Tubbercurry advance to the final
TUBBERCURRY COOLANEY/MULLINABREENA 2-10 2-8
Belfry Senior Football Championship Semi final
ON a day jam packed with sporting occasions this was a clash between two South Sligo clubs, one a much vaunted veteran of stages such as this, with 20 county championships to their name, and the other making their first appearance in a county semi-final since 1970.
With this being the third meeting this year between these Tubbercurry and Coolaney/Mullinabreena in competitive fixtures, one would be forgiven for thinking that this game would follow the same patterns as the previous iterations, yet there was several late changes to both teams, with former Sligo U21 Jason Perry the most notable replacement .
It was Tubbercurry who started the game the stronger, with 5 of the first 6 points, utilizing a depleted Coolaney/ Mullinabreena full-back line, due to corner back Stephan Barrett being forced out off within the first ten minutes.
With quick kickouts and similarly fast outlet balls down the flanks to both Perry and diminutive corner forward David Kelly, Tubbercurry were extremely efficient in attack, forcing fouls within the scoring zone, which were converted by Luke Gilmartin and Colm McGee, a by-product of which was that both Coolaney/Mullinabreena midfielders, Raymond and Stephan Connolly, picking up early yellow cards.
By contrast, Coolaney/Mullinabreena’s offensive strategy seemed to contradict its selection.
Despite starting former Sligo minor midfielder Barry Gorman in the full forward line, Coolaney/Mullinabreena endeavoured to run the ball down the flanks with wing-forwards Sean Gorman and the industrious Niall Connolly and feed their full forward line from the hand.
Yet it may have proved to be successful but for some handling errors, and free kicks that went unconverted, it may have proved to be successful.
However, Tubbercurry were by far the stronger side in the first half and would have been disappointed to go into the half only 4 points up, after they spurned two excellent goal chances while they had their foots pressed on Coolaney/ Mullinabreena’s proverbial neck.
The winning of this match, in hindsight, came in the five minutes after referee John Doyle threw in the ball to commence the second half.
The first act of meaning was when David Kelly was dragged down by goalkeeper Eoin McDonagh inside the large rectangle for a penalty.
McDonagh was perhaps fortunate to escape with just a yellow card.
The superb Jason Perry duly converted the spot kick and this was compounded on the very next possession when Brian Curran emphatically finished a well worked team move into the roof of the net.
In an instant, the gap went from 4 points to 10 and the match seemed to be over as a contest.
When Stephen Connolly was sent off for a second bookable offence minutes later, there seemed no way back for the men in blue.
To their credit, Coolaney/Mullinabreena did not let Tubbercurry continue to dominate after these blows, and when Kieran Finan, who replaced the injured Sean Gorman in the moments before half-time, finished a fantastic team move to fire the ball into the back of Tubbercurry’s net, it reduced the deficit to 8 points.
Coolaney/Mullinabreena then went on to score four of the next 5 points, including one that rattled off the crossbar whittling down the score to 5 points.
In stoppage time, Coolaney/Mullinabreena were awarded a penalty when goalkeeper Colm McGee took down full forward Criostoir Davey for a penalty, which he converted.
Alas the comeback was too little too late, as the scoreline remained unchanged by the final whistle.
Tubbercurry now move on to face fellow south Sligo club Tourlestrane in Enniscrone on Sunday afternoon, and can feel confident after impressively dispatching the former league finalists.
COOLANEY/MULLINABREENA: Eoin McDonagh, Stephan Barrett (Gavin Feely), Aidan Coleman, Kevin O’Kennedy, Conor McCormack (Nathan Mullen), Declan McCormack, Daniel Davey, Stephen Connolly, Raymond Connolly (0-3), Sean Gorman (Kieran Finan (1-0)), Criostoir Davey (1-1 pen), Niall Connolly, Gavin Gorman, Shane O’Brien (0-4), Barry Gorman.
TUBBERCURRY: Colm McGee (0-01), James Kelly, Brian Murphy, Eddie McGuinness,Rory Ryan, Cathal Surlis, Brian Curran (1-0), Stephen Gilmartin, Luke Gilmartin (Dermot Walsh), Conall Ryan (Darragh Kilcoyne (0-01)), Gerard Perry, Dylan Henry(Fabio Cretaro), Jason Perry (1-3), Cian Gilmartin (0-3), David Kelly (0-2).