Junior Football 08

Junior B Championship returns to Carraig 22/11/2008 East Cork Junior B Football Final Venue: Glenville Carraig na bhFear 1-04 Bride Rovers 0-06 Carraig na bhFear wrapped up a historic year for the club with victory over Bride Rovers in the East Cork Junior B football final on Saturday last in Glenville. Carraig played against a strong wind in the first half, and the weather played its part in making this a low scoring affair. In fact, it took 15 minutes before either side managed to get on the scoreboard, with a number of chances missed before the Rovers pointed from 20 yards out to take the lead. In that opening period, Carraig started brightly but were guilty of some poor passing and wild shooting. The defence was in great form, lead by Ollie Murphy, Tom Neally and Richard Forde, while Jason Noonan put in a man of the match performance at croner back. Conor Hegarty was hugely influential at midfield, winning alot of ball in the air and on the ground, while John O'Sullivan, Bertie Sheehan and Bryan Galvin were working hard in attack. Rovers dominated the middle period of the half, but were finding it difficult to make it count. For a while it looked as if Carraig would be heading into the break scoreless, with 6 wides to our credit, but that fear passed when Bryan Galvin pointed a free after 24 minutes of the half. Neither side could find the target again and the first half came to a close with the teams level at a point a piece. The second half saw the wind slacken and the quality of the play from both sides was much better. Michael Minihane replaced the injured Liam Ryan in a reshuffled Carraig attack. Rovers took an early lead after some strong running from midfield. But Carraig found their feet, and driven forward by  wing backs Noel Mullins and John Vaughan, took charge of the game. John O'Sullivan levelled shortly afterwards after good work by Minihane and Conor Hegarty, and this was followed up by another well taken free from the boot of Bryan Galvin, to put Carraig into the lead for the first time. Carrraig continued to dominate, but wasted some chances to stretch the lead before Bertie Sheehan landed a point after some great team play. Rovers made their way back down the field and only a great save by keeper Noel Finneran kept Carraigs lead intact. Rovers did land an expertly taken 45 from out on the left sideline to cut the lead to a point again however, and with 15 minutes still to play the game was far from over. Carraig won a free 45 yards from goal and Michael Geaneys effort dropped just short, but the ball was spilled in the Rovers goalmouth and Carraig super sub Darren Noonan reacted quickest to bang the ball to the back of the net to the delight of the Carraig faithful. This gave us a four point lead but as always, Bride Rovers teams are never beaten with 10 minutes to play. They cut the deficit to three points soon after the goal and began bombarding the Carraig half with attacks. Carraig defended well however, breaking out on a number of occassions but failing to convert chances that presented themselves. Another pointed free cut the gap to two with five minutes still remaining. At this point, possession was key and Conor Hegarty won a number of crucial kickouts while Nicky Pike carried alot of ball up field out of danger. Rovers reduced the gap to the minimum with time running out, and Carraig finished strongly to deny their opponents a clear chance to level the match. Referee Ger O'Connell blew the final whistle and Carraig had won our fourth Junior B football title, the other victories coming in 1973, 1990 and 1996. What makes this achievement all the more special is that it is the first time the clubs second team have won an adult championship. Interestingly, Richard Forde picked up his third Junior B football medal, being the only surviving member of the 1990 team. Captain Nicky Pike accepted the trophy from East Cork Board Chairman Michael O'Brien, to round off a memorable year on the pitch for the club. This win goes some way to making up for defeats in the Under 21 A final back in April and the Junior A final defeat a fortnight ago. Well done to the management team, Noel Walsh, Michael Sherlock, Seamus O'Reilly and in particular, Aidan "Patsy" O'Reilly, who has put alot into the Junior B teams over the past number of years. Here is hoping for more of the same next year, the winter break has been made shorter and easier to cope with now. Team: Noel Finneran, Tom Neally, Ollie Murphy, Jason Noonan John Vaughan, Richard Forde, Noel Mullins Nicky Pike, Conor Hegarty John O'Sullivan, Michael Geaney, Bertie Sheehan Pat Walsh, Liam Ryan, Bryan Galvin Subs: Michael Minihane for Liam Ryan Darren Noonan for Patrick Walsh Brian Twomey for Michael Geaney Richard Mullins for Noel Mullins Daniel Foley, Cian Dorgan, Donal Foley, Pat Walsh, Robert O'Driscoll, Daniel O'Keeffe, Pat Ahern Crucial Goals see Cloyne claim East Cork Championship 09/11/2008 East Cork Junior A Football Championship Final Cloyne 4-06 Carraig na bhFear 1-09 Carraig na bhFears bid to win a second East Cork Junior A Football Championship ended in defeat on Sunday, as Cloyne emerged victorious by 6 points. Played in wet and windy conditions on a soaked Carrigtwohill pitch, Cloynes ability to get goals at crucial times was the difference between the sides. Carraig started brightly, missing a few early chances under pressure from the Cloyne defence. Cloyne were first to score, a counter attack giving them an opportunity which was pointed from 30 yards out. Carraig replied and a free from Colm O'Reilly after some great work by Paul Murphy saw the sides level. Eamon Bowen then scored a fine point from the right corner. Cloyne replied again shortly after to leave the sides level at two points a piece after 10 minutes of play. Carraig were beginning to get on top and the good work of wing backs Stephen Casey and Timmy Geaney saw Carraig create some good openings in the Cloyne half. Another point from Colm O'Reilly was followed quickly by one from Paul Murphy, as the forwards began to find their range. Two further points saw a productive period of play turn into a four point lead with 22 minutes gone. A shoulder injury to team captain Shane Horgan saw him leave the field after 20 minutes, which lead to some changes in the Carraig team around midfield and the forward line, with Tony Dunne moving to midfield and Aidan Hegarty introduced as a substitute. Cloyne then struck for their first goal, an excellent long pass from Diarmuid O'Sullivan found his corner forward and despite the efforts of Aidan Sheehan and Tomás Sheehan, he finished the ball to the corner of the net to bring Cloyne right back into the match. They added a point from a free soon afterwards to level the scores. Carraig responded well but could not find the target despite creating a few chances down the other end. On the stroke of half time, Cloyne created an overlap in the Carraig defence and finished the ball to the net for the second time to give them a three point lead at the interval. Carraig started the second half strong. Early points from Colm O'Reilly and Paul Murphy saw the gap reduced to a point with five minutes gone. Cloyne then won a free 20 metres out to the left of the goal and a mishit effort deceived the defence and found its way to the back of the net for a crucial goal. Cloyne now held a four point lead and defended it well. Carraig tried hard to break through but scores were at a premium given the conditions. A point for Carraig midway through the half cut the gap to three. Cloyne responded well and added three points in a row to extend their lead to six points with five minutes remaining. A late fourth goal for Cloyne put the result beyond doubt as Carraig put everything into attack to try get back into the match. Carraig kept going and a long ball into the square was met by sub Barrie Casey who finished well to the corner of the net for a goal. However it was all too late and Cloyne held on for a six point win. Congratulations to Cloyne on their victory and credit to both teams for the standard of play in the tough conditions. A disappointing end to a good year for the Junior A Footballers. Alot can be learned from this match and hopefully we can build on it and go one step further next year. Also, thanks to the management team of Alan O'Brien, Dan O'Keeffe, Liam Crowley and Vincent Twomey for their efforts all year. Team: Aidan Sheehan, Tomás Sheehan, Diarmuid O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Stephen Casey, Matthew Browne, Timmy Geaney Shane Horgan, Martin Hickey Tony Dunne, Colm O'Reilly, Bernard Murphy Paul Murphy, Eamon Bowen, Con Burns Subs: Aidan Hegarty for Shane Horgan Paul O'Keeffe for Paul Murphy Tyrone Kennedy for Daniel Coleman Barrie Casey for Eamon Bowen Ronan Spillane for Con Burns Carraig through to Junior A Final and claim league title 29/10/2008 East Cork Junior A Football Championship semi-final replay/Division 1 League final Venue: Ballynoe Carraig na bhFear 0-09 Bride Rovers 1-04 Carraig na bhFear are through to the East Cork Junior A Football Championship final for the first time since 1975 after a deserved victory over Bride Rovers in the semi final replay. Carraig were quick out of the blocks and a point from Berard Murphy inside 30 seconds set the ball rolling. The same player was involved in another good move a minute later which saw Paul Murphy grab Carraigs second point in quick succession. Carraig were well on top in the opening stages and applied alot of pressure on the Rovers defence. Direct running from Con Burns, Paul Murphy and Eamon Bowen saw Carraig win a number of frees and Colm O'Reilly duly converted 3 of these in a row on 5, 10 and 13 minutes to give Carraig a 5 point lead after the opening quarter. Rovers replied however, a high free dropping just outside the Carraig square was fisted to the back of the net and the gap was back to two points after 15 minutes. Carraig replied well again, Bernard Murphy getting his second point of an excellent first half display to extend the lead to three. Rovers added two points, on 22 and 29 minutes to reduce the margin again, the first of those points coming after a goalmouth scramble in which the Carraig defence stood up well. The final score of the half came from a Colm O'Reilly free deep into injury time after some more good running from Timmy Geaney, Con Burns and substitute Aidan Hegarty.Half time Carraig 0-07 Bride Rovers 1-02 Carraig started the second half on the attack again, but were dealt a blow when Daniel Coleman was harshly given a second yellow card and then a red. Carraig did not panic and controlled possession for the next period of the game, some good running and passing allowing them to keep Bride Rovers extra man busy.  Matthew Browne and Diarmuid O'Driscoll dominated in the central defensive positions, while Shane Horgan and Martin Hickey dropped deep to carry the ball out of the danger zone. After some good work by Paul Murphy, Colm O'Reilly converted a long range free on 37 minutes to extend the lead to three points. Rovers were reduced to 14 men moments later and the game became less open as both sides defended deep and tried to counter attack. The next score did not come for 14 minutes, another point from a free for Carraig to make it a four point game with 9 minutes remaining. Carraig were reduced to 13 men with five minutes remaining when corner back Tomás Sheehan picked up a second yellow card. It was backs to the walls stuff now for Carraig as the Rovers launched numerous high balls into the Carraig goal mouth. They could not get through the wall of Carraig defenders however and goal keeper Aidan Sheehan was well protected. Rovers added a point on 57 minutes and again on 60 minutes to reduce the margin to two. From the kickout, Carraig won possession and took it up field, Ronan Spillane, Aidan Hegarty and Martin Hickey all working hard to prevent another Rovers attack. Rovers were reduced to 13 men in injury time and moments later, referee Edward Sheehan blew the final whistle, to the delight of the Carraig team and supporters. The win was also a cup winning one, with Carraig also picking up the league title for the first time since 2003. Captain Shane Horgan accepted the trophy from East Cork Board Chairman Michael O'Brien. All attention now switches to the two East Cork Finals on the weekend of the 8th/9th November. Team: Aidan Sheehan, Tomás Sheehan, Diarmuid O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Stephen Casey, Matthew Browne, Timmy Geaney Shane Horgan, Martin Hickey Tony Dunne, Colm O'Reilly, Bernard Murphy Con Burns, Eamon Bowen, Paul Murphy Subs: Aidan Hegarty for Tony Dunne Tyrone Kennedy for Timmy Geaney (Blood sub) Brian Hegarty for Eamon Bowen Ronan Spillane for Bernard Murphy Bernard Murphy for Paul Murphy Scorers: Colm O'Reilly 0-6 (Frees), Bernard Murphy 0-2, Paul Murphy 0-1 Carraig through to B Football decider 24/10/2008 East Cork Junior B Football Championship Semi-Final Venue - Carrigtwohill Carraig na bhFear 1-11 Glanmire 0-02 Carraig na bhFears Junior B footballers are through to the East Cork Final after a convincing win over a dogged Glanmire side on Friday night. Carraig got off to a confident start under the floodlights in Carrigtwohill, sending fast ball in to full forward Liam Ryan, who had the first score of the match in the opening minutes. This was followed soon after by a long range effort from Michael Geaney, which sailed high over the bar to put Carraig two points up. Glanmire were creating chances but their shooting let them down all through and some great pressure from the Carraig defence kept them at bay. A good move involving John O'Sullivan, Conor Hegarty and Bryan Galvin saw the ball make its way to Liam Ryan midway through the half, but he shot just wide with the goal at his mercy. The same player made no mistake two minutes later however. An early ball in found Ryan, who turned his man and found the corner of the net from 13 yards to give Carraig a 1-02 to 0-01 lead after 15 minutes. Further points followed from the accurate kicking of Bryan Galvin soon afterwards, before Glanmire had their second point of the night from a close range free to leave the half time scoreline Carraig 1-04 Glanmire 0-02. Despite their lead, Carraig started the second half poorly, kicking possession away and inviting Glanmire forward too often. Glanmire will rue the many missed chances they had inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half, as had they converted even half of those, the outcome could have been very different. After some great defending by Tom Neally, Ollie Murphy and Jason Noonan in the full back line, Carraig counter attacked and Liam Ryan got on the end of a John O'Sullivan pass to put the ball over the bar and extend the lead. From here on, Carraigs greater efficiency in front of the posts told. Further points from Bryan Galvin, Liam Ryan, Michael Geaney, John O'Sullivan and midfielder Nicky Pike saw Carraig pull away as the half wore on. Try as they might, Glanmire could not find a way past Carraigs in form goalkeeper Noel Finneran. Conor Hegarty, John O'Sullivan and Nicky Pike continued to dominate around the middle of the park and when the final whistle blew, Carraig had a comfortable 1-11 to 0-02 win and a place in the East Cork final assured. Congratulations to the team and their management on getting to the final. Hopefully another trophy can be collected when we face either Glenbower Rovers or Bride Rovers in the coming weeks. Team: Noel Finneran Tom Neally, Ollie Murphy, Jason Noonan Noel Mullins, Richard Forde, John Vaughan Nicky Pike, Conor Hegarty Bertie Sheehan, Michael Geaney, John O'Sullivan Daniel Foley, Liam Ryan, Bryan Galvin Subs: Kieran Daly for Daniel Foley, Michael Minihane for Michael Geaney Patrick Walsh for Richard Forde Brian Twomey for Bertie Sheehan Carraig and Bride Rovers must meet again 21/10/2008 Venue: Ballynoe East Cork Junior A Football Championship Semi Final Carraig na bhFear 0-08 Bride Rovers 1-05 Carraig and Bride Rovers will have to do it all again in the East Cork Football Championship, after a late free for the Rovers saw them level the match in Ballynoe on Tuesday night last. Rovers started the better of the two teams, and opened the scoring after five minutes following a quick free. Carraigs lack of football in recent times was evident, with passes going astray and a lack of fluidity in general. It took nearly 15 minutes before Colm O'Reilly got Carraigs first point of the night, but that was followed moments later by a speculative effort from Eamon Bowen from the right corner forward position, to put Carraig 0-02 to 0-01 up. Carraig were beginning to find their feet, although Bride Rovers continued to have more of the possession. Another point from O'Reilly had Carraig two points in front after 25 minutes. Bride Rovers had the next two points in reply, to leave the half time scoreline 0-03 to 0-3 after a disappointing opening 30 minutes. The second half couldn't have gotten off to a worse start from a Carraig perspective. Within two minutes, Bride Rovers scored a goal and a point, to give them a 1-04 to 0-03 lead. However time was on Carraigs side and the team did not panic. Martin Hickey and Shane Horgan came to the fore at midfield, substitute Aidan Hegarty was making an impact and Colm O'Reilly was causing problems for the Rovers defence. After some good team play, O'Reilly won and converted a close range free to reduce the gap to 3. Carraig were now beginning to get on top in all areas and the last 20 minutes was played mostly in Bride Rovers half. Wing back Timmy Geaney got on the end of another good move to score Carraigs second point of the half. Carraig missed a few opportunities in the next 10 minutes or so, before O'Reilly scored his second free of the half to reduce the gap to one with 7 minutes still to play. At this stage, the introduction of some fresh legs boosted Carraigs dominance again and the equaliser arrived from Martin Hickey with 3 minutes of normal time remaining, after some more good team play in the build up. At this stage, a draw looked likely, but Carraig gained the advantage on 59 minutes when Colm O'Reilly scored a fantastic point from the left wing to put a point between the teams. With the game in injury time, Bride Rovers launched one last attack and wona  free 30 yards from goal, which was converted to level the match. From the kickout, referee Ger Sweeney blew the whistle and a draw was the outcome. Extra time was to be played, however, confusion reigned and the Referee was not aware of this. By the time he was informed that extra time was to be played, Bride Rovers had left the field of play and despite his efforts, would not return for extra time. So it goes to a replay, next Wednesday, 29th October, 8:00pm in Ballynoe again. Team: Aidan Sheehan, Tomás Sheehan, Diarmuid O'Driscoll, Stephen Casey, Tyrone Kennedy, Matthew Browne, Timmy Geaney Shane Horgan, Tony Dunne Martin Hickey, Colm O'Reilly, Bernard Murphy Con Burns, Eamon Bowen, Brian Hegarty Subs: Aidan Hegarty for Eamon Bowen, Paul O'Keeffe for Con Burns, Barrie Casey for Bernard Murphy, Paul Murphy for Tony Dunne Scorers: C. O'Reilly 0-5 (0-2 frees), M.Hickey, T.Geaney, E.Bowen 0-1 each. B's see off Midleton challenge 19/10/2008 East Cork Junior B Football Championship Quarter Final Venue - Midleton Carraig na bhFear 3-4 Midleton 1-7 Carraig na bhFear shook off their footballing cobwebs to book a place in the semi final of the East Cork Junior B Football Championship for the second time in four seasons, with a victory over home side Midleton on Sunday. To say this game was played in less than perfect conditions is an understatement. A strong wind blew straight down the field and brought with it continuous rain for the duration of the match. Carraig played against the wind in the first half but made all the early running. Some early wides from wayward shooting did not reflect Carraigs dominance, and it took five minutes before the first score was registered, Eamon Bowen converting a free from close range. John O'Sullivan and Nicky Pike were getting alot of possession and the attacks continued to come, but scores were few and far between in the conditions. Bowen scored his second point from a free. Midleton got their first score of the game midway through the half from a free, as they began to come into the game more. A key moment in the half came when Eamon Bowens free from 50 yards swung from right to left into the wind and dropped just under the crossbar for the games opening goal, to extend Carraigs lead. But it was Midleton dominated the remainder of the half however, and after they had their second point of the match, they added a goal on a quick counter attack after possession was lost by Carraig in attack. This left the scores level, but on the stroke of half time, a great move started by Daniel Foley, saw the ball reach Bowen who cut inside the full back and unleashed a good shot at goal, only for the keeper to save. But John O'Sullivan was on hand to gather the rebound and finish the ball to the net to restore Carraigs lead. That left the half time score 2-2 to 1-2 in our favour and the wind to come. The opening score of the half came to Carraig, another Bowen free, before we were dealt a blow when Michael Geaney was dismissed for a second booking after 5 minutes. Midleton scored a point from play to cut the gap to three, and with the extra man began to see alot omore of the ball. Richard Forde, Tom Neally, Ollie Murphy and Jason Noonan were on top in the defence and Midleton never got through to trouble keeper Noel Finneran. A long ball out of defence from Tom Neally set Nicky Pike free, he found Brian Galvin, who finished well to the back of the net to put two goals between the sides. Midleton continued to press and scored the next 3 points from frees to close the gap, and they received another boost when Carraig lost Bowen to a second yellow card with ten minutes to go. They continued to apply pressure, but Carraig responded. Man of the match John O'Sullivan covered the whole pitch in the closing stages, Conor Hegarty came to the fore in midfield and sub Noel Mullins made a big impact when introduced. A great team effort contained Midleton, Carraig added another point, and Midleton had their last, but in the end, Carraig won out by a 3 point margin. Not the prettiest of wins but a great boost for the club, and with more players due to return from holidays and injury, the B team should be confident of making another big impact in the semi final. Team: Noel Finneran Tom Neally, Ollie Murphy, Jason Noonan John Vaughan, Richard Forde, Kieran Daly Conor Hegarty, Nicky Pike John O'Sullivan, Michael Geaney, Bertie Sheehan, Daniel Foley, Eamon Bowen, Brian Galvin Subs: Noel Mullins for K.Daly, Liam Ryan for D.Foley Footballers pick up league points 11/08/2008 Junior Football League Division 1 Carraig na bhFear 0-08 Fr. O'Neills 0-03 Carraig took a break from their hurling exploits of the recent weeks to pick up a game from the Junior Football league against Fr. O'Neills on monday night and came away with the points. Played in constant rain, this was never going to be a classic but both teams produced some good football over the course of the hour. Carraig started well and worked the ball patiently out of defence while denying O'Neills opportunities to score. Scores were hard to come by but Barrie Casey found the range on a couple of occassions for Carraig and Martin Hickey pointed from long range also. O'Neills created a goal chance five minutes before half time but this was well saved by Aidan Sheehan in goal. At half time the scoreline read Carraig 0-04 Fr. O'Neills 0-02. The second half saw Carraig continue to dominate, with Shane Horgan and Tony Dunne excelling in midfield and Timmy Geaney getting forward for an early point in the half. Shane Horgan and Martin Hickey also found the target in the second half while O'Neills could only manage to raise a solitary white flag for their efforts, mainly due to some good pressure by the Carraig defenders who worked hard all night. Five substitutes were introduced over the course of the match as the selectors took the chance to give as many players as possible a run out. The final scoreline read Carraig 0-08 O'Neills 0-04. Carraig now sit on top of the table with 6 wins from 6 and have 3 games remaining in this league campaign. Team: Aidan Sheehan, Tomás Sheehan, Diarmuid O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Stephen Casey, Tyrone Kennedy, Timmy Geaney Shane Horgan, Tony Dunne Martin Hickey, Barrie Casey, Con Burns Aidan Hegarty, Michael Geaney, Ronan Spillane Subs Used: Brian Hegarty, Paul O'Keeffe, Michael Minihane, Darren Noonan, Nicky Pike Carraig win in Quarter final 23/05/2008 Carraig na bhfear 4-13 Ballinacurra 1-7 Carraig advanced to the semi final of the Junior A football championship for the second time in four years following a good win over Ballinacurra. Played in perfect conditions in Carrigtwohill, Ballinacurra started the livelier of the two sides and will rue a couple of early goal scoring chances that were passed up. Having survived the early scares, Caraig settled and began to find their rhythm, with points from full forward Con Burns, centre forward Colm O'Reilly and corner forward Brian Hegarty. Ballinacurra responded with their first point of the night, but Shane Horgan replied with a well taken point for Carraig before the opposition added their second point shortly afterwards. Midway through the half, a good move out of defence allowed Colm O'Reilly time to pick out the unmarked Bernard Murphy 13 yards from goal, who collected the ball and finished clinically to the back of the net for the opening goal. This was a big boost to Carraig, who, despite not playing to their potential, were now five points to the good. On 20 minutes, Carraigs second goal arrived. A Ballinacurra attack was blocked down and a well worked ball out of defence allowed the Carraig forward line to create a great chance for Aidan Hegarty who, despite the attention of a number of defenders, finished the ball low to the corner from 13 yards. Carraig controlled the rest of the half, with Tony Dunne and Shane Horgan on top at midfield, while Stephen Casey and Matt Browne got forward at every opportunity from defence. Two further points from substitute Martin Hickey, either side of a well taken Ronan Spillane point, left the half time score line 2-7 to 0-2 in our favour. Ballinacurra started the second half with more purpose and found some gaps in the Carraig defence which lead to two points early on. Colm O'Reilly scored a free from distance after a foul on Con Burns after 5 minutes for Carraigs opening score of the half. The sides exchanged points again soon after, Con Burns on target again for Carraig. 10 minutes into the half, Carraig struck for their third goal. After a fast passing move from well out the field, the ball made its way to midfielder Shane Horgan in the left corner and he cut inside to fire a shot at goal, which was saved by the keeper. But Horgan was alert enough to follow up his own shot, and he finished the rebound to the net. Further points soon afterwards consolidated the lead, firstly from Bernard Murphy, with Martin Hickey hitting two more from play also. With the game approaching its conclusion, Ballinacurra continued to create chances and added further points, two from play and one from a free. Colm O'Reilly landed his second free of the night in response. Carraig  conceded a late goal  after a scramble in the goalmouth, but Ronan Spillane had the final say when straight from the kickout, he finished another Carraig attack, placing the ball high into the far corner of the net for the best goal of the night. Final score, Carraig 4-13, Ballinacurra 1-7. Team: Aidan Sheehan Tomás Sheehan, Diarmuid O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Matt Browne, Stephen Casey Tony Dunne, Shane Horgan Ronan Spillane, Colm O'Reilly, Bernard Murphy Brian Hegarty, Con Burns, Aidan Hegarty Subs: Martin Hickey for Brian Hegarty (injured). Scorers: S. Horgan, R.Spillane, B.Murphy 1-1 each, M.Hickey 0-4, A. Hegarty 1-0, C.O'Reilly 0-3 (0-2 frees), C. Burns 0-2, B. Hegarty 0-1. Junior B's defeat Lisgoold 13/05/2008 Junior B Football Championship 1st Round Carraig na bhFear 3-10 Lisgoold 0-02 Carraig na bhFear's Junior B's advanced to the quarter finals of the East Cork Championship with a convincing win over Lisgoold on Tuesday last. The game was played in ideal conditions at home in Carraig. Credit must go to Eddie hegarty and Jimmy Hickey for having the pitch in great condition. The early exchanges were sloppy with alot of frees being conceded by both teams. Carraig opened the scoring after 10 minutes through the boot of Nicky Pike, and Nicky followed this up with two more points from distance soon afterwards to open up a 3 point lead for Carraig. Eamon Bowen was causing big problems for the Lisgoold defence and was unlucky not to convert 2 goal chances in the early exchanges. John O'Sullivan and Bertie Sheehan were also showing well in the corners, and combined with the strong play of Con Burns and Michael Geaney, Carraig were well on top throughout the opening half. Bowen scored his first point of the night from a difficult angle after 15 minutes to extend the lead, and the advantage was stretched when John O'Sullivan finished a good move with a fierce shot high into the net for the opening goal. O'Sullivan converted a free shortly afterwards and  Michael Geaney added to this after good running by Con Burns and Conor Hegarty, to put Carraig 1-06 to 0-0 in front approaching half time. Carraigs defence were well on top, Ollie Murphy, Tony Dunne and Darren Noonan all playing well. Carraig finished the half with another goal, this time from Michael Geaney, to leave the half time score 2-06 to 0-0. The second half saw Carraig pick up where they left off and a number of good chances were created. Nicky Pike scored his fourth point of the night, followed by another from Eamon Bowen. Carraig hit a number of wides aswell from good positions during an early spell of pressure. Midway through the half, a fine break through the heart of the defence saw Con Burns set up Pike, who finished the ball to the back of the net from 13 yards to put the result beyond any doubt. Carraig made a number of changes after this and continued to enjoy the majority of the possession. Michael Geaney scored another point and veteran Donal Foley came on to score Carraigs last point with five minutes remaining. To Lisgoolds credit they kept trying to the end and their play was rewarded with two late points. Final score, Carraig na bhFear 3-10 Lisgoold 0-02. Well done lads, in the next round, Carraig face the winners of Ballinacurra V Midleton which takes place this weekend. Team: Noel Finneran, Stephen Cahill, Ollie Murphy, Daniel O'Keeffe Michael Minihane, Tony Dunne, Darren Noonan Conor Hegarty, Con Burns, Nicky Pike, Michael Geaney, Kieran Daly Bertie Sheehan, Eamon Bowen, John O'Sullivan Subs: Denis O'Connor, Donal Foley, Teddy Manley, Shane Forde, Liam Ryan, John Vaughan, Tom Neally Photo - Donal Foley scores a point under pressure from the Lisgoold defence. Carraig see off Glenville challenge 29/03/2008 Glenville 0-10 Carraig na bhFear 2-11 A first trip to Glenvilles temporary home, Fouhy Park for Carraig on saturday last and a well deserved 2 league points was the return. Carraig won the toss and played with the aid of the strong wind in the first half. The early stages of the match were close, with Carraig taking a while to settle. However the first score was to come for Carraig, when Martin Hickey broke through from midfield at pace, and the Glenville defence parted in front of him. Martin picked his spot and slotted the ball to the corner of the net for an early goal. Despite this, Glenville were having some success in working the ball up the field, and responded with a number of points from close range frees, to keep the gap small throughout the early stages. Aidan Hegarty added a well worked point from play for Carraig, and soon after, Colm O'Reilly pointed a long range free to leave the scores 1-2 to 0-3 after 15 minutes. Glenville added a point from play, but from the next kickout, Paul O'Keeffe started and finished a good move with a point to keep the gap between the sides. Martin Hickey was causing problems for the Glenville defence with his tireless running and he picked off two fine points from play, as Carraig began to turn greater possession into scores. His Midfield partner Shane Horgan got his name on the scoresheet aswell, before Glenville responded with two more points, one froma  free and one from play. Carraig were to finish the half strongly, some good runs by Daniel Coleman and Stephen Casey lead to some more chances being created, and when the ball broke loose to Colm O'Reilly 13 yards out in front of goal, he unleashed a first time shot that took a deflection off a defender on its way, deceiving the keeper and finding it's way to the net, for a second goal. The first half ended with another pointed free from Colm, leaving the half time score 2-07 to 0-6. Facing into the wind in the second half, Carraig continued to control proceedings, but were finding scoring chances hard to come by. Glenville were using the wind to launch early balls in to the full forward line but could not break down a resolute defence. Paul O'Keeffe scored his second point of the game early in the half, and Glenville added to their tally with a long range point. Carraig were passing the ball well though, and a good move saw Shane Horgan win the ball close to the goal. His shot looked destined for the net but hit the crossbar and went over for his second point of the game. Again Glenville responded with a point, but Paul O'Keeffe added another fine point to keep the pressure up. With a shower of hail now accompanying the winds, Glenville added a point from a free and another point from play shortly afterwards. But they could not find the goal they were looking for and Carraig finished the stronger side, with Paul adding his fourth point of the game in the last minute, to leave the final score 2-11 to 0-10. Team: Aidan Sheehan, Tomas Sheehan, Dee O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Stephen Casey, Matt Browne Martin Hickey, Shane Horgan Paul O'Keeffe, Colm O'Reilly, Bernard Murphy Aidan Hegarty, Con Burns, Ronan Spillane Subs: Brian Hegarty for Aidan Hegarty (HT) Daniel Foley for Ronan Spillane Scorers: Martin Hickey 1-02, Colm O'Reilly 1-02,Paul O'Keeffe 0-4, Shane Horgan 0-2, Aidan Hegarty 0-1. B's well defeated in Dungourney 28/03/2008 Dungourney 1-15 Carraig na bhFear 1-05 A late Dungourney goal sealed a comprehensive win for the home side over Carraigs Junior B's on friday night last. Dungourney were on top throughout. Carraig tried hard and the selectors will look to take some positives from the performance as they continue their preparations for the 1st round of the championship against Lisgoold. Carraig defeat Cobh in opening round Carraig na bhFear 0-13 Cobh 1-5 Carraig travelled to Pilmore on Sunday last to face Cobh in the opening round of the Junior A Football Championship. The last time the sides had met was also in Pilmore, on a cold windy day in October 2005, when Cobh won the semi final on that occassion. On this occasion however, the weather was far kinder to both teams with only a slight breeze blowing straight down the pitch, which Carraig faced into for the opening 30 minutes. The match started at a frantic pace and both sides took time to settle. Barrie Casey opened the scoring with an early free after some good work by our forwards, but Cobh responded with a point through their full forward, and took the lead soon afterwards from a free. Chances were at a premium at this stage but Carraig added a second point from the boot of Colm O'Reilly and took the lead again with a point from play by Barrie Casey. Cobh responded again and converted a 45 midway through the half to leave the scores level at 0-3 a piece. From here until half time however, Carraig upped the ante all over the field, defending well from the front, Timmy Geaney and Matt Browne in particular, and attacking with more purpose, scoring 4 unanswered points before half time. 2 more from Casey, 1 a free, a great effort from Brian Hegarty and another from O'Reillly leaving the half time score 0-7 to 0-3 in our favour. The Cobh fightback was to be expected and they came right into the match again at the start of the second half, dominating for the opening 10 minutes. In this period they scored 1-2, and lead by 1-5 to 0-7. Chances were going amiss, but Carraig didn't panic and worked themselves back into the game. Bernard Murphy, who was having a great game at wing forward, got our first point of the second half and suddenly it was Cobh who were on the backfoot again. Aidan Hegarty added 2 points in the space of 5 minutes to put Carraig back into the lead. Shane Horgan and Martin Hickey were now in control at midfield and the introduction of Paul O'Keeffe, Dee O'Driscoll and Paul Murphy added a freshness to Carraigs play, although the wides tally was still increasing. O'Keeffe added 2 points following some good play by the half forward line, who were now finding gaps in the Cobh defence. Colm O'Reilly kicked his third point of the day to put Carraig 5 points up with 5 minutes to play. Cobh piled forward but found the defence in a mean mood, and they could not get the scores needed to bring them back into the game. At the final whistle, Carraig had won on a scoreline of 0-13 to 1-5. The lads progress to round 3 while Cobh must face Aghada in the back door. Team: Aidan Sheehan Tomás Sheehan, Stephen Casey, Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Matt Browne, Timmy Geaney Martin Hickey, Shane Horgan (capt) Brian Hegarty, Colm O'Reilly, Bernard Murphy Aidan Hegarty, Barrie Casey, Ronan Spillane Subs: Dee O'Driscoll for M. Browne Paul Murphy for Ronan Spillane Paul O'Keeffe for Brian Hegarty Junior B's record first win 08/03/2008 Carraig na bhFear 1-13 Carrigtwohill 1-8 The Junior B's picked up their first points of the league on Saturday when they won a good competitive game against Carrigtwohill. From the outset Carraig enjoyed a greater share of possession than their hosts and took the lead through two early points, from the boots of Paul O'Keeffe and Tyrone Kennedy. Carrigtwohill responded with a point of their own from a close in free after some frantic action around the goalmouth. With the home side piling on the pressure, gaps were appearing down the field and Carraig exposed these on a number of occasions, with Paul O'Keeffe in particular causing endless problems for the defence. Following good work by Barry Casey and Aidan Sheehan, O'Keeffe scored his second point of the game midway through the half. This was quickly followed by a well kicked point from Bertie Sheehan. Carrigtwohill added their second point of the game shorly afterwards. Straight from the kick out, Tyrone Kennedy finished a fast Carraig move for his second point of the game. O'Keeffe added another great point shortly afterwards, and the lads extended the lead again with a Nicky Pike point, followed by another from Paul O'Keeffe, to leave us 8 points to 1 ahead after 25 minutes of play. However, the game was far from over and Carrigtwohill responded well, with persistent pressure yielding a further 1-3 before half time, despite some good defending from Darren Noonan, Tom Neally and Stephen Cahill in particular. On the stroke of half time, Richard Mullins broke out of defence with the ball, and following some good work by Aidan Sheehan, the ball found its way to Bertie Sheehan, who rattled the Carrigtwohill net with a well placed shot, to leave the half time score 1-8 to 1-4 in our favour. The second half started with both sides swapping points, Paul O'Keeffe,Bertie Sheehan and Aidan Sheehan getting the points, and keeping the gap between the sides to 5 points for most of the half. The home side pressed for a goal that would bring them back into the game, but found the Carraig defenders in good form, Denis O'Connor having a fine second half in particular.  As the half wore on, Carraig again found space in the forward line, with Paul adding 2 more points to bring his total for the game to 6. Carrigtwohill added two late points to reduce the gap to 4 points with 5 minutes remaining, but a good move from defence to attack saw substitute Daniel Foley curl over a point to restore the lead to 5 points and time running out. As was to be expected, Carrigtwohill kept pressing for the goal the needed, but the defence stood firm and Carraig na bhFear finished the winners on a scoreline of 1-13 to 1-8. Team: Alan O'Brien Stephen Cahill, Darren Noonan, Denis O'Connor Richard Mullins, Ricky Forde, Tom Neally Kieran Daly, Nicky Pike Paul O'Keeffe, Aidan Sheehan, Tyrone Kennedy Bertie Sheehan, Michael Geaney, Barrie Casey Subs: Tomás Sheehan, William Spillane, Daniel Foley, Shane Forde, Michael Foley, Teddy Manley. Scorers: Paul O'Keeffe 0-6, Bertie Sheehan 1-2(0-1 free), Tyrone Kennedy 0-2, Nicky Pike, Aidan Sheehan and Daniel Foley  0-1 each   Second win for Junior A's 24th Feb 2008 Carraig na bhFear 1-11 Carrigtwohill 0-5 Carraig na bhFear made it two wins from two in the Junior Football league division one with a well deserved win over Carrigtwohill in a match played on home soil in perfect weather conditions on Sunday. Carraig started well and opened the scoring through Paul Murphy after 5 minutes. The visitors responded well and equalised, but after this Carraig enjoyed a sustained period of pressure on the Carrigtwohill defence, which yielded points from Shane Horgan, a Barrie Casey free and another from Murphy. Carrigtwohill added their second score of the game to make it 0-4 to 0-2 to the home side, before another siege on the Carrigtwohill goal before half time lead to four more points from Paul Murphy, Brian Hegarty, Aidan Hegarty and Ronan Spillane. At half time, Carraig na bhFear lead 0-8 to 0-2. The second half saw Carrigtwohill come into the game more, and they picked off the first score of the half with a close range free. Carraig na bhFear added another point through a well taken Martin Hickey effort after good work by Shane Horgan and Tyrone Kennedy. Then Carraig got the goal they had been looking for, when the goalkeeper failed to handle a high ball from Hickey, and the ball fell over the line. Hickey was dominating the game and he added a further point before Carrigtwohill responded with another close range free. The last Carraig point came from a free. Aidan Hegarty chased a lost cause into the corner and won possession despite the attention of 2 defenders, who fouled him in the process. Paul Murphy took the free from the right hand sideline on the 13 yard line, and split the posts with a great kick. The visitors added one more point with the last kick of the game to make the final score 1-11 to 0-5. Another 2 points for the Junior A's, and further match practice gained as the selectors look towards the upcoming first round of the Junior A Championship against Cobh, which is now only 3 weeks away. Team: Aidan Sheehan Tomás Sheehan, Stephen Casey, Daniel Coleman Matthew Browne, Tyrone Kennedy, Timmy Geaney Shane Horgan, Martin Hickey Aidan Hegarty, Brian Hegarty, Paul O'Keeffe Paul Murphy, Barrie Casey, Ronan Spillane Subs: Bernard Murphy for Daniel Coleman, Tom Neally for Timmy Geaney, Michael Geaney for Barrie Casey, Mark Crowley for Paul O'Keeffe, Daniel O'Keeffe for Ronan Spillane Referee: James Bermingham (Bride Rovers) Junior A's get off to winning start Carraig na bhFear 4-11 Midleton 2-3 10/02/2008 The Junior A footballers kicked off their 2008 league campaign a week later than scheduled with a home fixture against Midleton. Due to the recent poor weather, our pitch remains closed, so the match was switched to the College grounds, which have withstood the heavy rain better. A Young Carraig side burst out of the blocks and put alot of early pressure on the Midleton goalmouth, Paul Murphy and Ronan Spillane both splitting the posts for the opening points. Further sustained attacks from the lively Carraig forward line yielded two points from Martin Hickey, with Paul O'Keeffe adding one to put Carraig 0-5 to 0-0 ahead after the opening 15 minutes. Midleton then began to come into the game more but found it difficult to break through the Carraig defence, but after a period of pressure they got themselves on the scoreboard with a point. Carraig finished the half strongly though, with Shane Horgan and Martin Hickey well on top in midfield. Paul Murphy picked off his second point of the day before Barrie Casey added two further points, one from play and one from a free. Then, just on the stroke of half time, a Casey 45 landed under the Midleton crossbar, and the defender on the line could only palm the ball to the feet of the in rushing Murphy, who finished the ball to the net. Half time 1-8 to 0-1. The second half was a closer affair, with Carraig failing to find the same rythym as they had in first half. Midleton made some inroads into the Carraig defence and picked off a point to reduce the lead. But Carraig were always looking dangerous when on the attack. Barry Casey pointed two close range frees after good work by the full forward line, and then Ronan Spillane scored a great point with the outside of his right boot to extend the lead again with 10 minutes gone in the half. Then the floodgates opened, and Carraig found the back of the Midleton net three times in the space of five minutes. First, a long pass found Barrie Casey all alone and he picked his spot in the corner. Then, after some good work by the midfielders and half forwards again, Brian Hegarty rode a strong tackle from the Midleton defence to finish high into the net. The third goal of the spell was finished by Barrie Casey, who side stepped the keeper to complete a fine move. Midleton rallied again and finished the half by scored a further 2-1, with a late penalty proving only a consolation. A good start for the A's, who will be looking to build on this for the Championship, which is approaching on the horizon very quickly. Team: Aidan Sheehan, Tomás Sheehan, Stephen Casey, Daniel Coleman Ollie Murphy, Tyrone Kennedy, Timmy Geaney Shane Horgan, Martin Hickey Paul O'Keeffe, Brian Hegarty, Aidan Hegarty Paul Murphy, Barrie Casey, Ronan Spillane Subs: Richard Mullins for Tomás Sheehan, Daniel O'Keeffe for Paul O'Keeffe

U21 Football 08

Aghada defeat Carraig in final 12/04/2008 Venue: Lisgoold Aghada 0-8 Carraig na bhFear 0-5 Huge disappointment for our Under 21 footballers as Aghada claimed their 7th East Cork Under 21 A Championship with a deserved 3 point victory in the final. Carraig entered the game as slight favourites having knocked out champions Glanmire in the previous round, but never really got going and the performance was a long way off what the team had produced in the previous rounds. Played in front of a good crowd, the early stages of the game were fraught with mistakes from both teams, but more so from Carraig. Only a great save by keeper Cian Dorgan prevented Aghada opening the scoring with a goal after a ball was lost coming out of defence. Despite this, Carraig struck first, the opening score came after good work by Aidan Hegarty earned a free for Carraig, Barrie Casey pointing from 47 yards out to give us an early lead. Carraig created more chances in the next few attacks, but these resulted in 2 wides from good positions. Aghada were growing in confidence and having survived the Carraig onslaught, leveled the scoring with a free from 21 yards on 9 minutes. Carraig attacked again, but passes were going astray and when the ball did get to the forward line, the Aghada defence were making life hard and winning most of the 50/50 balls. Paul O'Keeffe had a good point scoring chance blocked and the resulting 45 was just wide of the target. Aghada were beginning to take control though, finding their men with greater ease and looking dangerous whenever they attacked, Cork minor Cian Fleming in particular was causing problems. On 15 minutes another mistake in the defence allowed Aghada through for what seemed like a certain goal, but the shot cannoned down off the crossbar. The ball then found its way to another forward, but again Cian Dorgan made a good save to keep the ball out of the net. A let off for Carraig but a warning sign also. Soon after, Aghada took the lead when Carraig lost possession easily going forward and the resulting attack saw a fine point kicked from distance. Aghada were on top in key areas, supporting the man on the ball and playing the better football. Having opened the scoring in the 5th minute, Carraig had to wait until the 23rd minute for their second score of the match. Paul O'Keeffe won the ball deep in defence and started a good flowing move, freeing Martin Hickey who passed inside to Barrie Casey. Casey turned and converted off his left to level the match again. Coming up to half time, it looked like that was going to be the last score of the half, both sides finding it hard to create chances. But on 27 minutes Aghada intercepted a poor Carraig pass in attack and punished it with a point down the other end, to take the lead. From the kicked, Aghada won the ball and a few swift passes later, it was back over the bar. Aghada had 2 more chances to extend their lead coming up to half time but neither were converted. Half time 0-4 to 0-2 to Aghada. Carraig started the second half with more purpose about them, and won a free early on, which Casey pointed from close range to close the gap. At this stage the game was still too close to call. But Aghada were punishing any mistakes Carraig made, and between the 35th and 41st minutes, they picked off 3 points while Carraig could only muster 2 more wides. Casey was unlucky to miss a free which the wind carried just wide on 43 minutes, leaving the score 0-7 to 0-3 entering the closing quarter. Carraigs best move of the match soon after saw Paul O'Keeffe break through the Aghada defence and the ball found its way to Mark Crowley who pointed to close the gap to 3 points and plenty time remaining. Carraig needed to get the next few scores to get back into the game, and were now attacking with more purpose and direction, but Aghada could have finished the game there and then, when another goal chance was created after a long ball in found the full forward all alone in space, but Cian Dorgan once again was on hand to divert the ball wide for a 45, which was pointed, to leave the score 8-4. At this stage there was a long delay for an injury to an Aghada player, and this disrupted the flow of the game somewhat.With 4 minutes remaining, Carraig were now dominating the play as Aghada defended well. Martin Hickey was at the end of a Barrie Casey pass to point again, and the gap was down to 3 with time remaining. However, despite their best efforts, time did run out on Carraig as they searched for that equalising goal. The final whistle sounded and Aghada were deserving winners. East Cork Board Chairman Martin O'Brien, himself an Aghada man, presented the cup to winning captain Sean O'Donoghue. Carraig will be disappointed with their performance on the day but with only 3 of this team overage next year, they will have the chance to make amends and go one better. Hard luck lads, we have no doubt you will be back to challenge again. Team: Cian Dorgan, Richard Mullins, Diarmuid O'Driscoll (C), Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Stephen Casey, Darren Noonan Martin Hickey, Michael Minihane Paul O'Keeffe, Aidan Hegarty, John O'Sullivan Ronan Spillane, Barrie Casey, Mark Crowley Subs: Daniel Foley, Eanna Clifford, Noel Mullins, Robert O'Driscoll, Brian Twomey, Jason Noonan, John Walsh Scorers: B Casey 0-3, M Hickey & M Crowley 0-1 each. Referee: Peter Hegarty (Cluain Uamha) Carraig overcome Glanmire 05/04/2008 Venue: Cobh Carraig na bhFear 0-8 Glanmire 0-7 A last minute free from Barrie Casey sent Carraig na bhFear into the clubs first ever Under 21 A grade final. That was all that seperated the sides at the end of an exciting and extremely close match. The opening exchanges were tense and both sides took a while to settle. Glanmire won a free early on, but former Cork minor Daniel Molden was off target with his effort. Shortly afterwards, a long ball into the square caused chaos in the carraig box, and Glanmire looked odds on to open their account with a goal. The forwards shot was scuffed, but beat Cian Dorgan in the goal, however, Stephen Casey appeared from nowhere at the last moment to pick the ball and clear it off the line. With 5 minutes gone Carraig began to find some gaps in the Glanmire defence, and after some excellent defending high up the pitch by the Carraig attack, a free was awarded for a foul by Glanmire. Barrie Casey pointed from 40 yards out to give Carraig an early point and a lead. This was the beginning of a dominant spell for Carraig. Martin Hickey and Aidan Hegarty were covering large sections of the field, and the pair combined to force a foul on the ball by Glanmire in midfield. The quick free found its way inside to Mark Crowley, who sent a clever pass to Barrie Casey. Casey was hauled down by his marker when going to the ball, and a free resulted. Again, he converted the free for his, and Carraigs, second point of the match. On 10 minutes, Carraig attacked again with purpose, and won a sideline on the right side of the field, about 40 yards from goal. Casey, with the aid of a slight wind, split the posts with his effort, to extend the lead further. But if it looked like Carraig were beginning to pull away, then Glanmires response put any notions that this game would not be close to bed with their response. 3 unanswered points in the space of 5 minutes levelled the match. 2 of these scores came from frees, the other a fine long range effort that sailed over. They followed this up with another attack and split open the Carraig defence to create a goalscoring chance, which sailed just wide of the post, a let off. In the next attack, another goal chance presented itself, but Cian Dorgan was equal to the effort and pushed the ball wide for a 45, which resulted in another wide for Glanmire. This was a sustained period of pressure, but the Carraig defence to a man, was not to be found wanting. Even full forward Casey, found himself back inside his own half making key blocks as Glanmire pressed and pressed. Dee O'Driscoll was unbeatable at full back, ably assisted by Stephen Casey and Daniel Coleman around him. Each time Glanmire thought they had found a way through, the defence cut off the route. Carraig needed to get back up field, and whena  ball broke at midfield, Tyrone Kennedy reacted fastest to gather the ball. He passed to Hickey,  who placed an accurate pass which found wing forward John O'Sullivan in a good position and he confidently pointed to put Carraig back in the lead. On 25 minutes, Hickey sent in another great ball to the forwards, Casey and his marker both failed to gather cleanly, but the ball broke kindly to Aidan Hegarty, who found O'Sullivan in space and he swung over the point of the game from all of 45 yards to extend the lead. Right on the stroke of half time, O'Sullivan won a pass from Paul O'Keeffe and had a good effort on goal saved by the alert Glanmire keeper. Half time, 0-5 to 0-3. The second half again started with plenty of mistakes from both teams. Glanmire were first to score with a point on 33 minutes to close the margin. Carraig responded well to this, a long ball into attack by O'Sullivan found the inrushing Hickey, who appeared to be fouled while in possession. The referee awarded a throw ball, but indiscipline cost Glanmire this opportunity, and the free was awarded to Carraig for dissent. Casey stepped up to convert the point and the gap was back to 2. Carraig continued to attack during the opening 10 minutes, but some sloppy play lead to a free being conceded deep in defence, which was pointed to bring the gap back to a point again. More great pressure from Carraig saw a free awarded in a promising position, but Carraig opted to go short and lost the ball in the resulting play. After 45 minutes, the game was finely balanced. Glanmire were beginning to threaten more, but when attacks broke down, Carraig looked dangerous on the counter attack. Brian Twomey replaced Mark Crowley in the full forward line, and Twomey broke a long high ball in to Casey, who turned onto his left foot to point from 20 yards. 0-7 to 0-5 entering the closing stages. With 10 minutes to go, Glanmire forced an error in the Carraig defence, which resulted in a free being awarded. The free fell short and was well defended by Carraig, Darren Noonan making some great tackles. Glanmire then had a disputed wide, but the referee was in no doubt. From their next attack, they added a point from play and closed the gap once again. The opposition won another free but this sailed wide from 30 yards with 5 minutes remaining. The closing stages were tense, with both sides fighting for every ball. Then, with 2 minutes remaining, a long ball over the top found Barrie Casey inside the full back, Casey turned, and opted to round the keeper, in doing so he was grounded and the ball spilled away, but the referee did not see fit to award a penalty. So the scores remained as they were, and while there was only 1 point in it, there was always a chance for Glanmire to come back, and they did on 59 minutes. An attack down the right saw them find a gap in the Carraig defence, which resulted in a foul 20 yards from goal. The free was pointed, and having been lead the whole game through, Glanmire were now level and the game was anybodys for the taking. But Carraig were not to be denied, and with time running out, Carraig sent a ball deep into the Glanmire defence. Barrie Casey and Brian Twomey both looked 2nd and 3rd favourites to win possession, but they forced the defender to lose possession. They took the ball on and a foul resulted, from 25 yards out to the left of goal. Casey stroked the ball over and we were back in the lead. 3 minutes of added time followed, and Carraig were disciplined and controlled as they kept Glanmire at bay. The final whistle sounded and Carraig had a fully deserved victory. The team were never lead throughout and fought with great heart and determination for the win, especially in the closing stages. Up next, Carraig face Aghada in the clubs first ever appearance in the A grade final at Under 21 Level. It promises to be another excellent game. Team: Cian Dorgan Richard Mullins, Dee O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Stephen Casey, Darren Noonan Martin Kickey, Michael Minihane Paul O'Keeffe, Aidan Hegarty, John O'Sullivan Ronan Spillane, Barrie Casey, Mark Crowley Subs: Brian Twomey for Mark Crowley (45 mins) Scorers: Barrie Casey 0-6 (0-4 frees, 0-1 sideline), John O'Sullivan 0-2 First half blitz sees Carraig past Youghal 24/03/08 Carraig na bhFear 3-09 Youghal 1-08 Carraig na bhFear qualified for the semi final of the East Cork U21 A Football Championship with a fully deserved triumph over Youghal on Easter Monday. The Ballynoe pitch was in good condition, and despite constant rain throughout the game, the pace was fast and the football free flowing throughout. Carraig began the game the brighter and had a point on their first attack, when full forward Barrie Casey reacted quickly to point a rolling ball from 25 yards out in front of goal. Youghal responded with a score of their own, coming from a close range free following a good attack. However, Carraig would go on to dominate the remaining 25 minutes of the first half, and would do so in style. Good work by Mark Crowley on the right wing, saw him put through Paul O'Keeffe who shot for a point, only to see his effort come down off the post. The ball fell straight to Ronan Spillane, who reacted quickly to get a shot on goal. However, he was fouled while doing so and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Barrie Casey finished the penalty high into the top left corner of the net, and a good start by Carraig was rewarded with an early goal. Carraig now continued to pile on the pressure, midfielder Michael Minihane made a great run and found Barrie Casey with an excellent early pass. Barrie then split the defence with a perfect handpass into the path of the onrushing Aidan Hegarty, who finished the ball to the back of the net with a well place left foot shot. 2-1 to 0-1 up after 10 minutes, a dream start for the lads. Soon after, John O'Sullivan won a free and Casey converted, Martin Hickey chipped over a well taken point with the outside of his right boot and with the confidence now sky high, another clinical piece of team play, saw Mark Crowley convert probably the best score of the match. Aidan Hegarty was dominating at centre forward and when the ball broke to him 30 yards out from goal 5 minutes before the break, he pointed well to extend the lead further. On the stroke of half time, Paul O'Keeffe scored his first point of the game, leaving the half time scoreline 2-6 to 0-1 in Carraigs favour. The only worrying note was an injury to Aidan Hegarty, which saw him leave the field at half time. The rain continued to pour in the second half, and Youghal began to respond to the Carraig onslaught. With their first attack of the half, they scored a point, and soon after had a 45 which landed just wide of the goal. Carraig withstood the early pressure and on 5 minutes, had extended the lead. A long ball into the square caused mayhem in the Youghal defence, and John O'Sullivan was on hand to finish the ball to the back of the net for a crucial third goal. 3-6 to 0-2. O'Sullivan was causing problems for the Youghal defenders and he added another well taken point shortly afterwards, to extend the lead again. Credit must be given to Youghal for not throwing in the towel. They responded to the goal with 2 points of their own. Carraig upped the tempo and Martin Hickey kicked his second point of the afternoon midway through the half. Paul O'Keeffe did likewise soon after, converting the ball sweetly on the turn, following good play by substitute Brian Twomey. From here to the finish however, Youghal had the better of proceedings. They scored a goal following some sloppy Carraig defending and followed this up with 5 unanswered points in the last 10 minutes. 3-09 to 1-08 the score at the long whistle. Carraig used their full compliment of subs and will have learned alot about their squad from this game, particularly in the second half. Next up it's the winners of Glanmire & Carrigtwohill, who go up against each other this thursday night. Team: Cian Dorgan Richard Mullins, Dee O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Stephen Casey, Darren Noonan Martin Hickey, Michael Minihane Paul O'Keeffe, Aidan Hegarty, John O'Sullivan Mark Crowley, Barrie Casey, Ronan Spillane Subs: Daniel Foley for Aidan Hegarty Brian Twomey for Mark Crowley Noel Mullins for Tyrone Kennedy Robert O'Driscoll for Daniel Coleman Jason Noonan for Darren Noonan Scorers: B Casey 1-02, A Hegarty 1-1, J O'Sullivan 1-1, M Hickey 0-2, Paul O'Keeffe 0-2, M Crowley 0-1 U21's warm up with win over Fermoy Carraig na bhFear 1-14 Fermoy 2-4 Date: 16/02/08 Venue: Fermoy Referee: J. Cummins (Kilworth) The U21's began their season with a comprehensive win over in this friendly game, played in excellent conditions in Fermoy. The team worked hard as a unit and played good flowing football throughout, subdueing the Fermoy challenge. The team are still awaiting the draw for the championship to be finalised, but they should know their opponents in the next few weeks. This game will be of great benefit to them when the first round comes around. Team: Cian Dorgan Richard Mullins, Diarmuid O'Driscoll, Daniel Coleman Tyrone Kennedy, Stephen Casey, Timmy Geaney Martin Hickey, Michael Minihane Paul O'Keeffe, Aidan Hegarty, John O'Sullivan Mark Crowley, Barry Casey, Ronan Spillane Subs: Robert O'Driscoll for Diarmuid O'Driscoll Eanna Clifford for Paul O'Keeffe Daniel Foley for Ronan Spillane Ronan Spillane for Barry Casey Diarmuid O'Driscoll for Timmy Geaney Paul O'Keeffe for Tyrone Kennedy Scorers: Barry Casey 1-05 Martin Hickey 0-02 Ronan Spillane,Aidan Hegarty, John O'Sullivan, Eanna Clifford, Paul O'Keeffe, Mark Crowley, Timmy Geaney 0-01 each

Minor Football 08

Minors defeat Scarriff Gaels 08/03/2008 Carraig na bhFear 1-11 Scarriff Gaels 1-8 The Minor footballers continued where they left off against Killeagh last week with another win in the league, this time against Scarriff Gaels (Cloyne & Ballinacurra). The game was played in Colaiste an Chroi Naofa after the wet weather of the last week, and both sides had to make the best of windy conditions in what was a close competitive game. The sides went in level at the interval, at 0-4 a piece, Carraigs scores coming from a John O'Sullivan free, Brian Twomey and Cian Dorgan, who scored 2 points from full forward in the opening half. Carraig only got the edge on their opponents in the second half, with John O'Sullivan adding another free early on, Brian Twomey added a point, Scarriff responded with 2 points of their own to keep it in the balance. Then both sides exchanged goals. Carraigs came from the boot of Rory McCarthy, who finished well following some good team work. From here to the finish, Scarriff only added one more point, while Carraig added 5 points in the closing stages, from Brian Twomey (3) and Cian Dorgan (2), to run out winners on a scoreline of 1-11 to 1-8. Team: Edward Tynan Joseph O'Donovan, Shane O'Reilly, Paul Geaney John Walsh, Jason Noonan, Seamus Murphy Noel Mullins, John O'Sullivan Kieran Crowley, Brian Twomey, Redmond Geaney Rory McCarthy, Cian Dorgan, Aaron Dorgan Subs: Robert O'Driscoll for Kieran Crowley John Healy for Seamus Murphy Owen Keating for Aaron Dorgan James Cahill for Paul Geaney Tom Hegarty for Rory McCarthy Scorers: Brian Twomey 0-5 (0-1 free), Cian Dorgan 0-4, Rory McCarthy 1-0, John O'Sullivan 0-2 frees. First league win for Minors 01/03/2008 Carraig na bhFear 2-14 Killeagh/Ita's 0-4 A confident performance from the Minors saw them run out deserved winners against Killeagh/Ita's in the second round of the Minor A football league played in Killeagh. Carraig dominated the game against their understrength hosts and picked up their first win of the campaign with the win. Hopefully they can build on this performance for their next match. Defeat for Minors in opening match 24/02/08 Carraig na bhFear 1-5 Carrigtwohill 2-8 The minors began the defence of their league title on sunday last with defeat against Carrigtwohill. Carraig na bhFear started the better of the two sides and aided by the wind led at half time on a scoreline of 1-4 to 1-1. However, Carrigtwohill started the second half strongly and took control of the game when they scored 1-2 inside the opening 10 miinutes of the half. Carraig fought back well but found the visitors defence hard to break down and in the end, Carrigtwohill ran out winners by 6 points. Carraig had good performances by Brian Twomey, Robert O'Driscoll, John Walsh and Noel Mullins and despite the loss they can take many positives from the performance. Next up for the minors is a trip to Killeagh to take on Killeagh/Itas in the league next weekend. Scorers: Brian Towmey 1-1, John O'Sullivan, Kieren Crowley, Rory McCarthy  and Redmond Geaney 0-1 each