A thrilling comeback secured a share of the spoils in Sunday’s Beara Final, and set up a replay next Sunday.
Seven points in a row between the twenty-fourth and fifty-third minutes saw Urhan turn this game on its head and come from 0-03 to 0-09 down to 0-10 to 0-09 ahead.
After that, both sides fashioned chances with a draw being the fair result on the day.
The game enjoyed a lively and even opening. Donncha Lowney’s second minute point being immediately cancelled out by Sean O’ Sullivan’s right-footed free after good work by Enda Lowney. Concubhar Harrington popped Urhan ahead with a smart point, and Paul O’ Neill pointed well to make it two apiece by the fifth minute.
In a typically tight game, the sides remained even. Garnish fashioned out two minors through Donncha Lowney before the tenth minute as both teams continuted to press. However, a four-point Garnish burst from the fifteenth to the eighteenth minute put six points of daylight between the teams. Urhan, through Iain O’ Sullivan, reduced it to five immediately. A crucial score.
From there to the break, Urhan enjoyed the lion’s share of the play and began to settle into a rhythm. Garnish widened the gap to six, but a fine David McCarthy point and a Concubhar Harrington free with the last kick of the half had the game poised at 0-09 to 0-05 at the short whistle. Urhan were very much in it with the strong wind to come.
They carried on where they left off when the ball was thrown in. Vinny Lehane pointed within thirty seconds with a smart pick up and pop. 0-09 to 0-06.
Urhan were now dominating at centrefield, with Dan Dwyer, Iain O’ Sullivan and Enda Lowney impressing. Up front, they were also more threatening, with Concubhar Harrington in particular getting on a lot of ball.
A spate of injuries might have derailed the momentum, but failed to do so. David McCarthy was forced to leave the game in the thirty-sixth minute after a hamstring injury. Enda Lowney followed immediately with a knock on the leg. Sean O’ Sullivan joined them with a knee injury in the forty-third minute. In between, Garnish won and missed a penalty. Déja vu.
On forty-four minutes, Concubhar Harrington floated a free over and there was only two in it. Dec Healy, on for the injured Sean O’ Sullivan, bridged the gap with two fine frees within a minute.
There was seven minutes to go plus at least five minutes of added time. Both sides would have chances, but both would have to settle for one score. Urhan’s came after a fine move found Martin McCarthy, who finished smartly. Garnish’s came a few minutes later – a Paul O’ Neill free.
0-10 apiece it finished then, and the crowd dispersed after enjoying a fine game. The replay comes next Sunday, at 1pm in Adrigole. Not to be missed.
Team: Sean Daly; Brian Healy, Mikey O’ Shea, John Dwyer; Luke Daly, Dan Dwyer, David McCarthy; Martin McCarthy, James Healy (c); Martin O’ Neill, Iain O’ Sullivan, Enda Lowney; Concubhar harrington, Finbarr Dwyer, Sean O’ Sullivan.
Subs: Vinny Lehane for James Healy, David Cronin for David McCarthy, Aidan O’ Neill for Enda Lowney, Dec Healy for Sean O; Sullivan, Enda Lowney for Martin O’ Neill.
