McAnespies Take Junior B Championship

Aidan McAnespies 2-10 Galway 1-7


Aidan McAnespies took the junior B championship in convincing style over Galway on Saturday afternoon. After a close first half McAnespies pulled away in the second with some hard work in the back line and an uncanny ability to find the roving Stephen McGettigan when in attack.

Aidan McAnespies Junior B Captain Eoin McCusker
and Boston North East Board Chairman John Farrell.

The sides opened with a point a piece and it remained that way for the first 10 minutes of the game. Galway did most of the attacking, but had little to show for it. There were some badly missed chances from close range. The tribesmen made a breakthrough thanks to the persistence of Peter Ryan. Ryan won the ball on the edge of the box and eventually got a shot off that came off the inside of the post and into the net for a goal. Galway followed with two points, one each from Jamie Kehoe and Tom Moloney. McAnespies finished the half strongly however. Two quick points from Benny McGettigan and Nigel Regan were followed with a goal. It was a well worked score with the ball ending up in the hands of Shane Traynor who picked his moment and finished low into the corner from 14 yards. Scores level. Gary Clarke and Eoin McCusker finished off the first 30 minutes with a point each and McAnespies ahead by two points.


Galway opened the second period with two points, and the sides were on level terms, but that was as good as it got for the Brightonians. McAnespies gradually took control of the game from that point on. The direction of traffic for next 10 minutes of the game was mostly headed towards the Galway goal. Christopher Traynor fought hard in the McAnespies back line, while Gary Clarke, Peadar Nugent, and Stephen McGettigan were involved in some well worked scores. McAnespies second goal came with 15 minutes to go. Nigel Regan found Stephen McGettigan alone on the edge of the box and McGettigan finished on the turn. Peadar Nugent and Regan followed the score with a point each, and McAnespies lead was six points. Galway had a couple of chances at a goal, on each occasion Eugene McKenna was on the spot to make the save. As the game moved into injury time and the rain began to fall Galway were in bad need of a couple of goals to make a comeback. McAnespies fell back to defend and kept the door closed on any hopes of a Galway comeback. It was a delighted captain Eoin McCusker who accepted the trophy and it is onwards to San Fran!

Macs: E. McKenna, O. Guirke, C. Smith, C. Treanor, P. McCusker, T. Tuite, G. Clarke (0-1), W. Carroll (0-1), E. McCusker (0-1), P. Nugent (0-1), S. Traynor (1-3), N. Regan (0-2), J. Taylor. Sub: S. McGettigan (1-1). Galway: M. Hynes, J. Savage, I. Gleeson, G. Bannon, P. Ryan (1-0), JJ O’Neill, A. Moran, P. Hackett (0-1), R. Burns, J. Kehoe (1-2), S. McNulty, T. Moloney (0-3), S. Bannon. Sub: R. Ward (0-1).


By Rory O'Donnell