Sun June 18 - Men's Senior Football - Donegal v Aidan McAnespies

Donegal Boston’s men’s senior team took on Aidan McAnespie’s last Sunday June 18^th.

McAnespie’s wasted no time in securing the first goal of the game, and making their presence felt. Donegal’s forwards started the game with several vigorous attempts at goals. Two attempts were deterred by McAnespie’s goalie, Mark Kelliher (1) and the second made its way over the bar by Donegal’s number 13, David Garland.

An injury for Donegal’s number 12, Ciaran McDevitt saw him limp off the field. Scoring remained minimal for the next several minutes. Many attempts were put wide on both sides of the field. Donegal’s number 11, Shane Carthy was successful, with a powerful kick from the 45 line. Another for Garland (13) followed shortly after. McAnespie’s had a chance for redemption with a goal attempt by Patrick Darcy (11) but Donegal’s keeper made an excellent save, protecting their advantage. Two more scores from Garland (13) put Donegal ahead of their competitors.

Another injury for a Donegal player paused play for several minutes. This time it was number 7, Thomas Galligan, who continued playing. McAnespie’s Darragh Lyne (8) dodged several Donegal defenders to finally bring scoring back for McAnespie’s. From there, McAnespie’s seemed to wake up and sprung to action. Three consecutive points from (12) put them back on an equal score and a goal from Lyne (8) put McAnespie’s back in the lead. 

Donegal may have dominated the first part of the first half, but McAnespie’s returned with a vengeance.

The second half began with a score of McAnespie’s 2-5 to Donegal 0-8. Darragh Lyne (8) took his chance at a goal and succeeded, for the second time in the match. Scoring followed for both sides, which meant McAnespie’s stayed in the lead. A penalty for Donegal bridged some of the gap, but simply not enough. A point for Donegal was matched by one for McAnespie’s, which ended up being the last kick of the game. Despite their commendable attempt at a comeback, McAnespie’s scoring in the closing minutes of the first half put them too far ahead for Donegal to catch up. The match finished with a final score of McAnespie’s 3-10 to Donegal 1-13.

 

McAnespie’s

1.      Marc Kelliher

2.      Caolan Harvey

3.      Conor Brady

4.      Owen Ward

5.      Jon Cassidy

6.      Iarla O’Sullivan

7.      Ben McDonnell

8.      Darragh Lyne

9.      Rory Brolly

10.  Ruairi Gormley

11.  Patrick Darcy

12.  Shane Petitt

13.  Eoin Gormley

 

Donegal

1.      Hugh Boyle

2.      Sean Doherty

3.      Killian Gildea

4.      Cory Gallagher

5.      Jack O’Brien

6.      Jason Noctor

7.      Thomas Galligan

8.      Paul McBride

9.      Sean Winston

10.  Shane O’Donnell

11.  Shane Carthy

12.  Ciaran McDevitt

13.  David Garland

Sun June 11 - Mens' Senior Football - Connemara Gaels v Donegal

 By Alana Loftus

There may not have been a victor in the battle between Connemara Gaels and Donegal senior championship game last Sunday, but there was surely a great display of football in Canton on the fine sunny day. The teams fought hard to combat the ever-present level-score throughout the game but finished with a draw.

Donegal number 13, David Garland scored the first point of the game. Gaels number 11, James Darcy, followed with a point for their side. Donegal goalie, Hugh Boyle (1) made a good save after the Gaels attempted a goal. Scoring went back and forth between the two sides, possession seemed shared evenly. Gaels number 9, Matthias Barrett made a dart for the Galway goal and was not confronted by any defenders. His attempt at a goal was unsuccessful.

Donegal’s 11, Cian O’Grady and 12, Ciaran McDevitt, secured points for their side. Gaels number 4, Coleman Mulkerin, drove a shot at the goal that was narrowly saved by the Donegal keeper. Play continued with two fouls in the space of a few minutes, and both frees were taken by Donegal’s 13, Garland. One attempt was successful, the other was put wide.

Gaels number 13, Simon Garrity was relentless with attempts at a goal. Though the Gaels goalie did his best, Garrity (13) scored a goal, putting them back in the running. Garrity (13) and James Darcy (11) banked two more scores from frees. A foul by Gaels number 5, Jack Lynch resulted in a free for Donegal (13) and another point between them.

The score levelled out just before the end of the first half. Gaels dominated play in the remainder of the first half, but scoring did not seem to be going their way. The halftime score was Connemara Gaels 1-05 to Donegal 0-8.

Play resumed with scoring from both sides. Gaels number 12, Sean Conneely, secured a fantastic goal, followed by a point from Barrett (9), that put them back in the lead. Points bounced back and forth between the two sides, constantly widening and narrowing the gap. A tremendous run from Gaels number 11, Darcy, resulted in a goal that was much deliberated both on the field and off. The ball hit the post but somehow made it’s way inside the net. The referee and umpire made the decision to award the goal, putting the Gaels ahead by three points.

With tensions high, a penalty was scored by Donegal’s number 11 (name), which once again levelled the score. Donegal (13) came back with a point that put Donegal in the lead for the first time since the first half.

A penalty for the Gaels saw Jack Lundy (10) secure a one-point lead. After a point from Donegal’s substitute number 21, the teams found themselves neck-in-neck again. With minutes left, a foul against Gaels number 14 Daniel Kerr, led to a free that saw Darcy (11) put his team back in the lead.

Frustrated and feeling helpless, the Donegal goalie, Hugh Boyle, made a powerful run and scored the equalizer with seconds left to go. With nails bitten down to nothing, the referee blew the whistle and signaled the game had ended in a draw.

The final score was Connemara Gaels 4-10 to Donegal 1-19.

 

Connemara Gaels:

1.      James Keoghan

2.      Tommy Gill

3.      Eoighain Murray

4.      Colman Mulkerin

5.      Jack Lynch

6.      Mikey Kerr

7.      Ryan Caffrey

8.      Nathan Donnelly

9.      Maithias Barrett

10.  Jack Lundy

11.  James Darcy

12.  Sean Conneely

13.  Simon Garrity

 

Donegal:

1.      Hugh Boyle

2.      Cillian Gilligan

3.      Anthony Diver

4.      Jason Nochton

5.      Jack O’Brien

6.      Sean Doherty

7.      Donal McBride

8.      Tomas Galligan

9.      Sean Winston

10.  Shane O’Donnell

11.  Cian O’Grady

12.  Ciaran McDevitt

13.  David Garland

 

Sun June 11 - Men's Senior Football: Aidan McAnespies v Galway

By Alana Loftus

Galway Boston took on Aidan McAnespies on Sunday last in the Boston GAA men’s senior football championship. McAnespies kicked off the game with three impressive scores, one after the other. Eoin Gormley (11) bagged the first point of the game, followed by a goal from Ruairí Gormley (8) within the first three minutes. Shortly after, Darragh Lyne (9) scored another point. All three scores were consecutive and set the tone for the first half.

A free for Galway taken by Reece Burke (12) secured their first score of the game. Determined to put them back in the race, the next two scores were also acquired by Burke (12), whose impressive scoring record proved his worth as a newcomer.

McAnespies number 10, Rory Brolly, bagged them another point.

The Galway full forward line was relentless with goal efforts and tried repeatedly to get past McAnespies goalie Marc Kelliher, but to no avail. Kelliher made two remarkable saves.  

McAnespie's Robbie Croft (13) scored a point which was matched by a point from Galway’s number 13, Nathan Grainge. Grainge banked a number of points for the Galway team, scoring three in a number of minutes. McAnespies goalie held strong, protecting the goal from yet another attack from Galway’s full forward line. A point for McAnespies number 8, Ruairí Gormley, was followed by one from Galway’s number 13, Grainge. Scoring alternated back and forth for much of the first half. Grainge, Galway’s top scorer of the match, bagged two more points putting the teams at a draw for the first time. Reece Burke (12) was taken off after suffering an injury and replaced by number 15, Patrick Darcy.

Two more points from McAnespies 10, Rory Brolly and 12, Robbie Croft put them back in the lead. Galway’s number 15 (substitute) scored a point to finish the half with 1 point between them and a score of Galway 0-10 to McAnespies 1-08.

McAnespies number 10, Brolly, secured the first score of the second half. A second attempt at a score hit the post. Galway’s Grainge (13) made a tremendous run, dodging several of McAnespies defenders, and finishing with a swift pass to Flaherty (10) who handpassed it over the bar.

After a brief recess on the sideline, McAnespies put Robbie Croft back into the game, and he within seconds he had scored another point. Just after that, McAnespies number 8, Ruairí Gormley widened the gap after getting a goal that increased their lead. After receiving a black card, McAnespies number 9, Darragh Lyne waited out his sinbin pacing the sideline and heading back out onto the field the second it was over.

Galway substitute, Danny Burke, scored a point and another followed from Grainge, whose scoring statistics far outweighed those of anyone else on the field.

Skilled passing between Croft (12), Lyne (9) and McAnespies sub number 15, who buried the ball in the net. Tensions were high at this point, and a scuffle near the Galway goal resulted in a 2nd yellow and subsequently, red card for McAnespies number 6, Tiernan McSkean. The referee also gave a black card to Galway’s number 13, Grainge, whose sinbin cost Galway serious scoring chances. The free taken by Conor Flaherty (10) lifted Galway’s spirits. Conor Flanaghan (11) followed up with a point from play and Patrick Moylan, who came on as a substitute, finished the game with a goal for Galway, but their efforts could not bridge the gap. The game finished with a final score of McAnespies 3-13 to Galway 2-14.

 

 

McAnespie’sMcAnespies:

1.      Marc Kelliher

2.      Conor Brady

3.      Caolan Harvey

4.      Ruairí Scott

5.      Ben McDonnell

6.      Tiernan McSkean

7.      Steve Ward

8.      Ruairí Gormley

9.      Darragh Lyne

10.  Rory Brolly

11.  Eoin Gormley

12.  Robbie Croft

13.  Shane Pettit

 

Galway:

1.      Jamie Kelly

2.      Dara Whelan

3.      Anthony Keating

4.      Kieran O’Dwyer

5.      Stephen White

6.      Michael Moylan

7.      Eoin Morrissey

8.      Connell Dempsey

9.      Jordan Muldoon

10.  Conor Flaherty

11.  Conor Flanagan

12.  Reece Burke

13.  Nathan Grainge

 

 

Sat June 10 - Intermediate Football - Shannon Blues v Connemara Gaels

 By Alana Loftus 

The game kicked off with a point from the Shannon Blues number 9, Gavin Duffy, a summer transfer from Sligo. His score was matched by teammate Lee Deignan (11), who secured a point and attempted another which fell short and was saved by the Gaels goalie James Keoghan.

Cian Fagan and Derek O'Brien take the toss from
referee Frankie Maloney.

Connemara Gaels number 11, Keelan Beirne, scored their first point of the game. Beirne, a new home-based player, is a former Roscommon U21 star, and key senior player for from Strokestown GAA in County Roscommon. A handpass over the bar secured another point for Shannon Blues Conor Fitzgerald (10). Scoring alternated between the teams for a period until an incredible run from Blues number 11, resulted in a goal scored by Gearoid Hassett (13). Hasset was fouled shortly after and the free was taken by Deignan (11) who was unsuccessful in the conversion.

Gaels dominated the next few minutes of the game, with a burst of scores that put them into the lead. A goal was scored by Michael McDonagh (13), followed by points from Keelan Beirne (11), Liam Toye (7), and Jack Donnelly (8). A free kick taken by Beirne (11) from the 45 line was unsuccessful, but he redeemed himself with a point from play shortly afterwards.

The first half finished up with a point from Gaels number 10, Enda Kelly, bringing the half time score to Connemara Gaels 1-07 to Shannon Blues 1-05.

 

The Gaels dominated the opening minutes of the second half once again with points from Beirne (11), Enda Kelly (10), and Stalwart player Michael Coyne (4). The Gaels scores crept up gradually widening the gap between the teams. After a prolonged period without a score, the Blues came back with a point from number 16, a sub that came on in the second half. Back in the swing of things once again, Lee Deignan (11) punched a goal into the net, restoring the Blues’ confidence. A substitution for the Gaels saw Keelan Beirne (11) replaced by substitute number 15. At this point, the Blues are one point behind their rivals and working hard to pass them. An incredible run from Gaels number 8, Jack Donnelly put them on par with the Blues. Donnelly, now on a roll, secured another point, putting his team back in the lead. His energy was matched by Gaels Gavin Duffy (9) whose point put the teams back on an even score, with minutes to go.

 

The game finished in a draw with a final score of Connemara Gaels 1-16 to Shannon Blues 3-10.

 

Shannon Blues:

1.    Nick Albarran

2.    Derek O’Brien

3.    Owen-Roe McGowan

4.    Brian Fannon

5.    Eoin Clifford

6.    Patrick Moriarty

7.    Jack Young

8.    Patrick Murray

9.    Gavin Duffy

10. Conor Fitzgerald

11. Lee Deignan

12. James Feeney

13. Gearoid Hasset

 

Connemara Gaels:

1.    James O’Donnell

2.    Cian Fagan

3.    James Flaherty

4.    Michael Coyne

5.    Sean Seoighe

6.    Eoin Faherty

7.    Liam Toye

8.    Jack Donnelly

9.    Nessan O’Donnell

10. Enda Kelly

11. Keelan Beirne

12. Padraic McDonagh

13. Michael McDonagh