A Battle for the Ages

For a fourth-tier Intermediate A football quarter-final, this fixture had plenty going for it - on and off the ball. Even when the final whistle went, the ownership of a particular O’Neill’s ball was keenly contested on the sideline. The contest was filled with intensity, as evidenced by the numerous yellow cards, and even a red card.

Boherbue emerged victorious, but not without a fight. Glanworth, despite being a man down for a significant portion of the game, mounted a comeback attempt, but ultimately fell short. The final score was a reflection of the game's close nature: Boherbue 2-14 Glanworth 0-14.

Boherbue's Early Dominance

Boherbue started strong, quickly establishing a commanding lead. Their bright opening was four points inside six minutes. David O’Connor kicked a free, Gerry O’Sullivan kicked a pair, and towering full-forward John Corkery, who time and again troubled Glanworth under the dropping ball, fetched and converted a mark.

Glanworth, however, slowly clawed their way back into the game. Dave Pyne, with two frees, and a lovely outside-of-the-right from Michael Sheehan, closed the gap to 0-6 to 0-4.

A Turning Point

On 21 minutes, a disaster for Glanworth turned into a gift for Boherbue. Dan Sheehan intercepted a short Ciaran Cotter restart and put the ball in the empty net. This goal gave Boherbue a much-needed cushion.

Cotter did partially redeem himself later in the half when denying David O’Connor an almost certain second. As it was, O’Connor was the provider of Boherbue’s closing three points of the half to leave them six to the good, 1-9 to 0-6, at the break.

Glanworth's Resurgence

The second half saw Glanworth rally. They did, initially. Darragh O’Brien, Michael Sheehan, Stephen Condon, and Ger O’Neill reeled off four-in-a-row to bring them within four entering the final quarter. 1-11 to 0-10.

But Boherbue had an answer. On 37 minutes, Boherbue found themselves a man down. Centre-back Michael O’Connor was in disbelief at being shown a second yellow card. The sending off was a rope for Glanworth to try and pull themselves back into the frame.

Despite the man advantage, Glanworth couldn't quite close the gap. The quarter-final was treated to only two scores in the ensuing 12 minutes. Then came the decisive and finishing score. David O’Connor, already with seven white flags to his name, raised a green flag on 58 minutes.

A Victory for the Underdog

A decisive score from O’Connor sealed the game. At 2-12 to 0-11, it was game over, even if there was to be eight minutes of injury-time played. The 14 men of Boherbue had defied the odds, and secured their spot in the semi-finals.

Boherbue never came close to falling behind on the scoreboard. While the team faced a numerical disadvantage for a significant part of the match, they never let their spirits falter. Their resilience and determination ultimately paid off.

The victory sets up a semi-final clash with Glanmire. The outcome of the postponed quarter-final between Mitchelstown and Gabriel Rangers will determine the final four pairings.

The win was a testament to Boherbue's commitment to the game. It also underscores the unpredictable nature of sport. Even a one-man disadvantage couldn't stop Boherbue from achieving their goal.