Gaels succumb to a superior Fuerty

SHAMROCK GAELS FUERTY

SHAMROCK Gaels crashed out of the Connacht Intermediate Football Championship at the hands of a clinical Fuerty at Connolly Park on Sunday.

Well beaten, the Sligo side found themselves eleven points down before they mustered their first score of the game in the 28th minute.

Gaels did show character to produce an improved performance in the second period, but the deficit was far too great for John McPartland’s young side to bridge.

Working off a crisp passing game, a more experienced Fuerty had just too much for their opponents. The Roscommon champions, aided by a strengthening breeze, leading by four points with 17 minutes gone.

Darragh Hailstones did have his goal bound effort blocked by Fuerty goalkeeper Luke Byrne, but the Coola men were powerless to resist the game’s opening goal as Aengus Lyons’ pass parted the Gaels defence for Eamon Bannon to fire home.

David Quinn, who managed 0-5 on the day, saw his free caught in the wind before a Fuerty player managed to bat it off his own goalline. But a relentless Fuerty were in no lax mood as they picked up their second green flag of the day courtesy of Oisin Lyons.

2-5 down, Gaels managed their first score just two minutes from the break through Quinn after hard work from Dillon McDermott and Darragh Hailstones. But Fuerty kept coming in waves and registered two more points before half-time.

With heavy rain now falling by the Owenmore, Gaels produced a bright spell as they kicked three points without reply thanks to a David Quinn double and a great score from play from Frank Quinn.

Donal Tuohy denied Fuerty sub Robbie Fallon with a superb stop on 39, but he could do little about further white flags from Ward, Cian Murray, Philip Neilan and the sharp Gearoid Ennis.

Trailing 2-11 to 0-5 with five to go and with the tie well out of reach, David Quinn did manage his fifth in added time before Ennis added the gloss with a fifth of his own.

This game will serve as no more than a learning curve for a youthful Gaels panel ahead of their first year back in senior football in 2019.

Shamrock Gaels: Donal Tuohy; Ben Tuohy, Evan Lyons, Keith McMorrow; Karl McKenna, Paul Higgins, Declan Willis; Dillon McDermott, Joe Henry, Shane Deignan, Brian Boyd, James Carroll; Darragh Hailstones (Dylan Willis 39), Frank Quinn (0-1) (Daire Kearns 58), David Quinn (0-5).

Fuerty: Luke Byrne; Philip Neilan (0-1) (Robbie Fallon, black card 35), Tom Bannon, Mark Ward (0-2) (Adam Farrell 61); Aengus Lyons, Adam Whyte, Peter Kellegan; Cian Murray (0-1) (Brendan Mullen 55), Niall Keenan (0-1); Oisin Lyons (1-0), Eamon Bannon (1-2), John Brennan; Ben McGahan, Peter Leahy, Gearoid Ennis (0-5) (Joe Brennan 61).

Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).