Wolfe Tones 0-12 Donegal 1-7
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| Wolfe Tones added the Pat O'Brien Cup to their 2012 Silverware haul. |
There were two prizes on offer in this senior football
match, the last of the day. The game
served as the Pat O’Brien Cup final as well as having two championship points
up for grabs; there was a lot on the line.
Wolfe Tones ended up claiming both prizes in an ill tempered, bruising
encounter. There was plenty of committed,
excellent football, but affairs threatened to get totally out of hand on several
occasions as tempers flared both on and off the field. Michael Newman had an excellent performance
for the Tones on the half forward line, and the back five performed well to
keep Donegal’s forward line in check most of the game.
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| It was a Keenly Contested Game between the Tones and Donegal. |
The first 30 minutes were finely balanced, so much so that
at the end of it all the sides were level.
Donegal have Derek Maguire to thank for a goal where he may have been a
little fortunate not to have been called for steps, and the shot looked weak
but slipped inside the near post. That
said, later in the half Kieran Williams was unlucky to hit the bottom of the
far post with his shot, so you could say it all evens out over time. The Tones had a slight edge in play. Michael Newman was in excellent form for the
navy and blue and accounted for four first half points. The middle of the field did well with
Dubliner Karl Dias and Kilcock’s own Gary Brilly generating enough possession
for the forward line. Donegal came good
in the latter stages of the half, and White, Maguire and Fergal Clancy finished
the half with three points to make it a 0-7 to 1-4 game at the half.
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| Pauric McGuirk comes away with the ball as Shane O'Hanlon gives chase. |
Things threatened to get ugly in the second period as there
were some off the ball activities going on.
Joe Moriarty issued a number of yellow cards in an effort to gain
control of affairs. The Tones went into
a three point lead through Barry Grogan and Newman, Fergal Conway won the ball
in his own half back line and found Newman with a lovely ball into the Kilmainham, Co. Meath man who
converted. In such a tight game three
points looked like and immense gap to bridge for Donegal. Things began to take a turn for the worse as
the temperature of the game rose to boiling point, and an episode under the
stand led to tempers flaring on the sideline.
Thankfully, the football regained priority, and each side introduced the
subs to try and sway the outcome.
Donegal pulled within a point following two Fergal Clancy frees. Donegal pressured the Tones defence, but the
back line performed admirable under pressure and lifted the siege on several
occasions. Pauric McGuirk, Kieran Lynch
and Fergal Conway did well along the half back line to keep Donegal at bay for
the remainder of the game. It was a
hugely important win for the Tones, and while Donegal have lost their unbeaten
streak the men from the Northwest are still playoff bound.
Referee: Joe Moriarty
(Co. Kerry)
Man of the Match:
Michael Newman (Tones)
Tones: R. McKeown, P.
Mcguirk, D. Dalton, B. Kinnahan, K. Lynch, F. Conway, G. Brilly, K. Dias, C.
Carr, M. Farrell, M. Newman, B. Brogan, J. Doyle. Donegal:
P. Boyle, M. Canning, J. Gallagher, K. Mulhern, G. Reynolds, K. Colgen,
B. White, B. Donnelly, D. Maguire, S. O’Hanlon, F. Clancy, K. Williams, G.
Friel.
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