An Ghaeltacht bring county IFC crown back west

An Ghaeltacht 1-12 Templenoe 0-14

HOW An Ghaeltacht reacted, that was the stuff of champions.

With all their chips on the table they went big, they went bold, they went all in to win. In short the Gallarus outfit backed themselves and were richly and rightly rewarded for it.

For a time it looked as though they’d been knocked off their axis. Up until then, with about fifteen minutes to go, the An Ghaeltacht management team would have been quite satisfied with how their day was going.

Gradually, however, the game began to get away from them. Templenoe upped the intensity, hit harder, tackled more aggressively, ran at them more directly, began to take the scores they hadn’t been up to that point. In the first half Templenoe kicked seven wides. In the second half they didn’t kick one.

In a ten minute period following a point from PJ Mac Láimh (assist Brian Ó Beaglaoich), Templenoe scored four on the bounce to erase An Ghaeltacht’s advantage entirely – from 1-10 to 0-9, to 1-10 to 0-13 by fifty nine minutes.

During this period of dominance Templenoe had scores from Stephen O’Sullivan (taking a short ‘45 from Teddy Doyle), Killian Spillane (a free), Pat Spillane (who was central to the Templenoe revival) and finally a point by Cian Hallissey (assist Pat Spillane).

It was a true test of a young An Ghaeltacht side up against a Templenoe team who were more used to big occasions and big finals than they. If ever there was a time to fear for An Ghaeltacht this was it.

Any such fears would have proven very much misplaced. Leading the resistance were Pádraig Ó Sé and Brian Ó Beaglaoich on the half-back line. They helped staunch the bleeding and turn the tide.

Another man to make a big impression in the closing stages was Cathal Mac Gearailt. He came on with about five minutes to go. One of his first acts on the pitch was to win a mark on Tomás Mac an tSaoir’s kickout and get his team moving in the right direction again.

Shortly after Hallissey’s equaliser Gearóid Mac an tSaoir stepped up to the plate in a major way and edged the westerners back in front. It was, we felt, a huge moment in the game.

One got the sense that had Templenoe managed to sneak into the lead they may very well have seen the game out. As a result of Mac an tSaoir’s well-taken score, a draw was now surely the best the Kenmare District side could have hoped for – even with the fourth official indicating there were five minutes of injury time to be played.

Templenoe did draw the game level once more as the action became ever more frantic when Stephen O’Sullivan assisted Tadhg Morley for an equaliser on sixty one minutes.

The din from the stand was near deafening by now. The game had draw written all over it. It wouldn’t have been a bad result for either side given the way things had panned out, but An Ghaeltacht didn’t play it safe, they went for it.

The excitement reaching a crescendo they swept down towards the Horan’s end with aggression and intent. There to finish the move was Mac Láimh, taking the winning score with a fisted effort (one which took an unusual trajectory, perhaps a Templenoe man got a last-gasp touch to it?).

Templenoe, of course, weren’t yet done either, but An Ghaeltacht scrambled well to box out Brian Crowley and, while he got a shot away (a fisted effort like Mac Láimh’s), it was from a difficult angle and dropped short.

An Ghaeltacht held on for a win they surely deserved. They were the more composed side and, even though they lost that composure for a brief spell, they were self-possessed enough to regain it when the need was at its greatest.

From the off they played with intent. They held an early lead – two points to nil – before Templenoe brought matters back to parity. Crucially, however, Templenoe could never get that all-important lead score.

After fourteen minutes the sides were level on four points each (Teddy Doyle hitting a beauty into the Horan’s end off the railway side to level matters).

A goal two minutes later would change the complexion of the game entirely.

And a fine goal it was too with Ciarán Ó Coileáin and Brian Ó Beaglaoich (whose runs into enemy territory proved so effective) involved in the build-up before the ever-dangerous Seán M Ó Conchúír struck to the back of Anthony Sheehan’s net.

By the end of the sixty plus minutes that goal was essentially the difference between the sides and sums up the day for both sets of forwards. Templenoe actually had more chances for goals in the game, two in the first half and three in the second half, but on each occasion An Ghaeltacht were equal to it.

Tomás Mac an tSaoir pulled off three excellent saves (from Gavin Crowley and twice from Josh Holland-Crowley), while another effort (from Hallissey) was struck wide. The final chance was probably an outside chance, but an An Ghaeltacht defender was still there to direct Pat Spillane’s shot out for a ‘45.

Goals win games. An Ghaeltacht got theirs and Templenoe, who went in 0-7 to 1-7 behind at the break, did not. Templenoe scored more times and created more chances overall, but An Ghaeltacht took the victory and the spoils.

Tough to take no doubt for Templenoe, but nobody can question that the better team (if only just) carried the day and did so at the end of an enthralling, high quality contest.

They – and we – wouldn’t have it any other way.

AN GHAELTACHT: Tomás Mac an tSaoir, Ciarán Ó Coileáin, Marc Ó Sé, Cathal Ó Luing, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Pádraig Ó Sé, Colm Ó Muircheartaigh, Roibeard Ó Sé, Seán Ó Gairbhí, Cathal Ó Fiannachta, Dara Ó Sé (0-5, 4f), PJ Mac Láimh (0-3), Tomás Ó Sé, Éanna Ó Conchúir, Seán M Ó Conchúir (1-3, 2f) Subs: Óigí Ó Sé for C Ó Fiannachta, half-time, Gearóid Mac an tSaoir (0-1) for C Ó Coileáin, 41, Cathal

Mac Gearailt for S Ó Gairbhí, 56

TEMPLENOE: Anthony Sheehan, Mike Hallissey, Gavin Crowley, Kieran O’Neill, Danny Cahalane, Tadhg Morley (0-1), John Spillane, Seán Sheehan, Josh Crowley-Holland, Teddy Doyle (0-2), Killian Spillane (0-6, 4f), Pat Spillane (0-1), Stephen O’Sullivan (0-2), Cian Hallissey (0-2, 1f), Brian Crowley

REFEREE: James O’Sullivan (Firies)