FINALWORD
Man of the Match... Ross Nally (Newtown Blues)
The Blues had plenty of contenders, with Kevin Carr, Fergal Donohoe and Emmet Carolan superb at the back and John Kermode driving on from midfield either side of half-time. Ciaran Downey impressed too, particularly in the closing stages. But when Blues needed scores to make their superiority count, Ross Nally really stood up, kicking 1-3 in the second-half, albeit with a fortuitous goal.
Talking point...
Has the blanket defence had its day? It seems even club teams can now come up with a plan to thwart a packed rearguard. The Blues pressed their opponents high, upsetting their counter-attacking plan and they didn’t allow themselves to be sucked into cul-de-sacs, playing a possession game when needed. O’Connells did something very similar to the Clans in last week’s IFC final and won pulling up, just as the Blues did on Sunday.
Moment of magic...
It wasn’t a day for flash and flair, but the Blues opening goal was crucial, coming just before halftime and opening a four-point lead. It was a fine finish by Conor Moore, but John Kermode’s (pictured right) delicate chipped pass into the path of Fergal Donohue was sublime and unlocked the door for the full-back to pick out Moore.
Match stats...
WIDES: Blues 5 (3 in first-half); Gaels 11 (6 in first-half) FREES: Blues 17 (9 in first-half); Gaels 23 (13 in first-half) 45: None YELLOW: F Donohoe (10) BLACK: C Judge (53) RED: None
Man in the middle...
A good day out for Hunterstown Rovers man David Fedigan who had no major calls to make. Neither set of supporters were on his back much - which is always a good barometer. Colm Judge’s black card was possibly a bit harsh given n the conditions and the fact that others got away with similar transgressions.