By Neil McEnaney
Full Time Score
Connemara Gaels: 2-14
Galway Boston: 2-7
Connemara Gaels booked their place in the senior championship final with a seven point win over Galway Boston. A cagey first half opened up as the game went on. A downpour of rain towards the end of the first half continued for the rest of the game and made for sloppy play from both sides in the second half.
Galway were the first off the mark and raced to a 2 point lead with well taken scores from Paul Carery on the right wing and he followed up from a free just outside the D. Connemara responded in kind with Waddick swinging it over from the left wing from play and Murtagh kicking a nice point while under pressure from the Galway defenders.
Okunbar used his pace to take on his man and was fouled in front of the Galway posts. 11 tipped it over from the resulting free. Okunbar turned provider then as he broke through the middle and set up Oran Cunningham for the simplest of points.
Galway weren’t long leveling it with Conor Lawlor kicking a nice point off his left before Carey added another point from a free. A handling error in the Galway back line led to a turnover for Oran Cunningham. Cunningham ran through on goals playing a one - two with Waddick before palming it into the empty net for the game’s first goal.
Another goal chance for Connemara fell to Murtagh who dragged his shot just wide of the post. Cunnigham finished the scoring from a free in what was a low scoring first half. Gaels went into half time 4 points to the good.
Half Time Score
Connemara Gaels: 1-5
Galway Boston: 0-4
Conor Lawlor brought Galway straight back into it with a mazy solo run before he buried into the net off his left foot. Galway were in for a second goal chance in quick succession as Keenan played a ball into Carey. Carey turned his man but was denied by the post from a tight angle.
Connemara Gaels responded and started to hit their purple patch. Cunningham kicked two in quick succession, while Waddick forced a turnover to set Nolan up for a point. A well taken mark by Ryan McQuillan left 6 between the sides.
Conor Lawlor found space in the Gaels defence to kick a beautiful point from the outside of his right boot. From the resulting kickout, Connemara moved the ball up the field. Waddick found Mulkerrins who slipped a fist pass through to Mikey Kerr. Kerr took it around the keeper to finish low into the Galway net.
Kerr got in one on one with the keeper again but he was well denied by Egan in the Galway nets. Galway weren’t done fighting despite the 8 point defecit. They worked the ball up the field for Keenan to kick a nice score before they got a goal of their own through Eoin Colleran. An excellent cross field pass from the sideline by Keenan found Colleran unmarked who rounded the keeper to finish.
McQuillan set Cunningham up for a goal chance at the other end but blasted it over. McQuillan followed up with a well taken point of his own. The final point came from Ryan Caffrey on the loop as Connemara ran out convincing winners.
Connemara Gaels booked their place in the 2024 Boston Senior Championship Final where they will take on Donegal Boston in a repeat of last years final. Throw in is at 5pm Eastern on Sunday.
Teams and Scorers:
Connemara Gaels: Bryan O’Flaherty, Sean Kennedy, Keelan Beirne, Stefan Okunbar, Sean Brady, Ryan Caffrey (0-1), Adam Waddick (0-1), Jack Lynch, Michael Kerr (1-0), Dylan Murtagh (0-1), Oran Cunningham (1-6), Jack Lundy, Mark Nolan (0-1)
Subs: Ryan McQuillan (0-1)
Galway Boston: James Egan, Ciaran Potter, Paudi Behan, Michael Moylan, Sean Forde, Maidhc MacGearitt, Eoin Morrissey, Declan Doyle, Gary Higgins, Daire Keenan (0-1), Eoin Colleran (1-0), Conor Lawlor (1-2), Paul Carey (0-4)
Man of the Match: Adam Waddick
Referee: Diarmuid Boylan
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