Barony boys defy red card to reach the decider
Erris St. Pat’s Owen Doherty fetches the ball cleanly at midfield during the Mayo U21C semi-final at Brickens last Sunday. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
Erris St Pats overcame Eastern Gaels in a Sunday lunchtime thriller to reach the U21 C championship final.
Greasy underfoot conditions and bitterly cold weather in Brickens didn’t stop these young men playing out a cracking encounter. Two Josh Carey points from Erris were cancelled out early on by a Senan Guilfoyle free and Dean Lyons point.
The hosts nudged ahead through Jarlath Concannon and David Smith, a mark after Rory Conway put Erris ahead again before the Kiltane/Ballycroy amalgamation hit a purple patch as they struck four points without reply through Rory Conway, a Josh Carey free, John Ginty and Nathan Ginnelly to open up a three point gap.
The visitors were dealt a blow when Ginty was black carded on 24 minutes for an unwise choice of words at match official Jerome Henry but it didn’t deter them from scoring two of the last three points of the half through a monster effort by Brendan Conway and Carey’s second free to take a 0-9 to 0-5 lead into the interval, Guilfoyle getting Gaels final score of the half from a free.
That lead was stretched to five through another Brendan Conway point and Carey’s third free either side of a single by Jack Madden. It was Madden who would play a part in Gaels winning a penalty on 35 minutes as he played in Jarlath Concannon for a near certain goal but he was pulled down by John Conway. The referee awarded a penalty, which was converted by Smith, and showed Conway a straight red card.
Erris responded with another mega Brendan Conway effort from distance before Gaels netted a second goal on 38 minutes after a Guilfoyle point effort dropped into the hands of Madden outside the square and he coolly slotted in.
Two further frees by Guilfoyle were cancelled out by Brendan Conway and a Carey mark but Erris would finish with aplomb as they scored 2-3 in the final stages to send them into the decider against Swinford. Both goals came from John Ginty, the latter a stunner from 40 metres out which floated over the Gaels goalkeeper.
