Buttevant North Cork Minor B Football Champions 2017
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Buttevant………………………………………………………………………………………………. 0-6
Ballycastle Gaels……..…………………………………………………………………………………0-5
Firm favourites Buttevant had to pull out all the stops to claim the Rebel Óg North Minor B 1 FC title at Mallow on Thursday night.
Buttevant opened with an early point by Michael O’Neill. Good play by Paddy Behan and O’Neill led to Behan taking the return pass and pointing in the 8th minute. Buttevant were in control in vital sectors but they found scores hard to secure. Good play by Michael Walsh found Michael O’Neill who linked up with impressive Gavin Carey who cut through the centre and laid off to the well placed O’Neill who made it 0-3 to 0-0. Ballycastle Gaels were denied some good scores by the posts and the outstanding Diarmuid Doody in goal. It took Ballycastle till the 24th minute when Dylan O’Connor had their opening score. In the 28th minute Michael O’Neill with a free gave Buttevant a 3 point lead. In injury time Richard Lombard pointed with Dylan O’Connor being narrowly wide from a free deep in injury time as the winners led 0-4 to 0-2 at the break.
On the changeover Michael O’Neill with another pointed free edged Buttevant 3 points clear. Gavin Carey cut through the centre and was denied by the upright. Buttevant had their 6th and final point in the 43rd minute when O’Neill pointed another free. They had a number of wides and generally lost their way in the last 20 minutes plus 4 in added time. Gradually Ballycastle Gaels found their belief and when Richard Lombard had a very good point the lead was down to a single score 0-6 to 0- 3. Dylan O’Connor cut through from the ‘40 in the 50th minute and was brought down by Conor Stanners when O’Connor may have goaled. Stanners received a black card with O’Connor pointing the free. Dylan O’Connor with another pointed free in the 58th minute had the lead down to a single point. Gaels won the lions share of possession and made some great attacks in the closing moments. They came close to an equalising point when Diarmuid Linehan and Liam Sugrue combined to put Dylan Collins through, the latter’s effort went narrowly wide and so Buttevant held out for a close but deserved win in the end. It was remarkable that both teams had just two scorers each. This win for Buttevant marks the clubs 2lst title at underage level over a three year period.
Scorers for Buttevant: Michael O’Neill 0-5 (0-3f) Paddy Behan 0-1.
Ballycastle Gaels: Dylan O’Connor 0-3 (0-1f) Richard Lombard 0-2.
Buttevant: Diarmuid Doody, Niall O’Riordan, Jack O’Riordan, Conor Stanners, Michael Walsh, Jamie Whelan (capt.), Paddy Behan, Dylan McAuliffe, David Keane, Gavin Carey, Michael O’Neill, Jamie O’Brien, Sean O’Connor, Mark Lenahan, Billy Keane. Sub: Cian Carroll for Conor Stanners (black card)
Ballycastle Gaels: Ben O’Connor, Liam Sugrue, Michael O’Connor, Eoin Buckley, Fraech McGrath (capt) Diarmuid Linehan, Dylan Collins, Seamus Roche, Richard Lombard, Gearoid Roche, Dylan Walsh, Emmet O’Riordan, Dylan O’Connor, Tom Crowley, Jack Relihan. Sub: Aidan O’Leary for Gearoid Roche.
Referee: Eoin Walsh (Dromina).