Barryroe finding the posts 3 more times before half-time, one from play and 2 further frees. The score read Ballygiblin 0-05 Barryroe 1-10 at half-time.
THE SECOND HALF ACTION
We had the wind behind us for the second half, but we also faced into an 8 point deficit to be clawed back. A brilliant start, clocking 4 points in as many minutes set the tone for the second half. Darragh winning a free in the opening minute for Joseph to covert and Dean Barry was alert when the Barryroe defender tried to take a quick free and touched the placed ball, Dean swept in and fired the ball over the bar to the protests to the referee from the Barryroe contingent. Darragh Flynn would then have a wide and Joseph won the resulting low puckout down the middle and put it back over the keeper’s head and again from that puckout Joseph plucked the ball from the sky to slot back over the bar.
The Ballygiblin following revelling in the opening surge shown by the lads. The play was end to end with both teams swapping frees and Darragh showing his free taking skills by slotting over from our halfback line and Barryroe got another from play before Eoin Flynn intercepted a backward sideline from Barryroe and put the ball over. In the 10th minute Shane Beston must have wondered where his luck was gone when he got a flick on the end of a long ball in and we watched in anticipation as the ball trickled over the line but the referee giving advantage seemed to have already blown for an earlier foul at midfield, so again Shane was denied a goal. Joseph put over the free to leave the scores Ballygiblin 0-12 Barryroe 1-12 after 10 minutes but Barryroe would have wait nearly 20 minutes for their next and only other score of the game as we continued to pile on the pressure.
Ryan battling hard to win possession and get his second from play and Darragh again putting over a whopper of a free from just outside our own 21 yard line and was unlucky to not find his range again when Barry Coffey was fouled minutes late. Eoin Flynn levelled matters in the 15th minute from play after Dean Barry played a ball down the line to him to get onto and though he had work to do, he got his second from play. Unfortunately it would be his last play of the match, when 2 minutes later he received a second yellow for a wild pull and was sent to the sideline. It was a big blow with 13 + injury time to play and the sides level but in fairness the lads dug deep, hounded and battled and after 2 wides we took the lead in the 22nd minute to the delight of the Ballygiblin followers, when the impressive Darragh Flynn slotted over from play after good work in defence by James Mullins.
AN 11 POINT TURNAROUND
Barryroe were pushing hard but our defence was solid with Fionn showing leadership with some great defending. Ryan then pushed our advantage to 2 with his third from play. Shane, who could well have been already on a hat-trick at this stage, was again denied when he got inside the Barryroe defence, his shot to the top corner stopped but Ryan battled well to win us a free in, which Joseph put over. Barryroe took a very quick puckout and caught us napping to get one back in the 27th minute. We got the final score of the game when Sean O’Sullivan battled in midfield and won us a free to again put three between the sides. Barryroe then had another wide and as we entered injury time they needed a goal to salvage something from the match but we stood strong. No better man than Darragh to come out with the final high ball into the square and we were delighted to hear the referee’s final whistle. The game finishing Ballygiblin 0-19 Barryroe 1-13.
Overall it was a brilliant second half display by the lads. They really put their shoulders to the wheel and battled, it’s not easy to claw back an 8 point lead without scoring a goal and yet they managed an 11 point turnaround. We will be disappointed that we didn’t score some of our goal chances but it was a tough opening match with strong opponents and windy conditions. Let’s hope we can push on from here and that we stay injury free this season. Next up will be Aghada at home on 19th April.
Team: E Geary, B Coffey, F Herlihy, C O’Brien. J Mullins, D Flynn (0-03 2F), L Finn, K Roche, J O’Sullivan (0-10 7F), P Molloy, R Donegan (0-03), S Beston, D Barry (0-01), S O’Sullivan, E Flynn (0-02). Sub: A Barry for P Molloy.