Kilbrittain 3-08 Ballinascarthy 1-13

Sunday March 15th - Carbery Beara Div 1 Football League

For all images from the match see Match Photos here Kilbrittain's hurlers donned their football boots for the first time in a few months as they opened their 2026 Carbery Beara Division 1 Football League venture with a hard fought win against Ballinascarthy. This may be league, but wins are well recieved in these early stages. Theres some strong sides in the group this season, which also includes Barryroe, Castlehaven, Kilmeen, Urhan and Goleen. As they say a good start is half the battle and after an exemplary championship campaign last year, getting to the semi-final against Kilmacabea where they came close to moving into the final, Kilbrittain can stand tall but everyone begins each season in the same place again the following year and so getting a win on the table from the first outing is a good start for the black and amber.

Gavin O'Shea breaks through the Ballinascarthy defence. The red-jerseyed neighbours saw good on the opening 15 minutes, holding possession and making the most of their first three point opportunities before succumbing to their first wide. Then Conor Hogan opened the scoring for Kilbrittain with a neat free despite a difficult crosswind. Ballinascarthy replied with another point and a coveted two pointer in quick succession which left Kilbrittain on the back foot. The visiting Kilbrittain side were eager though and over the next ten minutes they showed courage, chancing points. Most dropped short with the wind or veered just outside the posts. Indeed we could've seen Kilbrittain well up on the scoreboard by the twenty minute mark as they made multiple runs on goal. Seán Sexton battled around midfield throughout the first half winning ball and supplying the half forward line who pushed hard on the Ballinascarthy defence. The full forward line of Conor Hogan, Conor Ustianowski and Luke Griffin were ever ready for the incoming ball however to Ballinascarthy's credit, they held their defence.

Seán Sexton solos through the forward line, evading Ballinscarthy backs.

Then, at the twenty third minute, wily Hogan made the most of Kilbrittain's possession, offloading to Ustianowski who found Griffin in the square. He struck a classy number for Kilbrittain's first goal of the afternoon. Soon after, crafty Aaron Holland backed himself for a point but the wind caught it and it dropped just short. Reliable Sexton was ready minutes later, showing handling skill, to evade Ballinascarthy's halfback line and bring the ball to Griffin again. The forward sent the ball soaring high through the uprights.  Bal were not to be outdone though and moments later they ploughed a line through Kilbrittain's defence to set themselves up for a goal, their only one of the match. It should be said here that Kilbrittain's defence maintained a high work rate and were playing very well managing to keep Ballinascarthy away from goal otherwise. Darragh Considine was strong as fullback, flanked by Éoin O'Neill and Charlie Kenny in the corners. Owen McCarthy made a good save early on and was ever vigilent in goal. Young Gavin O'Shea did well putting in a hard shift against his marks and moving the ball through the pitch. Center back Tomás Sheehan was busy throughout also, finding a lot of ball coming his way. Indeed next, the ball having been worked through the team, it fell to Sheehan to point over minutes before the halftime whistle blew. This shortened the gap between the teams, bringing the scoreline to 1-06 to 1-03 at the break.

HALFTIME: Ballinascarthy 1-06 Kilbrittain 1-03

Of the two teams, Kilbrittain had the better start to the second half. Hogan and Ustianowski paired up within minutes to bring the ball to Griffin for Kilbrittain's fourth point of the day. Bal managed a reply down the other end to keep the status quo but when Kilbrittain were awarded a penalty minutes later and Hogan converted for Kilbrittain's second goal of the match, the teams were level. It was now Kilbrittain 2-04 to Ballinascarty 1-07 and anything was possible.

Tomás Sheehan offloads to Adam Griffin. Cue some good passages of play from Kilbrittain, from the halfback line through to the forward line. Colm Sheehan was instrumental in getting the ball to Hogan for the fifth point and Ustianowski made good on his effort to put Kilbrittain's sixth point on the board minutes later. But Bal were ever hot on Kilbrittain's heels, they replied with their own two points to bring the scores back level, 2-06 to 1-09. Another point from Tomás Sheehan was also matched by a Bal score down the other end and with 35 minutes gone, the game was tense. Then Bal managed another point, edging them ahead. Play took a pause when Kilbrittain were handed a free. Hogan struck it but it veered just wide. Another point followed for the hosts and the two point gap seemed daunting in the crosswind and against those strong red-jerseyed men from west of the Argideen river. However, Kilbrittain dug deep. A silent rally signal seemed to go out around the pitch. The black and amber knuckled down and focused.

All the movement seemed to be in Bal's half for the last ten minutes, with waves of Kilbrittain men pushing at their defence. The Kilbrittain tide was marshalled by Hogan, stretching his runs from the left wing to the ring wing as he roamed around the forward line. Ustianowski and Holland were imposing figures as they pressed into the Bal breach. Sexton, brought into full forward position at the start of the second half, was causing ructions for the defence and if needed, dropped deeper in towards the half forward line. He found himself with the ball with minutes to go in the second half and offloaded it to Griffin who expertly directed it into the back of the net for another classy finish and a welcome third goal for the visitors.

Top scorer on the day, Luke Griffin races forward with the ball in the second half. While Ballinascarthy reorganised, time wasn't on their side. Kilbrittain led 3-07 to 1-12, ahead by a point. Their men raced at the Kilbrittain defence who strove valiantly to keep them away from the goalmouth. Then Ballinascarthy let fly for a point to level with three minutes left on the clock. And so this Kilbrittain outfit did what it did best last season, something we're coming to expect from them, they drove on, despite the time dwindling. Fighting to the last second made all the difference. Kilbrittain were divinely rewarded for their efforts when Hogan made space with the ball in the right corner and delivered it neatly to Colm Sheehan standing just outside the square. He lobbed the ball high and through the uprights, the one point lead restored. The referee called full time at the kick out and a cheer went up around midfield. At this stage not many on the banks were sure of the final score, sans a scoreboard, but the referee confirmed, to delight for the visitors, that Kilbrittain won 3-08 to 1-13. Ballinascarthy play Golleen next, that match set for Saturday March 28th. Kilbrittain are set to play Barryroe next, on Sunday March 29th, at 4.30pm in Kilbrittain and what a match that is set to be.

Scorers: L.Griffin 2-2, C.Hogan 1-02(0-01F), T.Sheehan 0-02, C.Ustianowski 0-01, C.Sheehan 0-01. Team: Owen McCarthy, Charlie Kenny, Darragh Considine, Éoin O'Neill, Gavin O'Shea, Tomás Sheehan, Adam Griffin, Colm Sheehan, Seán Sexton, Mark Hickey(Sub: Gavin Kenny), Aaron Holland, Conor Ustianowski, Luke Griffin, Mark O'Shea(Sub: Eoghán Byrne) and Conor Hogan.