2022 West Junior B Football Final

Shane Hennessy Agri-Advisor West Junior B Football Championship Final

Cappawhite 0-9(9)
Eire Og Annacarty Donohill 0-7(7)

John O’Shea at Golden

Cappawhite claimed their first Shane Hennessy Agri West Junior B Football title when overcoming neighbours, Eire Og Annacarty Donohill, at Golden on Friday night. Playing in their third final and their first since 2005, they finished far stronger than Eire Og, completely dominating the final twenty minutes of this contest.

For Eire Og, this was their third final defeat in a row. During the opening forty minutes they dictated the terms of engagement, led by the minimum at the break and had eased into a two-point advantage, nine minutes into the second half. Then in a two-minute spell they lost both Jack Kingston and Mikey O’Brien through injury and didn’t recover from these losses. Cappawhite took control around the middle third, starved the Eire Of forwards of supply and took the game to their tiring opponents. During this final twenty minutes, they totally dominated proceedings and were it not for some terrible missed chances, in front of goal, the margin at the end would have been much more.

For the opening twenty minutes of this game, Eire Og, with Alan Shanahan in particular, were causing problems to the Cappa defence. However, this dominance was not translated into scores as some wayward shooting let them down. Ciaran Loughman in defence, was impressive, cutting out the Cappa supply and setting up attacks down the left wing.
Cappa lost Brendan Murphy to injury after thirteen minutes and was replaced by Ross Dunne. With his first touch Dunne set up a move which he himself finished off with a point at the far end. This score, coming at a time when they trailed by three, injected new impetus into the team, as they gradually came more into the game.

Eire Og opened the scoring with a Liam Og O’Dwyer point after two minutes. Richard O’Doherty doubled their advantage, before Eoghan Ryan, from a free, cut the deficit after five minutes. Alan Shanahan was getting on an amount of ball and he put over after thirteen minutes. Ross Dunne then pulled one back for Cappa. Alan Shanahan got his second of the evening before Gearoid Lennon kicked a good score to leave the minimum between the sides, with ten minutes of the half remaining.

Mikey O’Brien came up field and had the sides level for the first time after twenty-three minutes, but a Jordan Hayes point eased Eire Og back into the lead, a lead that they held at the half time break, Eire Og 0.5, Cappawhite 0.4.

The second half started poorly, but Philip McGrath doubled Eire Og’s advantage, four minutes after the restart. Willie Barry pulled one back before Pat Aherne, from a free, restored the two-point advantage with nine minutes gone.

Eire Og seemed to be controlling this game, just keeping their nose in front, and Cappa finding it hard to hit the target. They then lost both Jack Kingston and Mikey O’Brien to injury and these losses contributed greatly to Eire Og’s collapse for the final twenty minutes.

Cappa were back on level terms by the seventeenth minute, with points from Gearoid Lennon and an Eoghan Ryan free. The completely dominated the middle third, but found it very difficult to convert their possession into scores. They kicked six or seven wides in succession, both from frees and open play. Three minutes from time Eoghan Ryan, from a free, eased them ahead for the first time and as the game entered injury time, Ciaran Ryan (P) put them two up. Eire Og tried hard to get back into the game but the Cappa defence held firm, as the ran out two point winners, to take the O’Connor Cup for the first time.

Teams & Scorers:

Cappawhite: Dara McCarthy, Ben White, John McGrath (Captain), Kevin Stapleton, Mikey O’Brien, Rian Doody, Pakie Barry, Gearoid Ryan (B), Colm O’Dwyer, David Buckley, Michael P. Buckley, Brendan Murphy, Willie Barry, Eoghan Ryan, Gearoid Lennon

Subs used: Ross Dunne for Brendan Murphy (13 mins), Philip Gantley for David Buckley (35 mins), Ciaran Ryan (P) for Gearoid Ryan (B) (35 mins), Sam Carmody for John McGrath (45 mins), Jerry O’Neill for Michael P. Buckley (inj. 60 mins)

Eoghan Ryan (0.3 frees), Gearoid Lennon (0.2), Ciaran Ryan (P) (0.1), Willie Barry (0.1), Mikey O’Brien (0.1), Ross Dunne (0.1)

Eire Og Annacarty: Aaron Tuohy, Ciaran Loughman, Dan Hogan, Stephen McDonald, Peter O’Dwyer, Mikey O’Brien, Cathal Coughlan, Willie O’Neill, Liam Og O’Dwyer (Captain), Pat Aherne, Richard O’Doherty, Jordan Hayes, Philip McGrath, Alan Shanahan, Jack Kingston

Alan Shanahan (0.2), Pat Aherne (0.1 free), Philip McGrath (0.1), Jordan Hayes (0,1), Richard O’Doherty (0.1), Liam Og O’Dwyer (0.1)

Subs used; Michael Buckley for Jack Kingston (inj.39 mins), David Breen for Mikey O’Brien (inj.41 mins)

Referee: Padraig Skeffington (Cashel King Cormacs)

John McGrath, Padraig Skeffington & Liam Óg O’ Dwyer.

(Back L-R): Ciarán Doody, Cian O’ Carroll, Ciarán Ryan (P), Neil Clancy, Mikey Carmody, Seán Cleary, Daire Duggan, Mikey O’ Brien, David Buckley, Willie Barry, John McGrath (Captain), Michael (P) Buckley, Pakie Barry, Eoghan Ryan, Dara McCarthy, Cormac Heffernan, Sean Ryan (W). (Front): Philip Gantley, Ryan Renehan, Sam Carmody, Tommy Coughlan, Brendan Murphy, Rian Doody, Kevin Stapleton, Gearóid Lennon, Gearóid Ryan (B), Ben White, Colm O’ Dwyer, Ross Dunne.