Urhan claim Junior B title
September 13, 2019
It was a case of the roles reversed as Urhan claimed a 1 point win over Castletownbere in the Beara Junior B Football Final played in Cahermore last Saturday. The teams had met in last years final with Castletownbere emerging as 1 point winners but this time it was the Urhan men that emerged winners by the narrowest of margin to claim a Beara Junior A & B championship double.
The game which was a very entertaining started off with a James Healy point in the opening minute. Their lead wasn’t to last long when the experienced Sean O’ Regan found the back of Urhan net in the 3rd minute. Sean Bawn O’ Sullivan who was based at the edge of the square got a point in the 5th minute and O’ Regan scored a free in the 7th minute to leave the score Castletowenbere 1-2 to 0-1. Urhan replied with 3 points in a row with 2 (1 Free) from Sean O’ Sullivan and a point from Martin O’ Neill to leave the score Castletownbere 1-2 to 0-4 after 15 minutes. Castletownbere centre forward Jason Walsh started to exert his influence on the game and kicked 3 points in the space of 10 minutes with Urhan replying with points from Martin O’ Neill and James Healy. Sean O’ Regan and Sean O’ Sullivan swapped points before Urhan were awarded a penalty as the clock headed for half time. James Healy converted the penalty to leave the score Urhan 1-7 Castletownbere 1-6 at half time.
The 2nd half began in dramatic fashion when a Mikey Sheehy esque quick thinking goal from Sean O’ Sullivan in the 33rd minute put Urhan 4 points ahead. Further points from Martin O’ Neill and Sean O’ Sullivan extended Urhan’s lead to 2-9 to 1-6 after 40 minutes. Castletownbere struck back with a goal from David O’ Sullivan Greene in the 41st only for a quick point reply from Urhan from Sean O’ Dwyer. Castletownbere’s midfielder Dean Murphy powered into the game with points in the 45th and 49th minutes either side of a goal in the 46th minute and a point from substitute James Murphy in the 51st minute gave Castletownbere a 3-9 to 2-10 lead as the game headed down the back stretch. Ryan Quirke and Jason Walsh exchanged points as the game headed into injury time. 2 points down Urhan needed a goal and this arrived courtesy of Turlough Connolly. Again Dean Murphy came to the fore with 2 points for Castletownbere either side of a point from Paudie O’ Leary to leave the score level deep into injury time, and with everyone in the Cahermore venue looking at their watches, it the Urhan midfielder James Healy who looked at the posts and slotted the ball between them with the last kick of the game to claim victory for Urhan on a scoreline of 3-13 to 3-12. After the game Urhan midfielder James Healy was presented with man of the match award from Finbarr O’ Shea (Glenview Heating) and Beara GAA Chairman Jim Hanley along with Patrick Jim O Sullivan presented the Donal Jim O’ Sullivan cup to Urhan captain Kieran Darb O’ Sullivan.
Scorers - Urhan. Sean O’ Sullivan 1-4 (1-2 Frees), James Healy 1-3 (1-0 Penalty), Turlough Connolly 1-0, Martin O’ Neill 0-3, Sean O’ Dwyer, Paudie O’ Leary and Ryan Quirke 0-1 each.
Castletownbere – Dean Murphy 1-4 (0-1 Frees), Sean O’ Regan 1-2 (0-1 Free) Jason Walsh 0-4 (0-1 Free), David O’ Sullivan – Green 1-0, Sean Bawn O’ Sullivan and James Murphy 0-1 each.
Urhan - DJ Sheehan , Niall O’ Dwyer, Cormac O’ Shea , Joe Sheehan, Ryan Quirke , Kieran O’ Sullivan (Darb) , Alan Dunne, James Healy, Seamus Lyons, Kevin O Dwyer, Turlough Connolly, Sean O Dwyer, Martin O Neill, Cian Crowley, Sean O Sullivan (Shandon)
Castlewtownbere - David Kelly, Sean Walsh, Geard Healy, Dion Kelly, James Musgrove, Aed O’ Shea, Conor Power, Robert Murphy, Dean Murphy, Cormac Whelan, Jason Walsh, David O’ Sullivan – Greene, Adam Hurley, Sean Bawn O’ Sullivan, Sean O’ Regan.
Referee - Brian O’ Regan (Muintir Bhaire)