Christopher's 1-12 Connemara
Gaels 3-10
The Connemara Gaels caused somewhat of a surprise dumping
Christopher's out of the senior football championship with a four point
win. The Gaels rode 2 first half Michael
Lundy goals, and a third early in the second from Ryan Hyde, all the way to the
final whistle. Christopher's looked like
they could force extra time and pushed hard in the final 15 minutes for a vital
score, but the Gaels did enough to hang on until the final whistle.
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| Ryan Hyde on the attack for the Gaels. |
The Gaels enjoyed the better of things for most of the first
half, in large part thanks to 2 goals from Michael Lundy. On each occasion Lundy used his speed to make
his opening and finished both times.
Christopher's effort sputtered apart from 3 points early in the
half. The Gaels matched with a flurry of
points coming from Lundy, Kevin McGrath, and Noel Graham. Lundy's second goal put the Gaels into a 6
point lead with 10 minutes to go until the break. Christopher's came back into it with an
excellent David Culhane point, another from Padhraic Lucey. Just before half time a harmless looking ball
into the Gaels square from Dan Kenneally drew the keeper and corner back, and
Chris Brady nipped in between the two to fist into the net. The goal set up a finely balanced second
half, at the break it was 1-5 to 2-4 in the Gaels favour.
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| Hyde and Mark Delaney rise for the ball. |
The Gaels made up for the goal conceded at the end of the
first half with a three pointer right after the restart from Ryan Hyde. Noel Graham followed with a point and the six
point lead was quickly restored. The
Gaels efforts began to flag in the latter stages of the game as fatigue set in
and Christopher's set about narrowing the gap.
Michael Quinlivan, who had a quiet game by his standards, Mark Delaney,
and Brady pointed as the Gaels conceded ground and gave away frees within
scoring range as the game approached the last 15 minutes. Four scores on the trot from Christopher's reduced
the deficit to a single goal.
Christopher's then lost Robert Bresnehan who needlessly got himself sent
off after a foul on Lundy. The Gaels
continued to live dangerously though as Christopher's still pressed forward
with nothing to lose. After Noel Graham
pointed a free, Eoin Connelly was forced into making a brave stop from Gary
O'Leary late in the game. Quinlivan
pointed the ensuing 50 with room to spare.
It was Coleman Mulkerrins who put the insurance point over the bar to
keep more than the goal in it and the Gaels are in their second Boston senior football
final in 3 years.
Christopher's: P.
Kenneally, C Murphy, D. Culhane (0-1), M. Delaney (0-1), D. O'Sullivan, E.
O'Neill, D. Kenneally, P. Lucey (0-1), K. McAllister, G. O'Leary, P. Quirke
(0-2), C. Brady (1-5), M. Quinlivan (0-2). Gaels:
E. Connolly, L. Cullen, C. Cullen, P. McNicholas, R. Kiely, D. Doolan,
R. Hyde (1-0), D. Comer, S. Connelly, N. Graham (0-5), M. Lundy (2-2), C.
Mulkerrins (0-1), K. McGrath (0-2).
By Rory O'Donnell
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