Sun Aug 6 - Senior Football Q/F: Aidan McAnespies v Connemara Gaels

Connemara Gaels 1-14 Aidan McAnespies 2-13 AET

The Gaels and McAnespies served up a tremendous game that was full of incident and excitement.  It could have gone either way as early in the second period of extra time the teams were still tied.  With victory in their grasp at the end of normal time, McAnespies saw a three point injury time lead slip away and the Gaels force extra time.  In the extra period, with players exhausted and battling severe fatigue and cramp, McAnespies got themselves over the line, the winning point a fantastic long range effort from Brian Breslin.

Sean Conneeley tries to slow down Mick Walsh.

It was an entertaining, hard fought opening 30 minutes.  Each team funneled back in defence and hit on the break.  At times all but Marty Mongan of the McAnespies team was in their own half, and the Gaels Tony Brosnan at times was the lone advanced player for the Gaels.  It was a case of covering the spaces and waiting for the mistake to win possession, then get down the field as fast as possible.

McAnespies opened with 2 points and the Gaels were soon level with a pointed long range free from goalkeeper, Sean Fox, and a point from Coleman Mulkerrins.  It was tit for tat with each side matching the other’s score as the ball changed hands frequently.  The Gaels were guilty of a good handful of misses, while mcAnespies got some good production from Che O’Donnell.  O’Donnell was busy in the McAnespies forward line and on hand to neatly pop over a couple of points.  At the half it was the Macs by a nose, 0-7 to 0-6.

Early in the second half a flare up ensued in which two yellow cards and a black were issued.  The Gaels’ Fergal Meenagh was issued the black card.  It was a hard hitting second half in which no quarter was given as each team felt that victory was within their grasp.  The teams were level on 3 occasions as the Gaels answered each McAnespies go ahead point.  Tony Brosnan started to look more comfortable with the free taking duties and popped over 3 on the trot.

Fergal McGeough finds the outlet pass.

With the scores at a premium coming into the final stretch, and nothing between the teams each score was huge.  After the Gaels forced a turnover from McAnespies Tony Brosnan won a free and put his own kick over the bar.  Danny McBride leveled with a well taken effort from 45 yards and with 3 minutes left it was all square again.   The winning of the game looked to have come from after a Gaels attack was cleared from inside the McAnespies small square, and a move involving Brian Breslin and Che O’Donnell ended with corner back Paul Clifford on his own with the keeper to beat, and the Sallins man placed the ball into the top corner.  The 60 minutes were played and the Gaels needed a goal now, but with a lot of second half stoppages it was far from over.

It seemed as though stopping a goal would be the key to victory for McAnespies, however, incredibly Gaels put three points over the bar to tie the game up deep into injury time, Ryan Caffrey hand-passing the tying score over the bar.  And so, it was 20 more minutes to decide who would advance.

The first period of extra time saw the Gaels strike with a Matt Sullivan goal after the assist from Tony Brosnan.  After Danny McBride pointed, Sean Fox was called up to make a fantastic double save from close range.  A goal would come for McAnespies however, and it was a trademark run from Brian Breslin who netted.  It was Macs by a point at the turnaround.

It was two exhausted teams that took the field for the final 10 minutes of play.  The second period of extra time saw the Gaels draw level from a Brosnan point, but it would be McAnespies who would go on the win it.  The winning score was a fantastic effort from Breslin from 45 yards as McAnespies help possession and the Lifford native took advantage of the opening when it came.  Danny McBride added a late free for insurance, and it is Aidan McAnespies going on to meet Donegal in next week’s semi-final.

Gaels:  Sean Fox, Sean Andy Kelly, David Black, Kieran Killeen, Sean Conneeley, Niall McGinn, Matt Sullivan, Fergal Meenagh, Cillian Fahy, Coleman Mulkerrins, Dan O’Donoghue, Tony Brosnan, Ryan Caffrey.  Subs: James Flaherty, Joe O’Shea.

Macs: Paddy Coakley, Tommy Brereton, Paul Clifford, Seamus Breslin, Rhys Quinn, Fergal McGeough, Brian Breslin, Dan McBride, Michael Walsh, Marty Mongan, Niall Rooney, Che O’Donnell, Robbie Croft.  Subs:  Jimmy Rigney, James McCusker.

By Rory O'Donnell

Sun Aug 6 - Senior Football QF: Shannon Blues v Wolfe Tones

Shannon Blues 1-20 Wolfe Tones 0-12

Shannon Blues advanced to the semi-finals with a handsome quarter-final win over the Wolfe Tones on Sunday afternoon.  A goal from Josh Ryan early in the second half put the game out of reach for the Tones.  The Blues moved the ball well out of defence, and their speed and strength, along with some good finishing, saw them into the next stage of the championship.

It was a low scoring opening 15 minutes, midway through the half the teams were tied at a point each.  Each side had a decent handful of chances that went amiss.  A free each from Sean Hurley and his namesake Kieran at the other end was all the teams had to show for their early endeavors.  The Blues carried the ball at speed from deep, the pacy Brian O’Seanachain and Fionn O’Herlihey had the Tones defence on their heels at times, but scores were at a premium.

Danny Grimes upended by Josh Ryan. 

As the half wore on the spaces opened up and scores started to come easier.  The Blues mixed it up with hitting Hurley low, or Josh Ryan high, in the full forward line and the tactics paid dividends.   Three unanswered points from Hurley and Denis McElligott opened a gap between the teams that endured to the half time whistle.  The Tones cause was not helped after they were hit a couple of body blows.  Star forward Shane McGuinness was withdrawn due an eye injury, and midfielder Jarlath Boyce was black carded.  The teams traded points down in the run in to half time with Blues going into the break up by three, 0-8 to 0-5.

The second half saw the Blues pull away.  With Brian Fanning covering excellently in the half back line, the Blues went into a higher gear and opened the gap to seven with points from Hurley, O’Seanachain, and Darren Wallace.  The Blues had threatened the goal a couple of times, however one ball was scooped off the line and another shot hit the crossbar.  Although the Tones survived these scares, the signs were ominous.  Soon afterwards Ryan found himself clean through as the Blues cut through the defences, and the big man slid the ball under the keeper.

Gerry Troy and Tones pushed in the second half, but the Blues

were not to be moved.

Facing a 10 point deficit now the Tones worked hard to respond.  The men in blue and navy saw more possession and converted it into scores.  Gerry Troy featured well in the forward line, and the half backs worked hard to win turnovers.  Points came from Hurley, Troy, and Cormac Joyce-Power who had moved to the edge of the square.  One felt, however, that with the way the Blues were playing a comeback would be improbable.   The Blues continued to move the ball at speed with their fast paced running game, and created the chances to keep themselves out of touching distance to see themselves safely over the line.  The Blues now face a date with Galway in next week’s semi-final..

Blues:  Darragh O’Shea, Fionn O’Herlihey, Trevor Wallace, Denis McElligott, Barry Hartnett, Brian Fanning, Brian O’Seanachain, Wayne Guthrie, Lee O’Donoghue, Darren Wallace, Greg Horan, Josh Ryan, Kieran Hurley.  Subs: Cormac Coffey.

Tones:  Darren McDonnell, Daniel Grimes, James Reilly, Fergal O’Brien, Jack Smith, Steven Guing, Jarlath Boyce, Sean Hurley, Mike O’Brien, Cormac Joyce-Power, Gerry Troy, Shane McGuinness, Cormac McWalter.  Subs:  Darren Maguire, Paraic Fogerty, Andrew Mooney. Garvan Jones, Keith Gill, Pa Collins.

By Rory O'Donnell

Senior Football Quarter Finals, Senior Hurling Game 5

Shannon Blues v Wolfe Tones – 2:00 Sunday Aug 6

Hard to believe that we are already at the knockout stages of the senior football championship.  Sunday at 2:00 sees Shannon Blues and Wolfe Tones meet in the first of 2 quarter finals.  The teams met in their final regular season game last week, a game that the Blues won handily.  It is not a game to use as a reliable yardstick as the Tones were missing a decent handful of starters, some to injury and others who were unavailable on the day.  Sunday will be a different game with a semi-final place at stake.  The Blues, as has been the case all season, have shown flashes of what they are capable of, powerful no-nonsense football.  There is hardly a weak link on the team, and if they can pull it together for the 60 minutes the Tones will have their hands full.  With the exception of last week, the Tones have shown steady improvement over the season and with a big, strong lineup can handle the physical aspect of any game.  The Blues will be the favoured team to take the step to the semis, however, the Tones will not make it easy for them.

Connemara Gaels v Aidan McAnespies – 4:30 Sunday Aug 6

Connemara Gaels will be hoping to find some form Sunday.

Two teams with similar strengths and similar challenges.  Neither side has proven to be consistent.  Both teams have plenty of talent, but are looking for ways to improve things at the scoring end of the field.  In their last outing McAnespies seem to have found a formula, counter attacking from deep and finding the scores from half back and midfield.  The Gaels simply are still looking to solve that riddle and if it is not done by Sunday it will be too late.  McAnespies are strong in defence and can use that to win the ball and with the players to carry it forward can hit the Gaels on the break.  The Gaels have found a scoring option in midfielder Dan O’Driscoll, however if they are to pull off the win will need to get something out of their forward line.  Expect to see some last minute adjustments for the Gaels who should see plenty of the ball, but will need to use it or pay the price of getting picked apart from a marauding McAnespies.  Macs slight favourites, unless the Gaels can find some form that has largely eluded them thus far.

Galway v Fr. Tom’s – 3:15 Sunday Aug 6

Here we are with the first “elimination” game of the season between Tom’s and Galway.  In spite of the fact that the senior hurling completion has been reduced to 2 participants from the usual 4, the games have been closely contested and none of the first 3 has been decided until the last few minutes, or into injury time.  Tom’s hold the cards with a 2-1 lead in games and a win Sunday will see them lift the senior hurling championship for 2017.  Tom’s have a good defence and can turn it on in the middle of the field, but Galway have a card or two up their sleeve to play yet.  Although the tribesmen lost the last game, there were hints at what they can bring to the field for the next game.  A Galway win, or a tie, will see the series remain alive for another round at least.  With the way that it has gone, who is to say that this will not be the case after the final whistle.

Junior B Football Semi-Finals

Connemara Gaels v Cork – Saturday Aug 5 – 5:00

Donegal v Galway – Sunday Aug 6 – 2:00

The junior B football championship is at the semi-final stage and by Sunday afternoon the last two standing will be known.  Galway and Cork finished number one and two in the standings, and with Kerry leaving the door open for Donegal and the Gaels, both teams have a semi-final spot.    Galway have run the table, while Cork have had a strong showing in the B division.  The Galway juniors will hope to make it to a final, and set the stage for their senior team who will play a semi-final next week, while Cork will be hoping to do the same for their junior A team.  

By Rory O'Donnell

Boston GAA Schedule

Irish Cultural Center – Canton Ma.

Saturday August 5

Field A

3:00 Junior A Hurling:  Galway v Fr. Tom Burke’s

4:15 Junior A Football:  Aidan McAnespies v Donegal

5:30 Junior A Hurling:  Tipperary v Offaly

Field B

5:00 Junior B Football Semi-Final:  Connemara Gaels v Cork

Sunday August 6

Field A

12:15 Junior A Football:  Shannon Blues v Cork

2:00 Senior Football Quarter-Final:  Shannon Blues v Wolfe Tones

3:15 Senior Hurling:  Galway v Fr. Tom Burke’s

4:30 Senior Football Quarter-Final:  Connemara Gaels v Aidan McAnespies

Field B

12:00 Ladies Junior Football:  Boston Shamrocks v Connacht Ladies

2:00 Junior B Football Semi-Final:  Donegal v Galway

Worcester

3:00 Junior C Hurling:  Worcester v Portland

Providence

12:00 Junior C Hurling:  Providence v Hartford

Buffalo CYC a Roaring Success

St. Brendan's and Trinity Milton met in the U8 Final.

Hundreds of underage players and families from the New England region made the 460 mile journey westwards to Buffalo, NY to compete in the 2017 CYC tournament.  It is the largest Gaelic sports youth tournament outside of Ireland, and took place from July 27 – 30 at the beautiful West Seneca Soccer Complex about 10 miles from downtown Buffalo.  The fields were converted to facilitate Gaelic sports for the weekend, and with hundreds of games to play, featuring thousands of players from Canada to California, all 14 playing fields were needed.  The event ran smoothly with the immaculate surfaces providing a lush carpet for the players, plenty of trees to provide shade from the sun, and water towers to keep players and coaches alike well hydrated throughout the day.  150 local volunteers ensured that the place was kept spotless and those who needed food (or drink) were not left waiting.  Buses ran on time to ferry parents and participants to and from hotels.  It was a massive credit to the local Buffalo GAA club to prepare for and run an event of this scale with hardly a hiccup.

Ryan Nugent in action for St. Brendan's U8 Footballers.



Kieran O'Driscoll in action for the U16 ISYL Hurlers.

The Boston-Northeast region was well represented at the event and teams from the Irish Sports Youth League, St. Brendan’s, and Trinity Milton featured well.  Between them the local clubs entered 20 teams from U8 to U18, and several players also featured on North American U16 and Minor County teams.  Competition was stiff with some very strong teams from New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco to face.  Ten teams reached finals and there were 4 Cup winners and 6 runners up.  Both the U8A and U10A hurling finals were all Boston affairs.  St. Brendan’s U8’s defeated Trinity Milton in the U8 final, while it was the ISYL U10s who came out victorious against St. Brendan’s.  Winners also included the ISYL U14 Girls footballers and St. Brendan’s U8 footballers who each won their finals.  Runner up plaques also went to U18B Footballers, U18 Camogie, U12A Hurling, U16A Hurling and U18A Hurling.



ISYL, St. Brendan's, and Trinity in one Picture!

North American County teams features several players from the ISYL.  Winners were the U16 Boys football, U16 Girls football, and U18 hurlers, while the U16 hurlers shared the spoils with New York after the final finished in a draw.  Aidan Joyce won the Player of the Game award for his performance in goal for the North American team.  Players who featured on the county teams were, U16 Football:  John O'Doherty, Colm O'Malley, Gerard Davoren, Michael Kerr, Peter Bannon, Dylan Coyne, Kieran O'Driscoll, Stephen Joyce. Matt Duane, Gerard Gannon, Eoin Gormley.  U16 Hurling:  John O'Doherty, Colm O'Malley, Gerard Davoren, Michael Kerr, Peter Bannon, Dylan Coyne, Kieran O'Driscoll, Stephen Joyce. Matt Duane.  U16 Girls:  Aine Doyle, Aoife Delaney, Ciara Heffernan.  U18 Girls:  Emma Lynch, Roisin Bannon.  U18 Hurling:  Aidan Joyce, Tomas Griffin & Michael Moylan.  U18 Football:  Denis Harrington, Tomas Griffin, Aidan Joyce, Michael Moylan, Sean Winston.

Next year is the turn of the Boston division to host the tournament.  Buffalo leaves us with a hard act to follow, but with some experienced hands at the wheel it is one that is sure to be met.

By Rory O'Donnell

Sun July 30 - Senior Football: Wolfe Tones v Shannon Blues

Shannon Blues 6-20 Wolfe Tones 1-17

Given the results of the earlier games, a Shannon Blues win in the final match of the day could see them securing the second seed and joining Donegal with a semi-finals spot, patiently awaiting the winners of next week’s quarterfinals.

There was very little separating the sides in the opening fifteen minutes. The Blues got scores from the ever reliable Kieran Hurley and Darren Wallace while the Wolfe Tones midfield pairing of Jarlath Boyce and Sean Hurley fielded both the Blues and Tones kick outs well. A Cormac McWalter goal put the Wolfe Tones slightly ahead before Josh Ryan responded by hitting the back of the Tones net to level the score.

Both sides enjoyed some great scores from their forwards, with Paraic Fogarty and Shane McGuinness showing especially well inside for the Wolfe Tones. The Tones appeared to have the momentum heading towards the break until Lee O’Donoghue hit Darren Wallace with a great pass inside and Wallace only had Tones goalkeeper Darren McDonnell to beat. The Blues kept working hard, adding a couple more points to their tally before Wayne Guthrie finished a good move with another shot on goal. Guthrie recovered his first effort, which bounced off the left post, to slot another goal past Darren McDonnell and leave the Blues ahead by seven points at the break.

The Wolfe Tones opened the scoring in the second half before Denis McElligott and Kieran Hurley hit back for the Shannon Blues. Cormac Joyce-Power added two points for the Wolfe Tones, with Mike O’Brien and Jarlath Boyce working to keep their side in the game. Barry Harnett did well in the Blues back line cutting off several Tones chances.

Wolfe Tones substitute Keith Gill picked up a black card and for the second time in the day, a goalkeeper was moved outfield – goalkeeper Darren McDonnell moved out to corner back and Shane Hayes came into nets. The Wolfe Tones looked to be tiring as the Blues continued to run at them with pace.

Greg Horan and Blues substitute Cormac Coffey got on a lot of ball around the middle of the field and were able to find Kieran Hurley and Darren Wallace who contributed another goal each for the Blues. The Tones created a few chances for themselves upfront but were unable to get through the swarm of Blues defenders. Greg Horan got on the ball again and this time took it on himself, adding a sixth goal for the Blues.

The Blues proved that they deserved a shot the second semi-finals spot, continuing to work hard to track back and break down any Wolfe Tones attacks despite their advantage on the scoreboard. The Blues had plenty to spare in the end, however finished level on points with Galway for second place.  The toss went the way of the Westerners and it will be Galway with a bye into the semis, while the Blues and Tones will do it all over again in the quarter final next week.

Wolfe Tones: Darren McDonnell, Jack Smith, James Reilly, Patrick Collins, Steven Cruing, Darren Maguire, Jarlath Boyce, Sean Hurley, Mike O’Brien, Cormac Joyce-Power, Cormac McWalter, Paraic Fogarty, Shane McGuinness

Shannon Blues: Darragh O’Shea, Trevor Wallace, Fionn O’Herlihy, Brian Fanning, Barry Harnett, Denis McElligott, Wayne Guthrie, Brian Shanahan, Lee O’Donoghue, Darren Wallace, Greg Horan, Kieran Hurley, Josh Ryan

By Aisling Kerr

Sun Jul 30 - Junior A Hurling: Wexford v Tipperary

Tipperary 1-24 Wexford 0-11

Tipperary and Wexford both entered Sunday afternoon’s game with secured semi-finals berths. Tipperary have proven to be quite strong all summer and cemented their position at the top of the Junior A Hurling table with another impressive performance.

The first ten minutes was an open-affair, with some fine scores and hard tackles from both sides. Russell Quirke and Sean Stafford showed well inside for Tipperary, benefitting from the hard work of Kieran Lowrey in the middle of the field. Wexford goalkeeper Colm Kearns was put to the test on several occasions and pulled out a few great saves to keep a clean sheet for the first half.

Tipperary’s half back line of Paul Morris, Cronan Dempsey, and Patrick Moriarty were quick to break apart any Wexford attacks through the middle. John Joe O’Neill and Jason Foley worked hard in midfield for Wexford as the sides went into the break with Tipperary nine points ahead.

The Wexford backline tightened up in the second half with Eddie Murphy and John Taggart turning over several Tipperary charges into the Wexford half. A scuffle in front of the Wexford goal resulted in Tipperary corner forward Russell Quirke and Wexford goalkeeper Colm Kearns both being shown yellow cards.

Halfway through the second half corner forward Russell Quirke hit the back of the Wexford net and Sean Stafford went on to add another point to the scoreboard for Tipperary. Tipperary continued to prove too strong as the Brighton-based Wexford forwards struggled to create scoring chances from their possessions.

Tensions were high towards the end of the game and Patrick Moriarty picked up a red card for a high tackle. A few more Tipperary scores came before the final whistle and after sixty minutes, it was another convincing win for Tipperary in this year’s Junior A Hurling Championship. 

Tipperary: Sean Delaney, Cathal Madden, Sean McGarr, Paul Morris, Cronan Dempsey, Patrick Moriarty, Simon Kennedy, Kieran Lowrey, Joe O’Sullivan, Timmy Maher, Dylan Nyland, Russell Quirke, Sean Stafford

Wexford: Colm Kearns, Tom Davey, Peter Herlihy, John Taggart, Eddie Murphy, Greg Lundy, Jason Foley, John Joe O’Neill, Peter Ryan, Eoghan Kavanagh, Tom Delaney, Craig Burke, Jamie Kehoe

By Aisling Kerr

Sun July 30 - Senior Football: Connemara Gaels v Christopher's

The Connemara Gaels and St. Christopher’s served up the first of three Men’s Senior Football games in Canton on Sunday. Although the Christopher’s were unable to qualify for the quarterfinals regardless of the result of this last league game, they showed much of the form that had them within margins of several big wins over the summer.

Dan Kenneally and Sean Andy Kelly tangle.  (Pic Brian Rooney)

The Gaels lined out with some changes from their last few outings. Tyrone net minder Sean Fox manned the Gaels goal, while Kerry Under-21s Tony Brosnan and Mathew O’Sullivan started in the full forward line. The first half proved to be a gritty affair, with neither side wanting to relinquish any chances on attack. Ryan Caffrey and Fergal Meenagh worked hard in the middle of the field for the Gaels, with the pace of Colman Mulkerrin on the break causing problems for the Christopher’s half back line.

O’Sullivan and Brosnan contributed with a few well-taken scores from either side before Gaels wing back Cillian Fahy got on the end of a pass from Brosnan and slotted the ball past Christopher’s goalkeeper Ryan Kennedy. The Christopher’s worked hard to keep themselves in the game before the half with Conor Horgan, Coleman Kennedy, and Greg Henry each contributing to the scoreboard. The halftime whistle found the teams with seven points between them, 1-7 for the Gaels and 3 points for the Christopher’s.

The Christopher’s wing backs, and cousins, Jack Lynch and Paudy Kenneally opened the second half with several well-worked attacks that could have resulted in a few Christopher’s scores only for the diligent defending of Niall McGinn and David Black in the Gaels back line. Danny Kenneally was the target man inside for the Christopher’s, with Sean Andy Kelly doing well to read and intercept much of the high ball coming in.

Ten minutes in and Tony Brosnan was the lone scorer of the half. It was back-and-forth football with both teams exhibiting some excellent defending while struggling with missed chances on the attack. Sam Ryan gained possession around the Gaels ’45 before being taken down just outside the 14 yard-line. The Gaels manned the line, but the Christopher’s managed to find a gap in the defense and converted the free for a goal. The Gaels immediately responded by working the ball back up the field where Don O’Driscoll found Tony Brosnan across the square for a palm into the back of the Christophers net. Galway Under-21 star Sean Andy Kelly received a black card for a rough tackle on Danny Kenneally and the Christopher’s sought to take advantage of the Leitir Mór man’s removal from the Gaels back line. Sean Conneely dropped back for the Gaels in the final minutes as the Christopher’s peppered their inside forwards in hopes of converting a few final chances.

The Gaels finish their regular season with three wins, and await the quarterfinals draw. It was another hard-fought shortcoming for the Christopher’s who, nonetheless, can take pride in their performances all summer.

Connemara Gaels: Sean Fox, Niall McGinn, Sean Andy Kelly, Don Donoghue, David Black, Cillian Fahy, Ryan Caffrey, Fergal Meenagh, Sean Conneely, Colman Mulkerrin, Ciaran Killeen, Mathew O’Sulivan, Tony Brosnan

St. Christopher’s: Ryan Kennedy, Martin Coppinger, Sean Coppinger, Paudy Kenneally, Sam Ryan, Jack Lynch, Sean O’Leary, Dan Grehan, Conor Horgan, Coleman Kennedy, Greg Henry, Danny Kenneally, Eddie Goggin

By Aisling Kerr

Sun Jul 30 - Junior A Football: Cork v Wolfe Tones

Cork 3-22 Wolfe Tones 2-8

Cork came in to their second last league game of the season aiming to cement their place at the top of the Junior A table. They laid their intentions out from the very start, with two quick points on the trot. The Wolfe Tones settled in a bit, with their midfielders and wing forwards connecting well to build some attacks through the middle. The Cork halfback line of Seamus Loftus, Colm Casey, and Sean Flynn worked well together, cutting off and breaking down any threats coming through the middle.

Cork's Leigh Cunningham Shoots (Pic Brian Rooney)

Jack Lynch and Ian Crowley were instrumental in the middle of the field for Cork, with both doing well to keep their forward line busy. For the Wolfe Tones it was midfielders Gavin Walsh and Keith Gill and centre forward Cormac Joyce-Power working hard to keep their side in the game.

Cork centre forward Cathal Arnold proved very dangerous, as the Wolfe Tones defense struggled to find an answer for his running through the middle. A few more well taken scores from the Cork forwards and a few missed chances from the Wolfe Tones saw Cork ahead 1-14 to 4 points at the half time whistle.

The Wolfe Tones came out with a bit more bite in the second half, with their defenders covering well and putting pressure on the Cork attackers. A well-taken Mark Dalton goal for Cork five minutes into the second half looked like it could have been the nail in the coffin for the Wolfe Tones, but the South Boston based side did well to regroup.

Cormac Joyce-Power dropped in around the full forward line and gave the Wolfe Tones a target inside. A high ball in was well won by Joyce-Power, who then found Conor Marsden just outside the square and a goal for the Wolfe Tones resulted. Marsden went on to add a second well-taken goal five minutes later.

A few more scores from Cathal Arnold ensued before Darren O’Donovan received a second yellow and saw Cork finish the game with twelve men on the field. A convincing win for Cork, who will face the Shannon Blues next week before the final seeds in the Junior A competition are decided.

Cork: Ollie Murphy, Darren O’Donovan, Mike Carolan, Seamus Loftus, Colm Casey, Sean Flynn, Jack Lynch, Ian Crowley, Simon Kennedy, Cathal Arnold, Leigh Cunningham, Mark Dalton, Sean Lordan

Wolfe Tones: Jack O’Dolan, Cliff Malone, Aaron Moore, Niall Mullen, Cathal Moriarty, Robert Reilly, Keith Gill, Gavin Walsh, Joey Farrell, Cormac Joyce-Power, John McManus, Conor Marsden, Aaron Molloy

By Aisling Kerr