Sunday August 15 - Senior Football Q/F: Wolfe Tones v Christopher's

Christopher’s 1-11 Wolfe Tones 1-10


The rain that was forecast for the afternoon began to make an appearance for the Christopher’s versus Wolfe Tones quarter final. Each side was without a key player in their forward lines. Christopher’s were missing Eric Hegarty and for the Tones it was James Doyle. The teams could not be separated until the very end when substitute Dan Kenneally put the winning point over the bar to rousing cheers from the Christopher’s supporters.

The Tones Luke Kavanagh and Christopher's Jerry Kenneally.

Christopher’s got off the mark with an Aidan Walsh point. A goal from Pat Delaney soon followed. Paudie Kenneally’s ’45 came off the upright and Delaney was first to it to bury the ball into the net. The Tones took some time to get into the game. When they finally did Dan McCabe got them off the mark with a well taken point. Sean Kelly followed with a second, and for a period the Tones enjoyed the upper hand. The game settled down into a heavyweight type bout, each team sometimes labored to move the ball with any flow. Points were swapped along the way, the pick of which was a well worked score finished by CJ Power for the Tones. At the break the early Christopher’s goal separated the teams, 1-5 to 0-5.

Christopher's Aidan Walsh and Luke Kavanagh (again).

The second half was highlighted for four sendings off all centered around the same incident. Colm O’Driscoll pointed a beautiful sideline kick and reacted to what must have been some attempts to put his concentration off after the score. Some of the Tones players took offence and a brawl broke out. Two players from each side were sent off, O’Driscoll himself and Pat Delaney on the Christopher’s side, for the Tones it was Gary Brilly and Eoin Murray. The Tones had reduced the deficit to a point before the score and afterwards the sides traded points as it was anybody’s game. The Tones took the lead through a Sean Kelly goal with minutes left on the clock. Kelly had just blazed wide from a similar situation a few minutes earlier, but the second chance was on the money. Christopher’s now had it all to do with minutes left on the clock, Beston and Kevin O’Driscoll pointed. With the sides now level it was anybody’s to win, and it turned out to be Christopher’s who advance to the semi-final next week against McAnespies thanks yto the left boot of Dan Kenneally.

Christopher’s: S. Kelly, N. Ryan, S. McNall, P. Kenneally (0-1), E. O’Neill, R. Holmes, A. Walsh (0-1), P. Delaney (1-0), J. Kenneally, C. O’Driscoll (0-4), K. O’Driscoll (0-1), S. Beston (0-3), F. Usanga. Subs: D. Kenneally (0-1). Tones: B. Murray, K. Regan, E. Naughton, D. Maguire, E. Murray, G. Brilly, C. McCarthy, L. Kavanagh, B. Blanchfield, M. Farrell (0-1), S. Kelly (1-2), D. McCabe (0-3), CJ Power (0-3).


By Rory O'Donnell