Brothers in arms combine for Garrymore win
Enda Hession made his return to club duty with Garrymore, scoring their first goal and playing a crucial role in the second. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
It was family that got Garrymore over the line in the end as the Hession brothers Enda and Jamie each found the net in the final ten minutes to secure the points over a stubborn Mayo Gaels last Wednesday evening.
On a beautiful, but gusty, evening in South Mayo, the game did not exactly match the weather in terms of a spectacle of free-flowing football but no quarter was spared by either side, the tackles flying in from both at an early stages.
While the blue and yellow enjoyed much of the ball in the opening exchanges, it was the home side who got the scoreboard ticking first from a Marl Gibbons free and the first of five points from play by corner-forward Trevor Nally.
Gaels responded well, hitting four points without reply. Two frees by John Gallagher were followed by a great score by goalkeeper Paul Mannion, who found himself high up the pitch before a sweet strike that his famous namesake on the Dublin team would have been proud.
A left-footed placed by Peter Gallagher made it 0-4 to 0-2 on 17 minutes. Despite playing with a strong wind, Garrymore were having issues breaking down a stubborn Gales rearguard, with Myles Durkan, Liam Hughes and Alan Brennan all impressing. Former Mayo senior footballer Shane Nally and Mark Gibbons (free), brought the teams level for a second time when Gaels found themselves in on goal after a point attempt by Ronan Commons came back off the post and into the hands of Enda Jennings but he blazed his shot over the bar.
Another John Gallagher free made it all square but two points from Trevor Nally late on, the first a monster effort, saw the duo all square at 0-6 apiece at the interval.
Garrymore started the second half strong and went into the lead for the first time since the 11th minutes through efforts by Trevor Nally and a third free by Mark Gibbons. Like the first half, however, the host could not follow through and Gaels hit a trio of efforts through John Gallagher, a free and a point, and one by Bryan Morrin to leave the bare minimum between them.
This contest would turn on its head in the 50th minute. A brilliant move saw Gary Golden, Aaron Hughes and Enda Hession all involved as quick hands saw them cut through the Gaels defence before current Mayo star Hession palmed it into the net.
Two minutes later, a speculative point effort from Enda Hession crashed off the post and fell into the lap of his brother Jamie and he fired low into the net to leave it 2-9 to 0-9.
Gaels were rocked, but they refused to throw in the towel. Ryan Connolly brought the gap to four with a pair of well-taken points but they couldn’t find a major and late scored by Nally brothers, Trevor and Shane, secured the win for Garrymore, who also handed a senior debut late on to former Mayo minor star Eoin McGreal.
