Barryroe GAA

Match Report Mark Woods Evening Echo Monday 22nd October 2007

Barryroe on top of the World!

West Cork blitz sinks Charleville

Barryroe 2-19 Charleville 2-13

Barryroe tore the form book to shreds by annexing the Evening Echo Cork County Junior Hurling Championship for the first time amid remarkable scenes at Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday.

The tiny south-west village celebrated its finest hour since founded in 1892 by driving to a memorable and fully deserved victory over Charleville, the unbackable 2/9 favourites. Barryroe, the 3/1 outsiders, showed there's plenty of life in the ancient game in West Cork with a magnificent display of hurling, devoid of negative or cynical tactics and using the direct method to telling effect.

Their desire to succeed proved too much for opponents who relied too heavily on centre-forward John Quinlan for scores. Otherwise it wall all about Barryroe. Centre-back and captain Jason Fleming held the defence together with an inspirational display, rock solid and delivering lengthy clearances without fuss or bother. Midfielder Kevin McCarthy, apart from scoring three crucial points gave a Man of the Match performance with his energy and no nonsense approach, driving the ball in quickly to the men up front. The speed and skill of the inner line in particular caused endless problems for Charleville with full-forward Padraig Collins cashing in on a couple of priceless goals inside 10 minutes. Kieran Griffin shrugged off the disappointment of a series of early wides to emerge as top scorer with a dozen points, while Denis Harrington and John O'Donovan whizzed about the place to add to their opponents' difficulties. If anything, Barryroe were too intense, especially after their encouraging opening. A succession of over-zealous tackles allowed Quinlan gradually whittle the lead to just two points at the break, 2-05 to 0-09.

But if we thought the start of the opening half was breathless, it had nothing on the second-half beginning. And it was here that Barryroe's character was tested to the full. Quinlan made it a one-point game from a '65 inside 60 seconds before pouncing for a spectacular goal almost immediately. Centre-back Dessie Fitzgerald launched a probing free towards the danger zone only for Quinlan to win possession in a seemingly impossible position to the left of the target. But, somehow, from a close to the end line, the Charleville marksman rifled an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Gerard Keohane to the far corner of the net. That edged his side 1-10 to 2-05 clear; in front for the first time in a splendid contest which was shaping up to be a game-of-the-season contender. The remarkable scoring rate showed no signs of dropping. Griffin pointed a free only for Tadhg O'Callaghan to respond for Charleville straight from the re-start. It was at this juncture that the game would be won or lost. Could Charleville find inspiration from Quinlan's super goal and pull away or would Barryroe have the courage to fight-back?

The answers came in the next 14 devastating minutes, when Barryroe found a new lease of life as they scored nine points without reply to turn the game on its head once more. Barryroe could do no wrong after left half-back Adrian White split the posts from way out near the covered stand to set in motion a series of scores which broke their opponent's hearts. Within 30 seconds Ciaran Hurley repeated the trick on the other side of the pitch and straight from the puck-out Griffin belted over another glorious point, three scores in a minute for a 2-09 to 1-11 lead after 35 minutes. A couple of minutes later Griffin strode purposefully to take a sideline cut from in front of the uncovered stand and duly guided it over. Another point from the same player in the next attack extended their advantage to a goal and it could have been doubled had not Charleville full-back and captain TJ Crowley swept a Griffin shot off the line for a '65 which Griffin converted. Barryroe smelt blood and went for the kill. Two excellent long-range points from McCarthy and Hurley stretched the lead to 2-15 to 1-11. Griffin's accuracy from placed balls surfaced again as he struck again before finally their opponents found the target, courtesy of a Quinlan free, their first score in nearly quarter of an hour. Charleville needed a goal to have any chance of mounting a late revival and it duly arrived four minutes from the end, full-forward Mervyn Gammell's low shot deceiving Keohane. That cut the deficit to four points, 2-17 to 2-13. But, it wasn't to be. Fittingly, MVP McCarthy, saw to that drilling over his third point and just as appropriate came the final score from a '65. Cue bedlam!

Barryroe: Gerard Keohane, Gerard O'Leary, Bernard O'Brien, Timothy Carroll, Tadhg Harrington, Jason Fleming (Capt.), Adrian White 0-01, Gerard Coleman, Kevin McCarthy 0-03, Kieran Griffin 0-12 (4f, 3 '65s), Adrian Fleming, Ciran Hurley 0-02, Denis Harrington 0-01, Padraig Collins 2-00, John O'Donovan. Subs: Martin Finn for Tadhg Harrington (58).

Charleville: S.Carroll, N.O'Keeffe, TJ Crowley (Capt.), D.Collins, B.Foley, D.Fitzgerald, PJ.O'Halloran, A.O'Connor, T.O'Callaghan, P.Gammell, J.Quinlan, D.O'Flynn, B.Barrett, M.Gammell, M.O'Flynn. Subs: D.Murphy for O'Halloran (35), J.Collins for O'Keeffe (40), B.Dennehy for Barrett (44).

Referee: G.O'Connell (Lisgoold)

Match Stats:

Wides: Barryroe 13 Charleville 8

Yellow / Red Cards: Barryroe 1/0 Charleville 0/0

To relive one of the most glorious days in our clubs proud history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J_IG5WtMgE