Early goals help Gaels breeze into final
Dean Lyons of Eastern Gaels looks to take on Killala defender Andrew Gallagher during last Sunday's Mayo JFC semi-final in Swinford. Pictures: Conor McKeown
Eastern Gaels raised a gallop while Killala got stuck in the stalls, as Sunday’s junior ‘A’ semi-final in Swinford turned out an underwhelming affair. That, of course, won’t bother Gaels one bit, as they not just look forward to a second consecutive appearance in the county decider but a second opportunity in 12 months to win the championship for the first time in their club’s history.
This game was all but over after only eight minutes, as Eastern Gaels raced into a 2-3 to no score lead. The margin was never shrunk by a Killala side who at one stage of the first-half would find themselves 14 points in arrears.
The county final has all the makings of a shootout as no more than Eastern Gaels, Ardagh have some seriously slick attacking arsenal at their disposal also.
It had taken only 75 seconds of this semi-final before Gaels hit the net for the first of three occasions in the first-half. The move began when their big midfielder Luke Mannion landed a solid hit on Killala wing-back Michael O’Hora to force an overturn, after which Eastern Gaels full-forward Jack Madden was allowed to slip in from the left wing far too easily and crash the ball past goalkeeper Andrew Farrell.
Dara Flanagan struck one and two-point frees either side of a second Gaels goal, finished emphatically by Michael McGarry after build-up play involving the Concannon boys, Henry and Jarlath, and Flanagan, and when Dean Lyons became the next member of the full-forward line to score, his 17th point left the scoreboard reading 2-4 to no score.
Killala were playing into a very stiff breeze and it took a determined run from wing-back Sean Walsh to draw a foul that resulted in Mattie Keane converting their opening point, in the 21st minute, but they conceded a further goal and two points before scoring again – and were fortunate it wasn’t more.
Eastern Gaels wing-back Shane Glynn punished a poor clearance, after Killala had first of all worked so hard to rob possession, and his point was supplemented by a soccer-style McGarry goal on 23 minutes, with only a superb save from Farrell denying McGarry completing his hat-trick a minute later.
McGarry, however, had shot with an advanced mark accruing, so pointed that to leave Gaels 3-6 to 0-1 in front.
Killala did stir themselves a little when scoring five points in the final seven minutes of the half, three of them Mattie Keane frees and the others from play by Gavin Walsh and Sean Walsh, but a second two-point score by Flanagan, this time from play, still had Gaels enjoying a commanding 3-08 to 0-06 lead at the turnaround.
Killala left too many opportunities behind them in the third quarter to even give themselves a fighting chance of a comeback, including captain Matthew Long’s shot that drew a near post save by goalkeeper Ronan Forde and either side of it, Mattie Keane’s two-point frees, that tailed off target.
They did reply to a Flanagan pointed free with three points of their own by Gavin Walsh and Mattie Keane, two, to leave three goals separating the sides after 38 minutes, but that was as good as it got for Enda Gilvarry’s side.
Indeed they were fortunate not to concede further majors as substitute Rory McGuire was only on the pitch when he was clearing Jarlath Concannon’s shot off the line, while Andrew Farrell smothered a goal attempt from Jason Jennings and corner-back John Joe Nealon managed to get a vital touch to Dara Flanagan’s attempted lob at the Killala goal.
Shane Glynn and Michael McGarry did keep the scoreboard ticking along with points however, and the hardworking Luke Mannion kicked a reply to Keane’s latest pointed free, before Killala’s Sean Gildea finally claimed the point his efforts deserved after several near misses in the first-half, leaving the scoreboard reading 3-12 to 0-11.
McGuire was unfortunate to see a 55th minute goal attempt smash against Eastern Gaels’ crossbar, which would have reduced his side’s arrears to seven points, and instead the North Mayo outfit were faced with a 12 points deficit after points by Conor Grogan and Dara Flanagan completed the scoring for Gaels.
Ben Stowe and sub James McLoughlin pared back consolation points, the latter’s a fierce shot that was pushed over the bar by Forde, but Gaels’ place in Sunday week’s final had long since been decided.
Scorers – Eastern Gaels: Michael McGarry 2-0-2 (1m), Dara Flanagan 0-2-3 (1tpf, 1f), Jack Madden 1-0-0, Shane Glynn 0-0-2, Dean Lyons, Luke Mannion and Conor Grogan 0-0-1 each.
Killala: Mattie Keane 0-0-7 (6f, ’45), Gavin Walsh 0-0-2, Sean Walsh, Ben Stowe, Sean Gildea and James McLoughlin 0-0-1 each.
Eastern Gaels: Ronan Forde; Tony Aylward, Jack Ronayne, Rowan Johnson; Jarlath Concannon, Tom Hession, Shane Glynn; Luke Mannion, Henry Concannon; Darren Concannon, Jason Jennings, Michael McGarry; Dara Flanagan, Jack Madden, Dean Lyons. Subs: Connor Grogan (for Lyons 42), Charlie Johnston (for Ronayne 49), Ethan Owens and Shane Clarke (for Glynn and Jennings 60).
Killala: Andrew Farrell; John Joe Nealon, Liam Maughan, Andrew Gallagher; Sean Walsh, Conor Gilvarry, Michael O’Hora; Raymond Murphy, Brian Ferguson; Matthew Long, Ben Stowe, Callum McDonald; Sean Gildea, Mattie Keane, Gavin Walsh. Subs: James McLoughlin and Rory McGuire (for Murphy and S Walsh 38), Niall Joyce (for Ferguson 45), Michael Gough (for G Walsh 49), Murphy (for McDonnell 55).
REF: John Brennan (Claremorris)
