GAA: Austin powers Saint Mary's 
Ballymac 1-9, St Mary’s 1-17 
ST MARY'S captured the Intermediate Club Championship at a sun drenched Beaufort pitch when they overpowered Ballymacelligott in a storming final quarter. 

Overall St Mary s were deserving winners as they contained a forward division that carved the Ballymac defence open at different intervals and each of their starting six made it on to the score-sheet. 
They also had in full-forward Bernard O'Connor, an ex-Kerry minor and Under-21, a player that caused havoc every time he got on the ball and in truth Ballymac could never handle the St Mary will of the wisp. 
He seemed the fulcrum for every one of his side s attacks and he had a hand in the majority of his sides scores. 
Ballymac, on the other hand, were always labouring up front and lacked the killer instinct in front of goal with only Frank O'Rahilly looking dangerous and with the South Kerry sides defence sticking close to their opponents, there was precious little room for Ballymac to fashion scores. 
Ballymac also had a number of their big guns who failed to perform on the big stage and players like Paul Galvin, Gene O'Keeffe and John O'Connor did not do themselves justice. 

However Liam O'Sullivan made some super stops in goals, John O'Callaghan played a captain s part at left full back, Ruairi O'Rahilly was superb at midfield while brothers Frank and DD O Rahilly also tried hard, but on the day St Mary s played with better teamwork and cohesion and one sensed they could always step up a gear when the need arose. 
Maurice Fitzgerald was industrious at midfield along with the strong Pa O'Connell, Fitzgerald finished with a personal haul of even points, with one coming from play but he was involved until the end in setting up scores. 
John Golden, Stephen Curran and Mark O'Shea were strong at the back for the winners, while, as stated, the forwards were potent as a unit with Austin Constable giving O'Connor the best support. Ballymac opened as if they were going to put St Mary s to the sword with Ruairi O'Rahilly shooting inches wide from the throw in. 
Within a minute DD O Rahilly fed brother Frank and when he was fouled Kieran Savage opened the scoring from the resultant free. 
Then in one of the scores of the game, Ballymac moved the ball from the back where John O'Callaghan fed Ruairi O'Rahilly, he found brother Frank in space and eventually the ball found its way to Gene O'Keeffe, and he split the uprights for a superb point. 
St Mary s soon woke up however and after Maurice Fitzgerald had miss-hit a free kick after Bernard O'Connor was fouled, O'Connor himself opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Fitzgerald and Dan O'Sullivan did the approach work. 

Struggling 
Within a minute the sides were level when Niall O'Driscoll was fouled and Fitzgerald found Austin Constable from the free for the equalising point. The South Kerry side now began to get a grip at mid-field where Paul Galvin was struggling and when Mark O'Shea was upended going through in the seventh minute Fitzgerald kicked the South Kerry side into the lead. 
Then Ballymac missed a golden chance of a goal a minute later when Paul Galvin found DD O Rahilly who beat his marker and cut in towards goal but shot into the side netting. Kieran Savage had the sides level on 0-3 apiece with a free in the 12th minute and the next five minutes saw both sides miss good scoring chances. 
Firstly Bernard O’Connor was fouled and Constable missed the free and then on the quarter hour mark Liam O'Sullivan made a wonder save with his feet to deny John Quirke a goal from point blank range. 
At the other end Kieran Savage and Gene O'Keeffe, after David Leen was fouled, drove scorable frees wide and Ballymac were later to pay the penalty. 
St Mary’s then assumed control and driving forward they went 0-6 to 0-3 in front in the space of three minutes with points from Constable, John Quirke and Maurice Fitzgerald with O'Connor being involved in all three. Gene O'Keeffe responded with a free for Ballymac while Frank O'Rahilly narrowed the gap to a point. 
O'Connor was now carving open the Ballymac defence at will and when he was fouled Fitzgerald closed the scoring for St Mary’s with a free. 
Kieran Savage gave the losers hope with a side line ball that went all the way in injury time and while St Mary ’s looked the better side at half time they led by a mere point -0-7 to 0-6 and anything was possible. 

Swap 
However despite moving DD O'Rahilly to midfield in a swap with Paul Galvin, at the start of the second half, St Mary's started the brighter and Mark O'Shea drove forward from wing back to push them two points clear. 
Then came a golden chance for Mary's after ten minutes of the second half. Niall O'Driscoll was pulled down by John O'Connor in the square and the referee awarded a dubious penalty . 
However, to his side’s dismay, Maurice Fitzgerald drove the spot kick over the bar and Ballymac could breathe again. Then Ballymac themselves were given a life line in the with over 15 minutes remaining, when a high ball dropped inside and when the keeper hesitated, Frank O'Rahilly punched to the net and suddenly the sides were level 1-6 to 0-9 with the game up for grabs. In a three-minute spell the game was decided in St Mary’s favour and Bernard O'Connor was the man who tore Ballymac's cup ambitions to shreds. 
Fitzgerald eased St Mary ’s in front with a fine point from play, before O'Connor ran at the Ballymac defence parted to Niall O'Driscoll who drew the cover and he found Austin Constable all alone and he beat Liam O'Sullivan from close range for the decisive goal. 
Within a minute O'Connor broke through for a point when he once again turned John O'Connor who at this stage had enough. St Mary ’s were now 1-1 1 to 1-6 in front and Ballymacs's title bid had been halted and dealt a mortal blow .The final quarter was purely academic as St Mary ’s held firm and further points from O'Driscoll (2), Ray Keane, Dan O'Sullivan and Fitzgerald (2)saw them move ten points clear and it took two late Savage points to make the scoreline more respectable for Ballymac. 
The losers were in the game until the final quarter when their challenge crumbled. St Mary ’s were the better side i n the finish a s they were strong throughout and in Bernard O'Connor they had a player that Ballymac just could not contain though John O'Callaghan kept him scoreless for the final ten minutes. 

St Mary’s: B. Sheehan, G. O'Driscoll, J. Golden,S. Curran, JA O’Sullivan, L. Corcoran, M.O'Shea (0-1), M. Fitzgerald (0-7), P. O'Connell, A.Constable (1-2), J. Quirke (0-1), R.Keane (0-1), D. O'Sullivan (0-1), B.O’Connor (0-2), N.O’Driscoll (0-2) 

Ballymac:L. O'Sullivan, J.Leen, J. O'Connor, J. O'Callaghan, R. Jones, N. O'Sullivan, J. Leen, R. O'Rahilly, P. Galvin, S. Lambe, K. Savage (0-6), D. Leen, DD O'Rahilly,F. O'Rahilly (1-1), G. O'Keeffe (0-2) 
Subs: K Leen for S Lambe. 

Referee: J. Cahill (Rathmore)