Aidan McAnespies 0-13 Shannon Blues 0-18
It was a game in which a win would virtually guarantee a
semi-final place, and it was the Blues who pulled it out in the end after a
brilliant championship encounter. The
game could have gone either way. It was
looking like McAnespies who might be the team to take the points, as with less
than 15 minutes to go and the Blues in a 2 point lead, McAnespies won a
penalty. Robbie Croft’s shot came off
the foot of the post, and with the let off, the momentum was then with the
Blues for the last 10 minutes. The
reigning Boston and North American champions took full advantage to seal the
deal down the stretch.
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| Darren Wallace with a tackle on Eric Finn. |
It was a hotly contested first half with McAnespies building
the early lead. The Macs were on top of
the Blues for the opening 20 minutes, from Eric Finn in the half back line, to
Declan Hughes in midfield and Albert Martin at corner forward. Points from Robbie Croft, who started in goal
and came out to take the free, Martin and Finn inched McAnespies ever further
ahead.
The Blues looked to Glenflesk dynamo, Darragh Roche, in the
corner to produce - and produce he did, with three points on the trot. The Blues pulled themselves back into the
game. PJ Hand played it close to the
edge at corner back, earning a yellow card, but keeping tabs on Albert Martin
while Brian Fanning had his hands full with John Lafferty. Points from Connell Lemon, Roche, and the
stylish St. Mary’s Caherciveen man, Paul O’Donoghue, saw the Blues on level
terms at the break, with eight points a-piece.
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| It was a real scramble for possession at times between the Macs and the Blues. |
The teams could not separate over the first 15 minutes
following the restart. Each McAnespies
go-ahead point was answered by the Blues.
Finn continued to work hard for McAnespies, and made a crucial
interception at one end and assisting with a point at the other; the man from
the Round Towers club in Dublin put in a great hour for McAnespies. The Blues were almost in for a goal, but with
Darren Wallace’s eyes wide with the goal looming, Croft made a great tackle to
deny the Tralee man and the Blues a goal.
It was up and down stuff with each side looking to gain the edge as
players were giving it everything.
The final quarter saw each team bring in players off the
line. Eamonn Fyffe came on for
McAnespies and for the Blues Brian Egan, each brought on to provide some extra
punch in the forward line. The Blues
defence tackled hard, but on one occasion a little too hard as John Lafferty
was pulled down in the box and a penalty awarded. Croft left his goal to take it and after a
slight hesitation in the run up, the shot came off the foot of the post and the
Blues breathed a sigh of relief.
The Blues capitalized on the let-off and added a point to
their lead from O’Donoghue, and with a few minutes left looked good to keep
themselves in the championship. Roche
added another point to make it a 2 score game and there was just not going to
be enough time for McAnespies to come back.
With one game left each, both against Galway, the Blues just need to win
to be assured of a semi-final place.
McAnespies will need to defeat Galway, and hope that the Tones can do
them a favor against the Gaels to force a playoff for the fourth and final
playoff spot.
Macs: Robbie Croft,
Robert Piggott, Caolan Harvey, Eric Finn, Danny McBride, Eoin Delmer, Declan
Hughes, Warner Mullen, Seamus Breslin, Che O’Donnell, Paul Clifford, John
Lafferty, Albert Martin.
Blues: Mike Moriarty,
PJ Hand, Brian Fanning, Derek O’Brien, Michael Cotterell, Dennis McElligottt,
Jerry Troy, Maurice Young, Connell Lemon, Darren Wallace, Paul O’Donoghue,
Darragh Roche, Stephen Cahill.
By Rory O'Donnell
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