Gaels give the champs a real scare

Senior Hurling C’ship Semi-Final

Easkey

Western Gaels 2-13 2-10

EASKEY have reached a fourth successive Sligo Senior Hurling Championship final – they will play either Naomh Eoin or CooleraStrandhill in the decider – but their current reign as holders was almost shockingly ended at the semi-final stage last Sunday by a resourcefully gritty Western Gaels at St Brendan’s GAA Park in Corballa.

Sea Blues talisman Andrew Kilcullen, who played in goal in the first-half, was brought outfield for the second-half and he turned matters by bagging 1-4 – his goal coming within minutes of the restart from a Dónall Hanley assist.

Easkey’s sharpshooter could have had a second goal but his penalty – awarded after a foul on Thomas Cawley – was saved by Simon Wade. Western Gaels, who couldn’t field against their west Sligo rivals when they were due to meet the weekend before in the final round of the competition’s round-robin phase, made life difficult for Easkey, even without the presence of influential team captain Aidan Morrison, who was injured.

Alan Cawley was the primary scorer for Western Gaels, shooting 1-7 (all from frees), and his goal came from a converted free in the closing stages.

Cian Flynn scored 1-2 in the opening period and his goal helped Western Gaels lead by three points at half-time, 1-6 to 0-6.

The beaten semi-finalists could have goaled for a second time in that opening period as there was a green-flag opportunity for Darragh Flynn.

An understrength Easkey, who dual players have a Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship final coming up this Sunday, were without Jimmy Gordon, Shane

Molloy and Rory McHugh.

Niall Kilcullen was brought on for the second-half, his brother Andrew went into attack and Bernard

Feeney took up goalkeeping duties. But Easkey were still under severe pressure in the second-half and during one frantic moment in their goalmouth, following a high delivery by Western Gaels’ Alan Cawley, James Weir was needed to clean up the mess.

Fionn Moylan’s goal and a point by Joe McHugh, who set up Moylan’s finish, extended Easkey’s lead to six points in the closing stages, 2-13 to 1-10, with Western Gaels halving the deficit via Alan Cawley’s late goal.

Western Gaels: Simon Wade, Michael Connolly, Lee Gilmartin, Tomás Cawley, MJ Crean, James O’Connell, Niall Hallinan, Daniel Kirby, Fergal Ryan, Paul Ruane, Derek O’Boyle, Niall Crean, Cian Flynn (1-2), Alan Cawley (1-7, 1-7f), Darragh Flynn (0-1)

Sub used: Oisín Flynn

Easkey: Andrew Kilcullen (1-4, 3f), Bernard Feeney, Gavin Connolly, Daniel Rolston, Ronan Molloy, Eoghan Rua McGowan, Dónall Hanley, Finnian Cawley (0-2), Fionn Connolly, Mikey Gordon, Fionn Moylan (1-1), James

Weir, Thomas Cawley (0-3, 3f), Joe McHugh (0-3), Hayden Gilroy

Sub used: Niall Kilcullen

Referee: Pat Maguire