Our Junior Ladies travelled to Ballinacurra on Sunday afternoon ladt  to face Midleton in this year's Junior A County Championship semi final.
As in previous encounters Midleton started strongly when they converted a penalty in the second minute.Bantry who were playing against a strong wind replied two minutes later with a well taken point from Megan McSweeny.
This was a highly competitive game with both teams giving it everything and scores were hard to come by as Midleton were throwing players behind the ball and the Bantry defence was putting in a tremendous effort with Bernadette o Flynn,Kate McCarthy, Cloidhna o Shea and Molly o Sullivan making some timely interceptions.Midleton pointed a free in the ninth minute followed up by further points from play on ten and thirteen minutes before Bantry replied with a pointed free from Sarah Bishop in the eighteenth minute.Bantry goalkeeper Seadhna o Sullivan made a couple of fine saves to keep Midleton at bay before Sarah Bishop again pointed from a free in the twenty third minute.Midleton closed out the scoring for the first half with a free on thirty one minutes to lead at half time on a scoreline of 1.4 to 0.3.
Midleton again started the second half well with points in the first and seventh minutes before the lively Rachel Murphy registered Bantry's first score of the half with a fine point in the ninth minute.
Again Midleton were throwing players behind the ball which was frustrating the girls in blue and scores were at a premium and indeed it would be the twentieth minute before Midleton registered the next score of the game with a pointed free.To their credit Bantry kept fighting and were rewarded with a terrific point from Emma Spillane on twenty two minutes to give them some hope.Despite the best efforts of Zara Barry,Ellen o Sullivan and Eve Murphy Bantry were finding it difficult to break down the Midleton defence and a lovely point from Elaine o Sullivan Connell on twenty nine minutes was to be the last score of the game with Midleton grinding out the win on a scoreline of 1.8 to 0.6.
A tremendous effort from each and every one of the girls in Blue in what was a very competitive game.
The season now ends for this group but they can reflect proudly on a great year in which they reached a County semi final and brought home silverware earlier in the season after a terrific County League winning campaign.
Scorers for Bantry
Sarah Bishop 0.2(f)
Megan McSweeny 0.1
Rachel Murphy 0.1
Emma Spillane 0.1
Elaine o Sullivan Connell 0.1

Team Manager
Aidan Coughlan
Selectors
Mike Russell ,Johnny O Shea and
Mary OSullivan.
Stats Anne OGrady.

TEAM SPONSOR; John McSweeney Plant Hire & Tree Cutting Services