The much anticipated CLONA Milk Carbery GAA U21 Championship Final between Bantry Blues and Bandon took place on Sunday afternoon last in Sam Maguire Park Dunmanway. 

These teams met earlier in the campaign when the Blues were victorious by the narrowest of margins defeating the Bandon boys by a single point.

The blues welcomed the return from injury of Mark Óg OSullivan & Cillian OBrien, but had to play without Oran Wiseman due to illness, who play a prominent role in the previous encounter between the teams. The blues also suffered a setback when Michael ODonovan picked up a knock in the warmup and required some physio, so was unable to start. Team Management has to do a quick team rejig, with Daithi Sheils replacing Michael , coming in at corner back, with Cillian OBrien moving out to half back & John Crowley moving to midfield. 

The game start with both teams to lay down a marker but the blues struck first with a peach of a goal from Paddy Cronin after sixty seconds. This early setback did not phase the Bandon boys who started to use their greater physical strength to dominate the middle of the pitch and clawed back the difference by scoring two quick points within three minutes. The young blues game was to run at the opposition resulting in winning a free which Paddy Cronin converted. Both teams were now playing cautiously with Bandon missing a goal opportunity when a rocket of a shot came off the upright which the blues took possession of and Jack Sheedy split the posts to raise a white flag.Jack repeated his score a few minutes later to push the difference to four points. This shook the Bandon boys who fought hard for every ball and were rewarded with a further two points before Dara Sheedy opened his account with a point from twenty five metres.The opposition responded quickly to this with a point of their own. The game was becoming a fierce battle between the young players but continuous hard work by Dara McCarthy , John Crowley and Luke SalterTownsend around the middle of the pitch led to another top drawer goal by Paddy Cronin on twenty three minutes after some excellent distribution work by Ted Wiseman to leave the score 2-04 (10) V 0-05. While Bandon were dominating the Kickouts the Bantry full back line of Ruairi OShea, Conor Cronin & Daithi Shiels absorbed the pressure which Bandon were now applying at the closing stages of the first half, with the half back line of Patrick Goggin, Mark Óg Osullivan & Cillian OBrien, breaking the lines to get ball to the blues attacking players.On the final minute of the the half, Jack Sheedy split the posts to leave six points between the sides at the break 

Half Time ;

BANTRY BLUES 2-05 V 0-05 BANDON

The blues started the second half well with Dara Sheedy splitting the posts followed by a Paddy Cronin pointed free to increase the gap to eight points. At this early stage in the second half , it looked like the blues had this game wrapped up, but there was no keeping Bandon down, who were now attacking looming for goals. Following continued pressure on the tenth minute one of the blues defenders was adjudged to have picked the ball off the ground in the small square to give a penalty to Bandon. An expertly taken kick, gave blues keeper, Ben Clancy no hope. This score reinvigorated Bandon who dominated play in the middle third of this half scoring two further points to bring the difference back to three points on eighteen minutes. Dara Sheedy, who had covered every blade of grass split the posts to raise a white flag to settle the blues on twenty minutes. The blues now began to take control but were tiring quick, but the blues sideline did not hesitate to make changes with five pairs of fresh legs introduced to bring a freshness to the tired bodies on the field Conn Ocallaghan, Michael ODonovan, Fionn Barry, Christopher Cronin & James Crowley added momentum to the blues in defence and attack and were able to hold Bandons attack while Jack Sheedy pointed on the 27th minute to give the blues a five point lead. Bandon would not give up though, continually pressing and being rewarded with a last minute goal when one of the umpires indicated the ball crossed the line, which the blues defence were adamant it had not. However this did not matter as the ref blew time up on the following kickout.

Full Time Svore 

Bantry Blues 2-09 V 2-07 Bandon 

Bantry Blues :Scorers ; Jack Sheedy 0:04 , Paddy Cronin 2:02 (02F),Dara Sheedy 0:03

Bantry Blues (1) Ben Clancy (2) Ruairi OShea (3) Conor Cronin (22) Daithi Shiels  (6) Mark OgOSullivan  (7) Patrick Goggin  (8) Dara McCarthy (5) John Crowley (10) Jack Sheedy (11) Dara Sheedy  (12)  Luke SalterTownsend  (13) Paddy Cronin (14) Noah Cronin (15) Ted Wiseman

(16) Eoghan Odonoghue (17) Fionn Barry (18) James Crowley (19) Christopher Cronin (20) Conn Ocallaghan   (9 )Michael ODonovan  (23) Oran Wiseman (24) Daire Kingston (25) Owen ONeill (26) Cathal ODriscoll (27) Fionn ODonovan

Substitutes used :  , Conn OCallaghan ,Christopher Cronin, James Crowley,,Fionn Barry, Michael ODonovan

Team Management: Ivan Kingston, Ger OBrien, Killian OSullivan, Damian ODonovan, Tony OShea, Eamon McCarthy, Timmy OMahony

Bantry Blues Sponsored by Bantry Credit Union 

Back Row (L to R) Cathal ODriscoll, Damian ODonovan, Oran Wiseman, James Crowley, Noah Cronin, Conor Cronin,Ted Wiseman, Patrick Goggin (C),Michael ODonovan, Eoghan ODonoghue,Mark Óg OSullivan

Front Row ( L to R ) Conn O Callaghan, Daire Kingston, John Crowley, Ruairi OShea, Jack Sheedy, Paddy Cronin, Ben Clancy, Cillian OBrien, Luke Salter Townsend, Dara McCarthy 

PHOTO ALBUM : CLICK HERE TO VIEW FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUM Thanks to Karen Salter Townsend for these memories