Men's Senior Football: Shannon Blues v Wolfe Tones

Shannon Blues 3-9 Wolfe Tones 0-6

Shannon Blues earned themselves a place straight into the semi-finals of the senior football championship with a first half bombardment that knocked the stuffing out of the Wolfe Tones.  The game was shaping up to be a close run affair, however just as I made a note that the Tones were defending well, the Blues opened up with three goals to effectively kill the game and earn a break next weekend.  The Tones never looked capable of coming back from the shock, while the Blues rode the wave.  The game ran to its inevitable conclusion in the second half as the Blues earn the weekend break before their semi-final, while for the Tones it is a mid week date with Galway to see who will play Connemara Gaels in the quarter final next weekend.

Dara Treacy on the move for the Blues .....

After Wolfe Tones had got off to a steady start the Blues wheeled out the howitzers and bombed their opponents with 3 goals.  With the score standing at three points to two and the Tones doing some good defensive work, the Blues hit with the first goal.  It came from Dara Roche following a good move involving Wayne Guthrie and Dara Treacy.  Darren McDonnell got a hand to the ball, but it was hit with such force that it carried to the far corner of the net.  The second came soon afterwards from Sean O’Connor after a long ball over the top was poked into the back of the net.  It was an unlikely score that followed so soon after the first that the Tones were stunned.

Roche and Barry Dwyer tagged on points to add to the Tones woes, and then to rub salt into the already open wound, a third goal came after Dwyer and Roche combined to provide Eamonn Wallace with an empty net to finish into. It was coming all too easy for the Blues.   It was all to do for the Tones at the break as the Blues led by a score of 3-4 to 0-3, with the Tones having gone scoreless for the last 20 minutes of the half.

...while Dara McVeety tries to get the Tones moving.

The second half saw the Blues extend their lead.  Roche, Horan, and Dwyer pointed to one Donie Nugent effort for the Tones.  The Blues looked confident and in no mood to relax and risk a late comeback as their previous 2 opponents had done.  The Tones made some changes and did generate chances, however were wasteful with their efforts.

The Blues last line of defence did well as the Tones tried to lob the high ball into Tomas O’Connor.  Trevor “Twiggy” Wallace did a diligent job and lifted the siege on several occasions, and even made a foray forward to join in the feast and help himself to a point.  The forwards slowed the game down when in possession.  The Blues into second place overall and will have a weekend off to prepare for the next big game.  The Tones bad luck continued after the game as due to 4 teams level on seven points, a draw had to be made to determine who would play off for the last quarter final place.  The Tones will meet Galway on Wednesday night to decide who advances.

Blues:  D. O’Brien, T. Wallace, C. Jordan, T. Grey, D. McElligott, P. O’Shea, W. Guthrie, D. Treacy, S. O’Connor, G. Horan, E. Wallace, B. Dwyer, D. Roche.  Tones:  D. McDonnell, E. Powderly, D. Hyland, C. McCormack, C. Moynagh, D. Maguire, D. Nugnet, G. Brilly, M. O’Brien, M. Farrell, D. McVeety, C. Hurley, T. O’Connor. 

By Rory O'Donnell