Christopher’s 0-17 Shannon Blues 1-15
Referee PJ Rabbitte, Blues captain Niall Walsh
and Christopher's captain Paudie Kenneally.
It was a very exciting Intermediate semi-final between
Christopher’s and the Shannon Blues. With
rarely more than a score between the teams it went all the way to the wire and
while the game had all the hallmarks of requiring extra time, it was decided
within the hour by a Conor Fitzgerald point in the 30th minute.
Christopher’s settled right into the game and in the early
going racked up four points to a pointed free from Maurice Young. The ball was moving well into the
Christopher’s forwards and Alan Kennedy and Killian Kilkelly were on the
mark. The Blues first good move of game
ended in a well taken Tom Murnane point.
The score was soon followed by a goal for the Blues. Following a move down the left side of the
field, the ball was played across goal and Mike Moylan was on hand to side foot
into the net. The Blues then started to
motor.
A flurry of four unanswered points saw the Blues into a four
point lead. Tom Murnane at corner
forward was seeing much more of the ball and making good use of it, and Conall
Ryan chipped in with a point from wing forward.
Blues captain and center forward, Niall Walsh, had to leave the field of
play with a knee injury but a few adjustments kept the Blues momentum
going. Christopher’s tried to work their
way back into the game and converted from Jerry Kenneally and Kennedy, however,
Ryan answered for the Blues. Rian Baily
who had moved into a more advanced position took the score of the game with a
point from an almost impossibly tight angle to make it a 0-8 to 1-8 Blues
advantage at the half.
The second half continued to see the teams trade jabs with
neither side finding a decisive blow.
The Blues pried the gap open a little with a Bailey score, followed by
another from Murnane. Murnane was
involved in the next as he provided the assist to Cian Surliss. With a Kennedy score the sole reward for
Christopher’s after the restart, it was starting to look like the Blues would
take control. Derek O’Brien was doing
tremendous work in the Blues rearguard and carrying the ball into the teeth of
the Christopher’s defence.
Shannon Blues Look Forward to next week's final
It was Christopher’s turn to up the ante though, and close
the gap back to a single score. The
Kilkelly – Kennedy axis started to work again, and points were added by Dave
McSweeney and Conor McGuinness after Christopher’s forced the Blues into a
turnover. Christopher’s got a lift after
a great block from Paudie Kenneally saved a certain Blues score. Pat Moylan did convert a ’45 but then it was
a run of 5 points on the trot that saw Christopher’s into a one point lead
following the second half water break.
Alan Kennedy turned it up a notch and the Westport man showed some great
skill and marksmanship as he was found in dangerous positions time and again. Now it was Christopher’s looking like they
might be the team to take the spoils at the death with only minutes
remaining.
The final sequence of events saw the Blues take the game by
the narrowest of margins, and Christopher’s will look back at a couple of late
chances that could have delivered it. A
miskicked free from the Blues was followed by a mishandled ball from
Christopher’s that resulted in conceding a sideline kick, and then a close
range shot that came high off the post ended up with a free to the Blues that
Murnane converted to level the scores.
The Blues won the critical kick out and Conor Fitzgerald showed a cool
head to point and put the blues one to the good. There were a couple of late chances for
Christopher’s that did not pan out, and at the final whistle it was the Blues
celebrating a final appearance against none other than Kerry next Sunday.
Blues: Nik Albarran,
Tom Armstrong, Teddy Shay, Derek O’Brien, Cian Surliss, Pat Moylan, Jack Young,
Maurice Young, Rian Bailey, Niall Walsh, Conall Ryan, Tom Murnane, Mike
Moylan.
Christopher’s: Bill
Crookston, Pat Kenneally, Martin Coppinger, Andrew Inman, Luke Tunney, Diarmuid
Baker, Conor McGuinness, Jerry Kenneally, Sean Igoe, Killian Kilkelly, Denis
Dempsey, Mark McSweeney, Alan Kennedy.
By Rory O'Donnell
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