Beara 1-7

Avondhu 3-5

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

BEARA’S return to action for the first time in four years might have ended in defeat, but the big takeaway is that the western division is back up and running.

Having last fielded a senior football team in June 2022, Beara made a welcome return amid awful weather conditions in Ovens on Tuesday evening.

While they eventually lost this McCarthy Insurance Group Divisions/Colleges Football Championship unseeded section clash with Avondhu, who had the benefit of a game the previous week.

Leading by two points at the break, poor shooting let Beara down in either half. Scoring 1-1 in second-half injury-time came too late after Ben Twomey’s brace of goals had already sealed Avondhu’s victory.

Despite the outcome, Beara’s return to the premier senior stage is a step in the right direction.

‘I’m hugely proud of the lads because they never gave up,’ Beara manager Peter O’Leary told The Southern Star.

‘Obviously, we are disappointed with the result as we would have loved to have won the game. I thought the lads worked extremely hard right to the end which is a great sign for a young team and they are very young.

‘People were saying all week that it is great to see Beara back in the premier senior championship. While that is true, we came here to win the match and we didn’t do it.’

Beara's Joseph O'Shea holds firm against Avondhu's Michael O'Neill. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

Disappointingly, dreadful weather conditions blighted this match throughout. Add in slippery underfoot conditions, due to incessant rain, any hope of a high-scoring encounter was lost before throw-in.

Thankfully, Éire Óg’s well-prepared pitch and both teams’ committed efforts made for a decent contest.

Avondhu’s Martin Lenahan fisted over the game’s opening score after two minutes. Beara’s Ben O’Sullivan burst through shortly after but his goal-attempt was blocked for a 45.

Both sides were guilty of dropping numerous attempts short or wide of the target during a fractious first quarter. Beara were the biggest culprits, kicking six consecutive wides.

The score remained unchanged until the 19th minute when James Spencer finally got Beara on the scoreboard. Encouraged by that point, Beara’s Tomás Murphy split the posts before a Fintan Fenner free made it 0-3 to 0-1.

Worse was to follow for an Avondhu team unable to get anything going. Fenner landed a monster two-point free to extend his division’s advantage.

That was Beara’s opponent’s cue to up the tempo however, but a slick hand-passing move ended with Buttevant’s Conor Hanlon firing into the bottom corner four minutes before the break.

Beara remained calm, and a fisted Ben O’Sullivan score made it 0-6 to 1-1 in their favour at the short whistle.

Beara’s James Spencer was denied a goal by an excellent Ronan Donovan point-blank save at the beginning of the second half. Avondhu survived that scare and levelled matters courtesy of a terrific Mark Lenahan two-pointer on 37 minutes.

Their opponents' attempt to retake the lead floundered due to more wayward shooting. That inaccuracy was punished by David Hanlon and Ben Twomey points before Avondhu netted a decisive goal.

Ben Twomey gained possession to the right of Beara’s goal before walloping a superb shot beyond Killian Murphy for a 50th minute green flag.

Twomey went one better shortly before the end, flicking a soccer-style chip off the grass and over an outrushing Murphy for his second and match-clinching goal.

Beara manager Peter O'Leary. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

A battling Beara’s Alan Elphick got his side’s first point of the second half a minute into injury-time. There was still time for Fintan Fenner to wallop home a penalty but it proved a consolation goal.

Avondhu’s reward for a second championship win is safe progress to round three and a meeting with Imokilly. As for Beara, their first senior championship campaign in four years may be over but Peter O’Leary’s side are glad to be back and already looking to the future.

‘There is no question about it but Beara will be back playing next year,’ O’Leary concluded.

‘We have a panel of 34 or 35 lads and the average age is 23. Brian Terry (O’Sullivan), at 33, is pushing the average age up all on his own in fairness to him!

‘We have another half a dozen lads who are injured and possibly three or four more to come in. There is no question that we are going to field a team next year.

‘This is a start. It wasn’t just a one-off. It is a start.’

Scorers

Beara: Fintan Fenner 1-3 (1-0 pen, 1 2ptf, 1f); James Spencer, Tomás Murphy, Ben O’Sullivan, Alan Elphick 0-1 each.

Avondhu: Ben Twomey 2-1; Mark Lenahan 0-3 (1 2pt); Conor Hanlon 1-0; David Hanlon 0-1.

Beara: Killian Murphy (Castletownbere); Steven O’Shea (Urhan), Declan Dunne (Castletownbere), Jonathan Rosales Harrington (Castletownbere); Darren Harrington (Glengarriff), Joseph O’Shea (captain, Urhan), Michael O’Shea (Urhan); Fintan Fenner (Castletownbere), Luke Harrington (Glengarriff); Tomás Murphy (Castletownbere), Ben O’Sullivan (Adrigole), James Harrington (Castletownbere); James Spencer (Castletownbere), Brian Terry O’Sullivan (Garnish), Tom O’Connor (Adrigole).

Subs: Sean O’Shea (Adrigole) for Steven O’Shea (35), Jack Hanley (Castletownbere) for T O’Connor (46), Alan Elphick (Urhan) for J Harrington (46), Daniel Hanley (Castletownbere) for B O’Sullivan (58).

Avondhu: Ronan Donovan (Buttevant, captain); Lorcan Finn (Mitchelstown), Jamie Whelan (Buttevant), Podge O’Neill (Fermoy); Aaron Trimm (Buttevant), Kyle Bowles (Buttevant), Seamus O’Callaghan (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels); Ronan Murphy (Mitchelstown), Colin O’Brien (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels); Mark Lenahan (Buttevant), Michael O’Neill (Buttevant), Eoin Birchall (Killlavullen); David Hanlon (Buttevant), Conor Hanlon (Buttevant), Ben Twomey (Fermoy).

Subs: Kevin Lenahan (Buttevant) for E Birchall (38), Oier O’Callaghan (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels) for S O’Callaghan (44), Adam Finnegan (Ballyclough) for M O’Neill (53), Aaron Horgan (Buttevant) for B Twomey(58), Stephen Kenneally (Mitchelstown ) for D Hanlon (58).

Referee: Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).