Brave effort from Molaise
ST. MARY’S LEITRIM 2-13 ST. MOLAISE GAELS 2-08
A brave effort from the St Molaise Gaels side in Friday night’s Minor A Quarter Final at a chilly Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekaun wasn’t enough as it is a skilful and physically very strong St Mary’s Leitrim side that moves forward to a Wednesday night semi final clash against Roscommon champions St Brigids.
The scoreline doesn’t flatter the winners who hit the woodwork on three occasions when goals looked possible but credit to the St Molaise Gaels boys as they battled bravely right to the final whistle.
The eventual winners were ahead by 2-05 to 0-06 at the interval.
St Molaise Gaels started the game impressively with an Aaron Currid point from play and a converted free from James Heraghty.
However a fine team movement in the 8th minute saw impressive half forward Mark Diffley fire to the net for St Mary’s. The same player added a point from play in the 10th minute and Jack Matthews added another from play shortly afterwards.
In the 14th minute Matthews was brought down in the small square and corner forward Oisin Bohan dispatched the resultant penalty to the net as St Maty’s went ahead by 2-02 to 0-02. Gaels did respond including points from Joe Spellman and Jack Davitt but each time St Mary’s responded in similiar fashion to lead by six points at the interval.
The pattern of the second was very much one way as St Mary’s kicked a number of excellent points and built up a ten point lead with midfielders Kevin Brady and David O’Connell as well as Diffley all giving outstanding individual disays.
St Molaise Gaels did find the net twice in the second half with Joe Spellman and the impressive Killian Foley scoring with punched efforts. Oisin Brady, Robbie Ryan and Micheal Gillen in particular defended heroically over the hour while once again Oisin Sheridan worked tirelessly at midfield throughout.
It wasn’t an evening in which the SMG attack got too many opportunities against a resolute defence but Killian Foley had a fine hour at right half forward while Dionn McCaffrey worked hard at right corner forward.