Cill Chomáin have no answer to strength of Gaeltacht rivals
Cill Chomáin's Eoghan McGrath is closed down by Maitiú Ó Domhnaill. Picture: John Corless
A strong second-half display by An Cheathru Rua ended Cill Chomáin’s involvement in the Connacht Junior Football Championship, at the semi-final stage, in Tuam last Saturday.
“We have no complaints,” Cill Chomáin manager Nigel Reape told the after the game. “We came up against a far superior team today and we were beaten fair and square. Their second-half display and the quality of their substitutes were too much for us,” he said. “We wish them the best of luck in the remainder of the competition.”
An Cheathru Rua started better than Cill Chomáin and went two points ahead from the boot of corner-forward Éanna MacCormaic, whose frees in the first and sixth minutes flew over. He might have had another but was denied by the upright.
An Cheathru Rua were sending the ball in long to target man Michéal O’Briain, while Cill Chomáin were trying to work themselves into scoreable positions. After a nervous opening, in which they couldn’t get the ball into their forward line, Cill Chomáin eventually opened their account when Derek Moran pointed after 10 minutes, following a good move. The light shower that fell on Tuam Stadium didn’t deter Maitiú O’Domhnaill, as he restored the two-point margin in the fourteenth minute with a long range shot, only to see Moran pull one back from play for Cill Chomáin a minute later.
Two minutes further in, Joe Mason struck a booming 50-metre point to level it. O’Domhnaill sent one wide – the first of the day – five minutes before the break but Éanna MacCormaic sent over another free to put An Cheathru Rua back on top.
Cill Chomáin, Mayo champions after a replay win against Bonniconlon, were soon to hit the front for the first time as Derek Moran struck two frees that were good enough to keep his side in front at the half-time break, 0-5 to 0-4. In between the two points however, Padráig MacDonnacha’s goal-bound shot was tamely collected by Kian Gallagher in the Cill Chomáin goal. The ’keeper was in different action a couple of minutes later – his long range free fell short of An Cheathru Rua’s goal, and Justin Healy, who was tightly marked all day, sent the rebound wide.
An Cheathru Rua introduced their captain Stiofán O’Briain at the break, and he made an immediate impact as the Galway outfit took control of the game and drove at Cill Chomáin. A well-worked move saw O’Domhnaill level it. Jack Healy pointed a free to edge Cill Chomáin ahead again while at the other end, Dara O’Sé had a goal chance saved. Points from Fergal O’Sé, Fionán O’Conghaile and a free from Pádraig O’Loideáin put An Cheathru Rua in charge and whilst Gallagher came out of his goal to point a free for Cill Chomáin on 51 minutes, this was to be their last score of the game.
Maitiú O’Domhnaill got the point of the day from out the wing, and substitute Oisin O’ Lochnáin added another before Éanna McCormaic drove the ball to the Cill Chomáin net, to put the issue beyond all doubt. Substitute Cian O’Domhnaill added a point with two minutes remaining, to complete the scoring for An Cheathru Rua. There was still time, however, for Maitiú O’Domhnaill to pick up a black card for a foul and for Kian Gallagher to see red for an incident up the field, at the death.
The An Cheathru Rua management had their homework done on Cill Chomáin. They completely neutralised the effect of top-scorer, Justin Healy, with tight marking. Fionán O’Conghaile and Maitiú O’Domhnaill were best for An Cheathru Rua while Derek Moran and Joe Mason were Coll Chomáin’s most influential on the day.
“We held them to a degree, in the first-half,” Nigel Reape said. “We had a lot of people back behind the ball because we had no choice. They had pace all over the place. We kicked a few great points in the first-half that kept us in it. We have no excuses. Even if we had everybody available we would struggle against that team. An Cheathru Rua are a seriously good team.
“We have had a great year and we were always in bonus territory with this. We were never going to go deep into this competition anyway,” he remarked.
Cill Chomáin full back, Lorcan McGrath, said the team was devastated to lose.
“It’s heartbreaking after the hard work we did over the year,” Lorcan told the . “We were delighted to win Mayo and coming here, we thought we had prepared well. Obviously, An Cheathru Rua were prepared better. We were slow to get into it – which has happened us before a few times. They had the legs on us in the second-half.
“They are an outstanding team and a nice group of lads. They have some great young players. We wish them the best for the rest of the competition. We have intermediate football to look forward to in Mayo next year,” added McGrath by way of consolation.
Scorers – An Cheathru Rua: Éanna McCormaic 1-3 (0-3f), Maitiú O’Domhnaill 0-3, Fergal O’Se, Fionán O’Conghaile, Pádraig O’Loideáin, Oisin O’Lochnáin and Cian O’Domhnaill 0-1 each.
Cill Chomáin: Derek Moran 0-4 (2f), Joe Mason, Jack Healy (f) and Kian Gallagher (f) 0-1 each.
Cill Chomáin: Kian Gallagher; Seamus Mason, Lorcan McGrath, Eoghan McGrath; John Flannery, Joe Corduff, Seán Irwin; Seán Murphy, Liam Maloney; Adam Conroy, Joe Mason, Lorcan Mason; Justin Healy, Jack Healy, Derek Moran. Subs: Martin Geraghty (for Irwin 45), Brendan Moran (for J Mason 50), Cathal Doherty (for Conroy 51), Matthew Healy (for Jack Healy 55), Luke Tighe (for L McGrath 58).
An Cheathru Rua: James Ó Flatharta; Johnny Ó Tiarnaigh, Iarfhlaith Ó Conchubhair, Colm O’Cualáin; Dara Ó Sé; Myles MacDonnacha, Ethan DePaor; Michéal Ó Tuathail, Pádraig MacDonnacha; Maitiú Ó Domhnaill. Pádraig Ó Loideáin, Fergal Ó Sé; Éanna MacCormaic, Michéal Ó Briain, Fionán Ó Conghaile. Subs: Stiofán Ó Briain (for Ó Tuathail ht), Oisin Ó Lochnáin (for Ó Cualáin 37), Cian Ó Domhnaill (for F Ó Sé 43), Seán Óg O’Loideáin (for D Ó Sé 49); Coilin Ó Domhnaill (for MacCormaic 58).
REF: Michael McGirl (Leitrim)
