Shamrock Gaels to meet Curry
ENNISCRONE/KILGLASS SHAMROCK GAELS 0-9 2-8
Kennedys Intermediate Football Championship
Semi final replay
IN a blustery Bunninadden, Enniscrone/Kilglass and Shamrock Gaels took to the field once again for this Kennedys Intermediate semi final replay on Sunday afternoon.
The west Sligo men are more than familiar with replays this season, with their quarter final bout with Ballymote also going the same route before Con O’Meara’s men progressed to meet the Riverstown outfit in the semi final. Awaiting the eventual winner in the final on October 21st at the same venue stands Curry.
The spectators braving the windy conditions were given a game of two very different tales with the first half belonging very much to Enniscrone/Kilglass who looked extremely pacey on the ball and despite playing into an incredibly strong breeze were accurate in their shooting, while down the other end, John McPartland’s Shamrock Gaels were guilty of a number of missed opportunities.
Shamrock Gaels hit 7 wides in this opening 30 minutes compared to their opponents’ two as Enniscrone/Kilglass were in complete control, particularly in midfield with brothers Cathal and Donal Mullaney the driving force behind much of their team’s attacking drives.
Shamrock Gaels although they had squandered chances were still right on Enniscrone/Kilglass’s tails by the interval with only a point separating the sides.
Brian Coleman got the first score of the game three minutes in after Kevin Cawley was fouled and the west Sligo men went 2 in front a minute later after a great catch from JP Carden fed Shane Hargadon who passed to Mark Gordon and the corner forward didn’t hesitate in slotting over from play.
The momentum was very much with Enniscrone/Kilglass in the opening stages and there was 8 minutes on the clock before Shamrock Gaels got their first score.
Referee Ronan Hynes gave a free to them after Carden handled the ball on the ground and up stepped David Quinn with a well-struck free which was warmly greeted by the maroon and white support.
Con O’Meara’s men responded almost immediately as Shamrock Gaels were again reprimanded for fouling, this time Michael Moyles was brought down and he brilliantly sent over the resulting free even with a strong wind blowing in his direction.
Quinn added Shamrock Gaels’s second on 11 minutes again from a free from a difficult angle on the sideline but his attempt sailed between the posts as one point separated them once again.
The hardworking Donal Mullaney while driving forward was fouled for Enniscrone/ Kilglass and Moyles was on target again with his second free which curled over the bar much to the delight of the west Sligo support.
Frank Quinn pointed a fantastic score from close to 50 yards for Shamrock Gaels on 16 minutes which Enniscrone/ Kilglass responded to almost immediately, Coleman feeding Hargadon who pointed a fine score from play to give his side a 2 point lead.
It was Enniscrone/Kilglass again who won the kick out and possession fell brilliantly to Hargadon once more and he ran through the Shamrock Gaels defence before fisting over as double scores separated the sides.
The Shamrock Gaels defence was under a lot of pressure from a continual Enniscrone/Kilglass attack but they kept the scoreboard ticking over as halftime approached, David Quinn pointing a fantastic score from the corner on 25 minutes before a good move involving Frank Quinn passed to Darragh Hailstones who did well to turn and send over Shamrock Gaels’s 5th point on 29 minutes.
The hardworking Dillon McDermott almost levelled the game on the brink of halftime, his long range effort just dropping short into Enniscrone/Kilglass’s keeper Greg Regan’s arms as the west Sligo side led by 6 points to 5 at the break.
As Enniscrone/Kilglass dominated the first half, the second 30 minutes belonged to a resurgent Shamrock Gaels.
Two minutes after the resumption and they took the lead for the first time in the game after David Quinn blasted to the net from the penalty spot after Brian Boyd was fouled, this would be the score that turned the match and from here they never looked back.
They outscored the west Sligo men by 2-3 to 3 points in this half and were far more free flowing in their movement and attacking prowess, the entire team contributing as Enniscrone/Kilglass ran out of options. Frank Quinn was an integral force for Shamrock Gaels and was also involved in the build up to the penalty along with David Quinn.
There was only 11 minutes on the clock in the second half and Shamrock Gaels got their 2nd goal to put six points between them. Again Frank Quinn and Boyd involved in the move as they fed the clinical David Quinn who sent a rocket into the back of the Enniscrone/Kilglass net as keeper Greg Regan could do little to stop.
Within the space of a minute Boyd and substitute Shane Duignan added 2 more points for Shamrock Gaels, the latter seeing McDermott sending a brilliant ball into the path of Duignan as they led by 8 points with 15 minutes remaining.
Shamrock Gaels were moving the ball extremely well and providing little options for Enniscrone/Kilglass to reduce the lead.
However they kept trying and a Moyles free was followed by an excellent point from play by Gordon as Enniscrone/ Kilglass brought it back to a 6 point game with 7 minutes left.
Any chance of a spirited comeback ran out of time for the west Sligo men as Moyles scored a late free, but a place in the final belonged to Shamrock Gaels as they meet Curry in what should be a thrilling encounter on Sunday week.
ENNISCRONE/KILGLASS: G Regan, E Burke, B Byron, J Ellis, K Cawley, JP Carden, E Hallinan, D Mullaney, C Mullaney (C), B Coleman, C O’Dowd, Cian Mulrooney, M Gordon, M Moyles, S Hargadon. Subs used: K Carden, C Tuffy.
Scorers: M Moyles (0-4, 4f), M Gordon (0-2), S Hargadon (0-2), B Coleman (0-1 1f).
SHAMROCK GAELS: D Tuohy, B Tuohy, E Lyons, K McMorrow, K McKenna, P Higgins (C), A Flynn, D McDermott, M Kilkenny, J Henry, D McDermott, B Boyd, J Carroll, D Hailstones, F Quinn, D Quinn. Subs used: S Duignan, C O’Connor, J Quinn.
Scorers: D Quinn 2-3 (pen, 2f), B Boyd (0-2), F Quinn (0-1), D Hailstones (0-1), S Duignan (0-1).
REFEREE: R Hynes.