Belmullet beat the fury of Bert and Neale
Belmullet's Fionn O'Donoghue shoots for goal but his attempt was blocked by The Neale goalkeeper Jack Coleman during last Sunday's County U21 'C' football championship final at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence. Picture: David Farrell Photography
After a marathon affair in desperate conditions, the U21 ‘C’ title would go the way of the boys from the Barony last Sunday afternoon after extra-time.
The preceding ‘B’ final was hampered by poor weather but the conditions for that were a walk in the park in comparison to the at monsoon-like conditions brought by Storm Bert at times during this contest. Such was the strength of the wind that all of The Neale’s eight points in normal time came in the first-half alone.
Yet that might have been enough as Belmullet, now with the assist of the galeforce wind, shot wide after wide in the second-half. Fionn O’Donoghue’s goal eventually forced extra-time and Belmullet, despite weary legs and minds, kicked on through their inspirational captain Daithi Cosgrove to overcome a dogged and determined Neale outfit.
Two points from James Luskin and one each from Evan Lydon and Mayo U20 forward Tom Lydon had The Neale 0-4 to 0-0 up by the end of the first quarter. Two short range frees from Cosgrove got Belmullet up and running but they could not capitalise further despite having a brief numerical advantage after Harry Costello was shown a black card for The Neale.
Among the chances that went astray included O’Donoghue being denied a goal twice by Neale goalkeeper Jack Coleman. Luskin also rattled the bar but his effort would not be all in vain as O’Donoghue sent over the rebound. But The Neale did finish the half strongly as Tom Lydon kicked three of their next four scores, the latter a monster free from near the halfway line, while the other point arrived from a mark by Evan Lydon, to put the boys from the Mayo-Galway border 0-8 to 0-3 ahead at half-time.
Belmullet were fluffing their lines in front of the posts as confidence appeared to ebb away before Cosgrove kicked Belmullet’s fourth point, from a mark, on 39 minutes. O’Donoghue saw another attempt crash off the post before the inspirational Cosgrove reduced the gap to three. However, Belmullet rained in balls on top of The Neale backline but it appeared the Green and White were going to hold firm, led superbly by captain Ronan Varley, until another Cosgrove free found its man and O’Donoghue palmed the ball to the net to draw Belmullet level on 54 minutes. The elation of the goal was soon hampered when Darragh Dixon was sent off for a second yellow card moments later, but Belmullet held off a late surge from The Neale to bring it to extra-time.
The Neale endured a nightmare first period as Domhnall Ryan was shown a straight red card to erase their extra man advantage while two efforts from Daithi Cosgrove, one free, and another point from Fionn O’Donoghue put breathing space between the two teams going into the second period.
A second Tom Lydon free, The Neale’s first score for over 40 minutes, gave them some hope but The Neale would score only one more point through Evan Lydon as Belmullet’s main man, Cosgrove, and Anthony Barrett made sure with a point apiece late on to round off a memorable triumph.
Scorers – Belmullet: Fionn O’Donohue 1-3, Daithi Cosgrove 0-6 (4f, 1m), Anthony Barrett 0-1.
The Neale: Tom Lydon 0-5 (2f), Evan Lydon 0-3 (1m, 1f), James Luskin 0-2.
Belmullet: Leo Reuland; James Ivers, James Lavelle, Thady Breathanach; Patrick Conroy, Thomas Tighe, Ryan Concannon; Seamus Howard, Darren McDonnell; Darragh Dixon, Anthony Barrett, Liam O’Connor; Fionn O’Donoghue, Eamon Ruddy, Daithí Cosgrove. Subs: Glen Mac Nicoll (for O’Connor 38), Cillian Ruane (for Conroy 62), Patrick Monaghan (for Howard 78).
The Neale: Jack Coleman; Eoin O’Dea, Ronan Varley, Jack Kelly; Scott Englebrecht, Harry Costello, Daithi Butler; James Luskin, Ronan Hughes; Evan Lydon, Robbie Hughes, Niall Rochford, Eoghan O’Halloran, Tom Lydon, Iarla Forde. Subs: Dara O’Dea (for Englebrecht 22), Domhnall Ryan (for Rochford 39).
REF: Enda Nolan (Balla).
