Castlehaven 0-13 Dingle 0-13 (Castlehaven win 4-3 on penalties)
Castlehaven over-came the elements and the Kerry champions to win the Munster senior football title for the fourth time.
The wind was absolutely incredible in the Gaelic Grounds, as James McCarthy’s side emerged from a storm with the O’Connor Cup in their possession.
One Mikey Geaney shot at goal took such a gust of it in the second half that it landed behind the spot he kicked it from. On another occasion, Castlehaven corner back Johnny O’Regan found himself eight rows deep in the stand in his efforts to retrieve a ball that had blown away.
In the finish, the brilliant Cathal Maguire used it to his advantage as a strong blast of it drew his last-gasp leveller in and over the bar in extra-time, to send the game to a penalty shoot-out.
And with the flags only hanging on to the side of the net, the wind almost blowing them down into Limerick town, it played its part in the shoot-out too.
The wind was at the backs of the penalty-takers and Cork senior hurler Damien Cahalane used it to his advantage by leathering his first penalty into the roof of the net with such power that it’s a surprise the net didn’t burst.
Cahalane, a former National Cup winning goalkeeper alongside John Egan for Greenwood FC, put on the goalkeeper jersey for the shoot-out and he stopped a few bullets, with Dylan Geaney and Tom O’Sullivan both denied.
Damien Cahalane uses the wind to his advantage in the shoot-out 😂 💣 @SportTG4 🎥 pic.twitter.com/GisFXHizx5
— Niall McIntyre (@NiallMcintyre) December 10, 2023
Cahalane, who smiled and laughed all the way through the shoot-out, then stepped up for the second round of penalties in sudden death, again testing the strength of the nets on the Ennis Road with a piledriver.
Mikey Geaney missed and with that, Castlehaven were crowned champions. Cahalane was in over-drive at this stage, so excited that he pulled up in the celebrations, appearing to have pulled his hamstring.
When he gets his hand on the O’Connor Cup this evening it will surely ease the pain. That’s when he finally gets free from the pile-on of Castlehaven players he was at the bottom of!
#GAABEO Ciceanna Éirice
Daingean Uí Chúis 0-13 (3)
Gleann Bearcháin 0-13 (4)An bua faighte ag Gleann Bearcháin tar éis ciceanna éirice i Luimneach! 🏆
Castlehaven are Munster Football Champions after an intense penalty shootout!BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV 📺#GAA #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/sVCQcblBxg
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) December 10, 2023
Former Kerry footballer Darran O’Sullivan felt that the game shouldn’t have been played in the conditions.
“Fair play to Castlehaven who won’t care now but playing in them conditions firstly and then deciding a Munster club final on penalties just doesn’t sit well with me,” he tweeted.
Fair play to Castlehaven who won’t care now but playing in them conditions firstly and then deciding a Munster club final on penalties just doesn’t sit well with me.
— Darran O'Sullivan (@Darransull86) December 10, 2023
Read more:
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- Understated Padraig Walsh breaks tradition in retiring without making a statement
- “I’d say Brian has had a match every single weekend since he was 12.”
- From Ireland’s Fittest Family to the Leinster club championship for Murphy
