Clann na nGael 1-12    

Muintir Bháire 0-8

TOM LYONS REPORTS

CLANN na nGael guaranteed qualification to the knockout stages by virtue of their second successive win in the McCarthy Insurance county confined junior B football championship.

On the other hand, a second defeat for Muintir Bháire in Bantry on Friday evening left them on the brink of elimination, which was confirmed the following evening when Castlelyons defeated Garnish in the other Group 1 tie.

Both Clann na nGael and Castlelyons sit on four points, while Muintir Bháire and Garnish sit on zero points.

This local derby provided an interesting clash with little between the sides until the 38th minute when sub Daniel McCarthy finished to the net for the only goal of the game to open up a seven-point lead. 

Muintir Bháire's Davin Ross gets to the ball ahead of Niall Keating of Clann na nGael. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Clann na nGael were, undoubtedly, the better side but rode their luck when Seán O’Sullivan blasted a shot off their crossbar for a point in the 17th minute and sub Jason O’Sullivan took the paint off the outside of the Clann goalpost with a low shot in the 50th minute. 

Full forward Paddy McCarthy was the main man for the winners, kicking 0-7, and winning loads of possession up front. He got good support from Eric Crowley and Daniel McCarthy in attack, while Kevin O’Donovan was prominent at midfield. Niall Keating, JJ Collins, Ryan O’Donovan and the strong Luke Hurley backboned a very tight defence. 

For a battling Muintir side, Conor Bignell, Oisín Daly, Alex Young and, especially, Michael O’Driscoll, worked hard in defence, Darragh O’Brien and James Mallon held their own at midfield, while Calvin Cronin, Mike Gingell, Davin Ross and Jason O’Sullivan were lively up front. 

Scores were hard to come by in this spirited clash, the Scorchers hitting three in the first quarter with Kevin O’Driscoll and Eric Crowley kicking points and Paddy McCarthy hitting a superb two-pointer. 

Jack O’Driscoll opened the scoring with a pointed free for Muintir. Mike Gingell kicked their only other score in that quarter, 0-4 to 0-2.

It was point for point in the second quarter with Seán O’Sullivan’s rasper off the crossbar closing the gap to a point. The rampaging Paddy McCarthy increased it to two before Davin Ross cut it back to one again. It was anybody’s game at that stage before Paddy McCarthy and Cian O’Reilly (free) stretched the Clann lead to three. Jack O’Driscoll finished the half as he started it, with a pointed free. It was 0-7 to 0-5 at half time. 

Clann na nGael's Paddy McCarthy breaks past David O'Mahony of Muintir Bháire. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

It was Clann na nGael who hit the ground running in the third quarter with two points from Paddy McCarthy. The decisive moment arrived in the 38th minute when McCarthy cut through the defence and parted to impressive sub Daniel McCathy, who finished expertly to the far corner of the net. 

It wasn’t quite game, set and match for the Scorchers. They had to battle hard to hold their lead subsequently but apart from O’Sullivan’s goal effort in the 50th minute, Muintir never looked like raising the green flag they badly needed. They did respond well to the Clann goal with points from Cronin and O’Driscoll frees. It was 1-9 to 0-7 at the end of the third quarter. 

The final quarter, as Clann safely protected their lead, with goalkeeper Eoin Daly playing his part, only produced four points in the descending dusk. 

For the winners Paddy McCarthy pointed a free for a three-up infringement, Robbie McQueen pointed a 45 and sub Liam 0’Farrell kicked their last point from play. Sub Ray O'Sullivan had Muintir’s only score of the quarter in injury time.

A win for Clann na nGael over Castlelyons, also with a 100 percent record, in their last game will give them top spot in the group while Muintir will play Garnish in their final game. 

OUR STAR: The stand-out figure was Clann na nGael full-forward Paddy McCarthy, who not only kicked 0-7 but roved all over the attack winning loads of possession and setting up the only goal.   

Scorers - Clann na nGael: Paddy McCarthy 0-7 (3f, 1 2pt); Daniel McCarthy 1-0; Kevin O’Driscoll, Eric Crowley, Liam O’Farrell, Cian O’Reilly (1f), Robbie McQueen (45) 0-1 each. Muintir Bháire: Jack O’Driscoll 0-3f; Seán O’Sullivan, Mike Gingell, Davin Ross, Ray O’Sullivan, Ray O’Sullivan 0-1 each. 

Clann na nGael: Eoin Daly; Niall Keating, JJ Collins, Ronan O’Driscoll; Ryan O’Donovan, Luke Hurley, Jack Coveney; Kevin O’Driscoll, Eoghan Daly; Cian O’Reilly, Eric Crowley, Caelan O’Driscoll; William O’Donovan, Paddy McCarthy, Robbie McQueen. Subs: Daniel McCarthy for W O’Donovan (33), Liam O’Farrell for C O’Reilly (38), Jack Payne Murphy for R O’Driscoll (53), Mark O’Farrell for N Keating (53). 

Muintir Bháire: Michael Burke; Conor Bignell, David O’Mahony, Oisín Daly; Joe Egan, Alex Young, Michael O’Driscoll; Darragh O’Brien, James Mallon; Calvin Cronin, Seán O’Sullivan, Ryan O’Sullivan; Michael Gingell, Jack O’Driscoll, Davin Ross. Subs: Jason O’Sullivan for D O’Brien (38), Colm Hegarty for J Egan (38), Fionn Doonan for D O’Mahony (48), Colin Arundel for S O’Sullivan (51), Eoin Stock for J O’Sullivan (55), Ray O’Sullivan for J Mallon (60). 

Referee: Jack Murphy (Gabriel Rangers).