AGB too good for St Kevin’s
Very enjoyable encounter
AGB ST KEVIN’S 4-9 3-8
THIS Under-15 ‘B’ Football Shield final played in Ballinakill on Tuesday night, October 23, turned out to be a well-contested and enjoyable game.
Both sides enjoyed periods where they were in the ascendancy but in the end the greater physique of some of the key AGB players swung the game in their favour.
St Kevin’s appeared a little in awe of the Arklow lads in the early stages as they spread the ball around in their forward line with some excellent kick passing.
The full-back line of Tony Clarke, Trevor Allen and Brendan Harkin were under pressure but always seemed to get a hand or a foot in at the crucial moment to prevent scores.
Wayne McDonald in goal was doing his bit as well and so the scores were slow coming.
Luke Scanlon got the opening goal for AGB after seven minutes.
Ben Clarke and Padraig Cullen were slowly coming into the game and St Kevin’s were getting forward.
The AGB defence were inclined to foul and Jean Luc Morris and Padraig Cullen pointed two frees to get St Kevins into the game.
The Arklow forwards continued to look dangerous and points from Joe McGeary and Luke Scanlon (2) had them ahead by 1-3 to 0-2 after 20 minutes.
Another pointed free from Padraig Cullen and a point from play by Jean Luc Morris closed the gap to two points.
Morris, playing at centre half back, was one of the smaller players on the field but he was also one of the best footballers and he was pushing forward more and more to help launch attacks. When Shane Allen finished a goal coming up to half time, the western side were now ahead.
Allen’s goal was made with an excellent pass into his path by wing forward Ciaran Coyne. AGB midfielder Conor Gahan levelled affairs with a point just on the call of time.
The score stood 1-4 apiece at half-time. AGB had probably enjoyed more of the play but they found Wayne McDonald in the Kevin’s goal in brilliant form.
When the second period got under way, Patrick O’Halloran and Shane Allen exchanged points to leave matters still on an even keel.
Then Arklow midfielder Patrick O’Halloran took the game by the scruff of the neck for the next quarter of an hour.
The tall number 8 scored a goal on seven minutes and laid on a point for Liam Shaw a minute later.
Jean Luc Morris got forward to point another free for Kevins but the momentum at this stage continued with AGB.
O’Halloran pointed again, substitute Brian Hurley (another excellent small player) got another and when centre forward Joe McGeary got his first goal it put AGB 3-8 to 1-6 ahead. When Luke Scanlon had another point for AGB it left three goals between the sides.
However, we reckoned without the spirit and heart of St Kevins. A Jean Luc Morris inspired rally rocked the Arklow men back on their heels.
Ciaran Coyne broke through for a goal. Morris pointed one minute later.
Corner-forward Ciaran Clarke got another goal and when Ciaran Coyne pointed, St Kevins had reduced the lead to the minimum over the space of five minutes. AGB were rattled but in an attack with four minutes left, Joe McGeary scored the goal of the game.
He let fly with a shot from the ground about twenty metres out and gave Wayne McDonald no chance as the ball sailed to the roof of the net. There was no further score and AGB ran out winners of a sportingly contested game by 4-9 to 3-8.
Pat Dunne presented winning captain Luke Scanlon with the shield while AGB midfielder Patrick O’Halloran received the Wicklow People sponsored Man of the Match award.
AGB: Joe McGeary 2-1, Patrick O’Halloran 1-2, Luke Scanlon 1-3, Conor Gahan 0-1, Liam Shaw 0-1, Brian Hurley 0-1.
St Kevins – Jean Luc Morris 0-4, Padraig Cullen 0-2, Ciaran Coyne 1-1, Ciaran Clarke 1-0, Shane Cullen 1-1.
Sean Murphy; Anthony Duffy, Christopher Mitchell, Sean Croker; Sean O’Donovan, Brendan Hanlon, Jordan O’Neill; Patrick O’Halloran, Conor Gahan; Jack Kavanagh, Joe McGeary, Kealan Delaney; Joe Kelly, Liam Shaw, Luke Scanlon; Subs : Brian Hurley, Aaron O’Brien, Niall O’Donovan, Craig Caulfield, Seoirse Barnes.
Wayne McDonald; Tony Clarke, Trevor Allen, Brendan Harkin; Tommy Mooney, Jean Luc Morris, Sean Reid; Ben Clarke, Padraig Cullen; Charlie Chambley, Ben Burke, Ciaran Coyne; Conor Daly, Shane Allen, Ciaran Clarke.
Eddie Leonard (St Patricks)
Scorers: AGB: St Kevin’s: Referee:
A stunning four-goal salvo from man of the match Keevan Doyle secured the Under-15 Football ‘C’ Shield title for a talented Ashford side in Ballinakill last Thursday night.
Trailing by a single point to Tomacork at the break at 1-2 to 0-04, it always looked like the physically imposing Ashford side would have enough to pull clear of a committed Tomacork outfit and Doyle’s rampage between the fifth and the 20th minute of the second half helped to do just that. Two further goals from the fiercely impressive Noah Sheridan put the tie well and truly to bed and gave the impressive Ashford following plenty to cheer about on a bitterly cold night at the Wicklow GAA centre of excellence.
Tomacork’s best spell came in the second quarter when they moved from a worrying 0-3 to 0-0 deficit to lead by 1-2 to 0-4 at the break courtesy of two Ben Gilligan points and a rocket of a goal from midfielder Liam O’Neill who blasted to the bottom corner of Stephen Kearns’ net.
Ashford started very brightly with Shane Marah imppressing hugely from centre back and it was he who opened the scoring after five minutes when he robbed Will Molloy’s kick out and rampaged up the field to fire over a beauty.
Wides would be the scourge of the first half for the Ashford team. They had three on the board before that first score and would go to accumulate a few more before Stephen Fagan sounded the halftime whistle.
Marah’s point was followed by a fine effort from Noah Sheridan after he was picked out by Keevan Doyle and then Ryan Beale fired over a sweet score off his right to complete and excellent first quarter for Adrian Marah’s men.
But Tomacork had some fine players of their own and were start- ing to come more into the game through the work of Liam O’Neill, Dan Redmond and Ben Gilligan and a Redmond free got them up and running with 12 on the clock.
Gilligan’s robbery of Jake Cullen six minutes later allowed the Tomacork half-forward the chance of a score and he took it with aplomb before Noah Sheridan got on the end of a good move by Ashford to open up a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.
Gilligan went wide from a free before Liam O’Neill set off on a long run up the field before firing home a delicious shot to the bottom corner of the Ashford net to send David Byrne’s lads in leading by one at 1-2 to 0-4.
Ashford were level four minutes after the restart when Ryan Beale fired over a free after Keevan Doyle was fouled. Doyle’s first goal arrrived 60 seconds later and after that it was the Doyle Show as the full-forward tore Tomacork asunder.
Stephen Kearns; Jake Cullen, Evan Doyle, Josh Nichols; Fionn Doyle, Shane Marah, Joseph Brennan; Sam Bishop, Ryan Beale; Cormac McGrath, Noah Sheridan, Sam Greene; Joshua Bishop, Keevan Doyle, Luke Fitzpatrick. Subs: Ben Kelly, Evan Glynn.
Will Molloy; Jack Keogh, Maurice Sheil, Darragh Rawson; Zach Jordan, Shane Byrne, Cathal Rooney; Thomas Collins, Liam O’Neill; Daniel Redmond, Richard Greene, Ben Gilligan; Callum Patterson, Shay Guilfoyle, Dylan Farrell. Subs: Ian Walker, Jake O’Dwyer, Edward Smith, Finian Collins, Niall Maxwell.
Stephen Fagan (Baltin-
Tomacork: Referee:
glass)