St Pat’s fail to perform in the club’s first ever Connacht final
An underwhelming display combined with Kilmeena’s class makes for a forgettable day for Skreen-Dromard outfit from west Sligo at Markievicz
Connacht Club Championships
Connacht GAA Club
Junior Football C’ship Final St Patrick’s 0-5 Kilmeena (Mayo) 1-18
SAINT Patrick’s knew that last Saturday’s provincial final – the first in the club’s history – could go one way or the other.
That it went the way it did against Mayo’s Kilmeena was just sport being sport – it’s a sad but brutal fact that 50% of all finalists don’t win – but nobody that follows the wearers of the green and red expected things to turn out like this.
A 16-point loss for the SkreenDromard outfit from west Sligo, 1-18 to 0-5, was a horribly humbling occurrence at Markievicz Park.
St Pat’s simply didn’t express themselves and often just weren’t allowed to by a very, very good Kilmeena team. Even before the sucker punch that was the game’s only goal – silver-haired full-forward Niall Ryan’s close-range finish 54 seconds after referee Michael McGirl restarted matters following half-time – St Pat’s were just about hanging on.
Eight points adrift at half-time, 0-10 to 0-2, in the blustery, wet conditions, St Pat’s were already halfway through suffering a defeat that will take some time getting over.
The second-half was just as painful, with St Pat’s also outscored by eight points, 1-8 to 0-3.
The only Sligo man to get near the Connacht trophy was Connacht GAA
BEST FOR ST PAT’S: Cathal Finneran. One of the few St Pat’s players to clock at least a five out of 10 rating, wing-forward Finneran toiled throughout and was one of only three scorers for the Sligo champions on Saturday afternoon last.
Kilmeena’s second-half goal. Eight points down at half-time, 0-10 to 0-2, St Pat’s needed a miracle – what they got was a death blow as Kilmeena goaled within 54 seconds of the restart to put a recovery out of reach.
president John Murphy, whose task it was afterwards to present the Frank Reynolds Cup to Kilmeena captain Seán Ryder.
It was no surprise that the Player of the Match prize went to a Kilmeena player.
There were at least half a dozen Kilmeena contenders for this gong. Among the candidates were inside forwards John McGlynn, Niall Ryan and Darragh Keaveney, a trio that, between them, supplied 11 of the winners’ 19 scores (1-10 from 1-18). Kilmeena midfielder Jack Carney ended up being picked by the watching media and even this summed up the kind of day that St Pat’s had – no one from the club that produced one of GAA’s all-time greats, Mickey Kearins, came close to even being considered as one of this final’s better performers. St Pat’s had the advantage of Markievicz Park, which has become something of a second home for them as in recent months they played their county final and two provincial fixtures there.
In those three games, where St Pat’s defeated St Michael’s (county final), Glenfarne-Kiltyclogher (Connacht quarter-final) and St Joseph’s (Connacht semi-final), the team jointly-managed by Adrian Kearins and Micheál Clarke produced 54 scores (8-46, 70 points).
It was so galling, therefore, that their 60+ minutes in the spotlight last weekend only brought a meagre yield of five points.
With important fowards Jim Davis and Padraic Clarke off their game and the usual supply lines to these players disrupted compared to previous encounters, St Pat’s were in trouble. Defensively, St Pat’s were up against better, sharper attackers – the likes of John McGlynn and Darragh Keaveney were each menacing, especially in the first-half.
After conceding two scores in the first eight minutes – the aforementioned John McGlynn and Darragh Keaveney on target for Kilmeena – St Pat’s halved the deficit from their best move.
James Clarke, Oisin Kevany and Padraic Clarke were involved, with Jim Davis completing the sweet sequence by popping the ball over. It was 0-2 to 0-1 and St Pat’s, is seemed, were going to be in the mix.
They survived Kilmeena’s initial probing plus an early scare – Keith Joyce fisted the ball wide from a free landed into the Sligo club’s goalmouth. The Mayo side were helped by the availability of centre-back Stephen Staunton, whose red card from the provincial semi-final against Athenry had been revoked following an appeal. But St Pat’s were never as close to Kilmeena on the scoreboard as they were following that ninth minute score from Jim Davis.
Over the next 22 minutes they were mercilessly drubbed as decisive Kilmeena struck eight points without reply to leave it an ominous 0-10 to 0-1. St Pat’s were creaking and fortunate not to concede a goal during this onslaught.
Niall Feehan fisted the ball over when a goal was on and Niall Ryan flicked the ball goalwards but it had too much height and resulted in his side’s fifth point.
On another occasion only a massive interception from St Pat’s centre-back Conor Kevany cancelled a Kilmeena move that screamed goal.
St Pat’s scored their second point of the first-half – Padraic Clarke converted a free in the second minute
of stoppage time – but their day was almost done.
Kilmeena sealed the deal when netting from a slick combination in the first minute of the second-half.
The gap was now a bulletproof 11 points, 1-10 to 0-2, although St Pat’s replied with a big score of their own – Cathal Finneran’s excellent point. Proceedings meandered from then on as St Pat’s were almost counting down the minutes left in this agony and Kilmeena scoring at will and making changes.
A sure sign of Kilmeena’s superiority was them bringing on a fresh corner-back in the 39th minute (reinforcing the notion that when GAA teams are floundering it is the corner-forward who gets the chop and when they’re winning well it is the corner-back who get a rest).
During Kilmeena’s second-half stroll (compared to what was a barefoot walk on broken glass for St Pat’s), there were further moments when it felt like a second goal was coming – Keith Joyce fisted a point from shooting range and Darragh Keaveney did go for goal but powered a low shot the wrong side of the upright. Kilmeena’s 19th and final score
ON THE MOVE: St Pat’s player Cathal Finneran at Markievicz Park last Saturday afternoon.
came in the 58th minute through a point by Niall Feehan, one of seven scorers for the team whose colours are black and white.
St Pat’s tacked on two consolation scores – both pointed frees from Jim Davis – in the closing stages.
In the midst of this despair were moments of bad luck for St Pat’s. On another day a challenge similar to the first-half one that left team captain David Giblin on the floor would have brought a card for the guilty party – here there was no sanction for the Kilmeena player (Keith Joyce). But there were also too many turnovers and wonky shooting from forwards who have and can do much better. Moves broke down and passes went astray.
If St Pat’s can convert last Saturday’s pain into something tangible for their latest attempt to make a go of it at Sligo’s Intermediate level then getting to a Connacht final – an achievement that only a few Sligo clubs have known – won’t count for nothing.
Best for St Pat’s: Cathal Finneran
St Patrick’s: Tomás McMunn, James Kearins, Jack Egan, Joe McMunn, David Giblin (c), Conor Kevany, Ciaran Giblin, James Clarke, Connell Kearins, Pierce Kearins, Donal Brady, Cathal Finneran (0-1), Jim Davis (0-3, 2f), Oisin Kevany, Padraic Clarke (0-1, 1f)
Subs used: Niall Connolly, Patrick Farrell, Jonathan Higgins, Paul Boland, Kenneth Moore
Subs not used: Jack Cadden, Patrick
Kevany, Ciaran Brady, Fiachra McCrann, Enda Clarke, Donal Kilcullen, Fergal Curran, Cian Lacken, Padraic Kearins, Martin Clarke Kilmeena (Mayo): Paul Groden, Paddy Keane, John Keane, Chris McGlynn, Niall Feehan (0-2), Stephen Staunton, John
Ryan, Jack Carney (0-2), Kevin Ryder, Keith Joyce (0-2), Seán Ryder (c) (0-2), Conor Madden, John McGlynn (0-3), Niall Ryan (1-2), Darragh Keaveney (0-5, 2f)
Subs used: Tomas Gill, Joey Smyth, Neillie Duffy, Kieran Sheridan, Seán Moore Referee: Michael McGirl (Leitrim)