Goals are the difference in high-scoring encounter
FOUR first-half goals, including a brace from veteran forward Shane O’Brien, catapulted Coolaney-Mullinabreena to their first win of this year’s Homeland Senior Football Championship, a two-point defeat of St Farnan’s, 4-9 to 1-16, at Markievicz Park on Sunday last. Coolaney-Mullinabreena, who’ve bounced back from losses to Tourlestrane and Drumcliffe-Rosses Point, are probably finding their form a little too late to escape the relegation play-offs.
St Farnan’s can be forgiven for furiously cursing the sporting gods – last year’s Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship played well against last year’s county finalists, Coolera-Strandhill and Tourlestrane, although they lost both fixtures. They scored 17 points against Coolera-Strandhill, 15 times (3-12) in their joust with holders Tourlestrane and registered 17 scores here (1-16). But all three fixtures ended in defeat. Without full-back Shane Molloy, who was injured, St Farnan’s struggled defensively and their defence was further disrupted in the first-half when Conor Gordon had to leave the fray.
Coolaney-Mullinabreena made a rapid start when Shane O’Brien netted a penalty in the opening minute. Unlike the round two game against Drumcliffe-Rosses Point, where a Shane O’Brien spot-kick was their only first-half score, CoolaneyMullinabreena quickly added two further scores – Ray Connolly’s point and a goal by Barry Gorman. St Farnan’s, stunned, got off the mark with a pointed free from talisman Patrick O’Connor, the first of his eight-point haul (six of which came from frees). Coolaney-Mullinabreena’s third goal came from Shane O’Brien after a combination between Barry Gorman and the influential Criostóir Davey, who then had a goal chance that was saved by St Farnan’s netminder Simon Mullarkey.
The winners added a fourth goal in the last 10 minutes of the opening period – this time team captain Criostóir Davey scored after Barry Gorman and Nathan Mullen were involved in the build-up. St Farnan’s were floundering but they got a respite of sorts when Thomas Cawley goaled from a rebound after Martin Mulligan’s goal attempt was blocked. This was Cawley’s second bite at goal – minutes earlier he blasted over, for a point, after Patrick O’Connor created the opportunity.
At half-time there was a bizarre scoreline – Coolaney-Mullinabreena, who had scored almost as many goals as points, were nine points up, 4-5 to 1-5. St Farnan’s improved in the second period to the extent of outscoring their opponents by seven points, 0-11 to 0-4, with five of the Dromore WestTempleboy outfit’s second-half scores coming from Patrick O’Connor. Coolaney-Mullinabreena, who had that significant interval advantage to lean on, were under major pressure to protect their lead in the second-half. They survived, though, with their four second-half points coming from Ray Connolly, Barry Gorman and Shane O’Brien (2).