Connemara Gaels 3-10 Shannon Blues 2-12
Connemara Gaels juniors advanced to the semi-finals of the
championship with a hard fought victory over a Shannon Blues side that battled
hard throughout. It was to and fro for
the 60 minutes as neither side could gain a decisive edge. The Gaels opened a 5 point lead late in the
game and it proved to be just enough as the Blues got it back to a point in
injury time.
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| Connemara Gaels made it to the junior A semi final next week. |
A goal got the game off to a great start for the Gaels,
Conor McNamara netted with a fine strike.
From then on the Gaels struggled to deal with the Blues tenacity,
especially in the middle of the field.
The Blues held an advantage in this area with Vinny Cadden and John
Walsh making life very difficult for their counterparts. The sides traded points with scores coming
from Kevin Owens, McNamara, and Emmet McConnell on the Gaels side, and Walsh,
Maurice Young, and Shane Kavanagh for the Blues.
A goal for the Blues changed the tone of the contest. Walsh made a run through the Gaels defence
and his shot found the back of the net.
After the Gaels answered in kind from Ciaran Lee to restore the one goal
advantage, the Blues restored parity.
Maurice Young was a very effective asset for the Blues and although he
looked to playing in some discomfort caused no end of problems in the Gaels
defence. Four unanswered points drew the
sides level before Kevin Owens gave the Gaels a slight edge going into the
break with a point.
The decisive score came about mid way through the second
half. Having turned the half time
deficit into a one point lead the Blues looked increasingly likely to earn the
victory. Brian Joyce, however, upped his
game in the middle of the field and a goal came from a Joyce possession that
was helped on with an expertly delivered Pat McNicholas pass to Emmett
McConnell who had the path to goal open in front of him. The center forward finished well. The goal provided the Gaels with a lift. Chris Devlin put back to back points over the
bar, both superb scores, to put the Gaels 5 to the good.
The Blues were not about to concede defeat. With Shane Kavanagh and Tommy Hernon doing
sterling work for the cause, and Cadden having moved to a full forward
position, a penalty was earned after a foul on Cadden in the box. Kavanagh’s low effort skinned the outside of
the post, inches between success and failure.
With the game entering the late stages both teams looked tired. The toils on the large field taking its
toll. The Gaels tried to see out the
win, but the Blues continued their assault on the Gaels goal and made it close
right until the end. A pointed Kavanagh
free was followed by a goal from Francie O’Neill late in injury time. The Blues had one last chance but once
Coleman Conroy intercepted possession that was it. The Gaels survive to make the semi-finals
next week.
Gaels: J.O’Donnell,
S. Murray, E. Maher, P. McNicholas, C. Devlin, C. Conroy, C. McNamara, B.
Joyce, C. Lee, E. McConnell, AJ Maguire, K. Owens, K. Lowe. Blues:
A. Hernon, D. O’Brien, M. Keegan, C. Moriarty, F. O’Neill, V. Cadden, J.
Walsh, B. Fannon, S. Kavanagh, J. Young, T. Hernon, M. Young.
By Rory O'Donnell
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