Cill na Martra 2-15 Béal Átha ‘n Ghaorthaidh 2-14 Sometimes the occasion does live up to the expectations. That was certainly the case in beautiful Baile Bhuirne on Sunday as Cill na Martra edged their Gaeltacht rivals from Béal Átha ‘n Ghaorthaidh by a single point in a cracker of an encounter in the Cork SAFC. The win, coupled with Carrigaline’s victory over Kiskeam mean that those two teams have now qualified from Group 1 while Béal Átha and Kiskeam must face off to try and stave off the threat of relegation.
It seems cruel on Béal Átha, who came back from the dead in the final quarter. They trailed by 2-12 to 0-11 but the outstanding Ben Seartan rallied them with two points before two goals in two minutes from Seán Ó Luasa and Séamus Ó Tuama breathed new life into their support. Dan Ó Duinnín hit his fourth in between those two majors, and incredibly the sides were level for the fourth time.
Cill na Martra dug deep, however, and a Damien Ó hUrdail free and a beauty from Maidhcí Ó Duinnín put them two clear with two to go. Nollaig Ó Laoire brought it back to one, but Béal Átha just couldn’t work the opportunity the needed. Cill na Martra selector, Seán Ó Céilleachair, was impressed by that resolve afterwards.
“They’re the lads you want at the end of those moves. But they had the momentum, they had got the two goals, and all the momentum was going that way. If you were a betting man, you’d probably have put your money on them! But in fairness to our lads, they stuck with it, and we ground out another couple of scores to get us over the line, barely.
” Dan Ó Duinnín ran the show in the first half, as he kicked three points and laid a goal on a plate for Shane Ó Duinnín in the sixteenth minute. That put their side 1-3 to 0-3 to the good and from there to the break they outscored Béal Átha by 0-4 to 0-3 to lead by 1-8 to 0-7 at the interval. Shane Ó Duinnín’s second major them seemed to put Cill na Martra in total control after 39 minutes, and though Béal Átha got it back to parity, it was Cill na Martra who found what they needed, eventually.
Scorers for Cilln a Martra: S Ó Duinnín (2-2, 0-1 mark), D Ó Duinnín (0-4), J Mac Cárthaigh (0-1 free) and D Ó hUrdail (0-1 free) (0-2 each), 0-1 free, M Ó Deasúna (free), A Ó hUidhir, D Ó Conaill, S Ó Fóirréidh and M Ó Duinnín (free) 0-1 each) Scorers for Béal Átha ‘n Ghaorthaidh : B Seartan (0-8, 0-2 frees), S Ó Luasa and S Ó Tuama (1-0 each), D Mac Tomáis (0-2, 0-1 mark), M Ó Riordáin, N Ó Laoire, D Seartan and S Ó Muineacháin (0-1 each). CILL NA MARTRA : M Ó Deasúna; D Mac Lochlainn, T Ó Corcora, F Ó Faoláin; D Ó Conaill, S Ó Fóirréidh, C Ó Fóirréidh; C Ó Duinnín, G Ó Goillidhe (c); J Mac Cárthaigh, D Ó hUrdail, A Ó hUidhir; D Ó Duinnín, M Ó Duinnín, S Ó Duinnín. Subs: F Ó h-Éalaithe for Ó Goillidhe (blood, 17-24), E Ó Conaill for Ó hUidhir (49), F Ó Faoláin for Ó Goillidhe (53), D Mac Cárthaigh for S Ó Duinnín (inj, 62).
BÉAL ÁTHA ‘N GHAORTHAIDH : D Ó Coill; C Ó Duinnín, B Ó hÁrgáin, J Ó Donnchú; D Ó Briain, É Ó Duinnín, D Ó Ceallacháin; S Ó Luasa, S Ó Tuama; L Ó Criodáin, D Seartan, S Ó Muineacháin; C Ó Loingsigh, D Mac Tomáis, B Seartan. Subs: N Ó Laoire for Ó Ceallacháin (h/t), M Ó Riordáin for Ó Críodáin (33), G Ó Laoire for Ó Donnchú (43), C Ó Tuama for É Ó Duinnín (48), L Seartan for Ó Muineacháin (55). Referee : Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).
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