St Molaise Gaels show their class
Connacht Gold IFC Semi-Final St Molaise Gaels Bunninadden 3-13 0-10
IN the end, Bunninadden couldn’t be that angry with themselves. The way St Molaise Gaels were motoring so fluently last Sunday, few teams could have kept pace with them or been capable of shutting down the north Sligo outfit’s array of dangermen. St Molaise Gaels eventually won this Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship semi-final at a canter, with 12 points to spare, 3-13 to 0-10, against an outclassed Bunninadden at Markievicz Park.
Jimmy Langan’s side have qualified for a third successive second tier decider and on this performance they will carry the favourites tag when taking on Easkey in the final on Sunday week.
Impressive winners of the midfield exchanges, where Dean Carroll was excellent, St Molaise Gaels had sterling defenders in Liam Kennedy and Johnny Kelly.
In attack, they had four masterful scorers – Jack Davitt, James Heraghty, Alan McLoughlin and Michael Langan – while Cathal Herron, even though he didn’t score, was still a threat.
Bunninadden started brilliantly and threatened to upset the form book when leading 0-3 to 0-0 after six minutes.
Wing-back Conor Murray kicked two superb points, both from assists by Barry Cafferky, and Bunninadden were almost begging the favourites to respond.
St Molaise Gaels did so – and in devastating fashion – as two first-half goals within five minutes gave them an eight-point interval lead and ownership of this tie.
The beginning of the end for Bunninadden was St Molaise Gaels’ first goal – a well-taken ninth minute score from Joseph Keaney, who was given the ball by Cathal Herron. Three minutes later St Molaise Gaels constructed a breathtaking move – Michael Langan, James Heraghty and Eoin McHugh moved the ball, with possession coming to Jack Davitt, who squirrled a shot into the net. In between these goals Dean Carroll toiled selflessly, was brought out to midfield and, in the second-half, midfielder Matthew Clavin was thrown in as an emergency target man. Bunninadden needed a big score to turn this game around – they nearly got it but Oisin Gorman’s goal shot was blocked and Luke Marren, a talisman for the Sligo U-17s last year, lashed the rebound high and over the bar for his side’s fifth point. Alongside their possession issues, Bunninadden were making too many unforced errors. Moves were breaking down.
St Molaise Gaels had no such problems and James Heraghty’s classy point in first-half stoppage time summed up their attacking riches. It was James Heraghty who put the final nail in Bunninadden’s coffin two minutes into the second-half when he scored a third goal for St Molaise Gaels – a lovely finish.
The pain had already begun for Bunninadden within 15 seconds of the restart when Jack Davitt pointed. After that third goal St Molaise Gaels were 12 points up, 3-8 to 0-5, and for the 29 minutes that followed they eased off a bit, with their five points matched by five points from
Bunninadden, including a big point from Matthew Clavin.
St Molaise Gaels’ 13th and final point was another example of their ability to move the ball shrewdly. Fullback Johnny Kelly started the move, Michael Langan got involved and then Gerard Brady converted the chance.
Player of the Match: Dean Carroll
St Molaise Gaels: Niall McLoughlin, Luke Casserly, Johnny Kelly, Liam Kennedy, Luke Towey, Paddy McGowan, Marc Heraghty, Joseph Keaney (1-0), Dean Carroll (0-2), Cathal Herron, James Heraghty (1-2), Keelan Watters, Alan McLoughlin (c) (0-3, 2f), Jack Davitt (1-3), Michael Langan (0-2) Subs used: Eoin McHugh, Gerard Brady (0-1), John Kerins, Cathal Burns, Ethan Watters
Bunninadden: Mike Fogarty, Peadar McManus, Conor Mitchell, Jonathan Hodgins, Conor Murray (0-2), Rory O’Dowd, Cian Brett, Adrian Frain (c), Matthew Clavin (0-1), Michael Gorman, Oisin Gorman (0-2), Ronan Doherty, Barry Cafferky, Michael Gormley (0-2, 1 ‘mark’), Luke Marren (0-3, 1f)
Subs used: Niall O’Donnell, Stephen Anderson, Patrick McDonagh, Keith Frain, Shane Murray
Referee: John Gilmartin