Bunnies are caught by a north Sligo recovery

St Molaise Gaels overturn half-time deficit to defeat Bunninadden by a point in thrilling county semi-final

SAINT Michael’s are back in the final of the Connacht Gold Junior ‘A’ Football Championship – a competition they won two years ago – following their impressive semi-final defeat of Owenmore Gaels, an 11-point win, 1-17 to 1-6, last Saturday.

The inside forwards of James Mackey, Simon McKeon and Ryan Walsh did the bulk of the damage to Owenmore Gaels’ season at Kent Park.

Four points up at the break, 0-8 to 0-4, St Michael’s appeared in trouble in the early stages of the second-half.

Having had a goal denied at one end – James Mackey’s effort was cleared off the goalline – St Michael’s conceded a three-point from the subsequent counter-attack by Owenmore Gaels, with Stephen Fallon netting from

Mark Walsh’s work.

This goal cut the deficit to a point, 0-9 to 1-5, but Owenmore Gaels were unable to build on this and, in fact, would only score once more – a pointed free from Ryan Phillips.

St Michael’s ended up taking a six-point lead into the second-half water break, 1-12 to 1-6, the decisive score proving to be a goal from James Mackey, who was a constant attacking threat for the winners.

There were five unanswered points from St Michael’s in the final quarter, the best of these coming from Jack Haran, along with two dismissals – St Michael’s player Steven Clerkin was sent off as was Stephen Fallon of Owenmore Gaels.

St Michael’s twice could have goaled in the opening period – Simon McKeon’s effort came off the crossbar and a shot from James Mackey was saved. Owenmore Gaels, who suffered from regularly turning over possession, had a goal chance of their own but Ronan Sweeney’s attempt was stopped by Fintan Ruddy.

Next up for St Michael’s is a clash with St Patrick’s in the county final.

St Michael’s: Fintan Ruddy (0-1), Ciaran McKeon (0-1), Cian McGowan, Paddy Kelly, Niall Mullen, Colm McTiernan, Jack Haran (0-4), Steven Clerkin, Gavin McGowan, Ross McLoughlin (0-1), Kyle Carty (0-2), Paul Flanagan, James Mackey (1-5), Simon McKeon (0-2), Ryan Walsh (0-1)

Subs used: Brian Taaffe, Padraig McGoldrick, Conor Feeney, Gavin

Walsh, Hughie McGowan

Owenmore Gaels: Jason Farrell,

Garret Lavin, Liam Gilligan, Ryan Quigley, Cian Whiteside, James Duffy, Roland Anderson (0-1), Mark Walsh, Nathan O’Malley (0-1), Conor Davey, Peter Wynne, Aaron Walsh, Ryan Phillips (0-3), Stephen Fallon (1-1), Ronan Sweeney

Subs used: Kevin Healy, Oisin Geraghty, Niall Hodgins

Referee: Bill Carty (Cloonacool)

IN an absorbing, often feisty and always claustrophobic west Sligo derby between Easkey and St Farnan’s, it came down to this – substitute Iarlaith Connor’s goal in extra-time to get St Farnan’s into the Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship decider.

Whether the attacker’s finish was fortuitous or canny last Saturday afternoon at Markievicz Park, the former Sligo Rovers U-19 player’s bolt from the blue strike put St Farnan’s back in front and set up a county final clash with their Group One rivals St Molaise Gaels.

A second point from Easkey replacement Jonathan Conway meant the Sea Blues were just a score away from drawing level, with the possibility of penalties being required to decide proceedings, but Easkey were decidedly underwhelming compared to the form they displayed when topping Group Two.

Easkey will agonise how marksman Andrew Kilcullen, who came into this game with 1-18 from his four previous appearances in this year’s competition, would end up with only a point – that came in the last action of the first period of extra-time and was a goal attempt deflected over.

St Farnan’s, who led 0-7 to 0-1 by game’s first water break in the 16th minute, will feel that they just about deserved to go through here.

Inspired by full-forward Patrick O’Connor, who contributed half a dozen points, and Finnian Cawley, St Farnan’s had this contest’s two best

Intermediate C’ship Semi-Final St Molaise Gaels Bunninadden

S1-12 0-14

AINT Molaise Gaels were left as bewildered as Bunninadden were at the final whistle.

The north Sligo side, who got out of jail here, were simply astonished at how they needed Joseph Keaney’s excellent point in the second minute of time added on to register a one-point win, 1-12 to 0-14, and a place in this month’s Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship final.

After last Sunday afternoon’s dramatics at Markievicz Park, St Molaise Gaels head into the biggest game of their year, where St Farnan’s await. Despite leading by four points in the 12th minute, 1-3 to 0-2, after Jack Davitt adroitly goaled, St Molaise Gaels didn’t score for the remainder of the first-half and were six points adrift at half-time, 0-12 to 1-3, and looking listless against what appeared the finalists in waiting.

During the second-half, a period that saw them backed by the breeze, St Molaise Gaels, for whom Eoin

McHugh was diligent, set about saving their season and they outscored an Oisin Gorman-inspired Bunninadden by seven points, 0-9 to 0-2.

Required to bring on midfielder Cathal Burns to assist Joseph Keaney in a sector hithero dominated by the power and height of Bunninadden’s midfield axis of Adrian Frain and Matthew Clavin, St Molaise Gaels also benefitted from the introduction of three other substitutes, Luke Towey, Luke Casserly and Michael Langan. Towey, back playing Gaelic football after trying to make it in Aussie Rules, set up Joseph Keaney’s winning score. A minute before that there was a matter of drawing level for St Molaise Gaels, with Michael Langan exuding calmness from a converted free.

The teenager had such a vital free to take because Alan McLoughlin, St