Easkey fall just short as Saints go marching on

AIB All-Ireland Club JHC Semi-Final 

St Catherine’s (Cork) 0-12 

Easkey 0-11 

Paul O’Malley at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe 

Easkey fell just short in their quest to reach a second All-Ireland final on the bounce with a one-point defeat to St Catherine’s of Cork on Saturday afternoon in Ballinasloe.

It was nip and tuck throughout until Catherine’s hit a purple patch in the closing ten minutes to hit four points unanswered and open up a three-point gap that Easkey could not find a way to close in the remaining time.

Both teams struggled with their shooting throughout this game, a fact that will matter little to St Catherine’s now on their way to an All-Ireland final but will prove a sting in the tail to Easkey. Andrew Kilcullen, scorer of 1-11 in the Connacht final, struggled under the duress of Saint’s full-back Eoghan O’Riordan, but did end the game with 0-5 to his name. O’Riordan and Liam O’Connor were impressive for the Cork side among their defensive ranks while Kyle Wallace had a fine game in the middle of the park, scoring three points from play to boot.

Easkey led by one on a scoreline of 0-6 to 0-5 going in at the break but it was a half, and indeed a game overall, defined by poor shot selection as Easkey dropped four chances short into the hands of the St Catherine’s custodian Eoin Davis while St Catherine’s themselves racked up five wides. Matthew Mulcahy opened the Munster side’s account with a point from play with three minutes gone.

The junior championship’s leading scorer Andrew Kilcullen provided half of the Sligo men’s tally in the first-half, opening their scoring with a delicious point from a sideline ball. Eoin Condon fired St Catherine’s back in front before Kilcullen and Fionnan Cawley pointed to put Easkey ahead, after the latter turned the ball over well high up the pitch. Matthew Mulcahy popped up again to make it level once more.

Easkey had spurned a number of chances. Kilcullen had two efforts drop short and Fionn Moylan another. Greater power in their shots could have seen Easkey well in front by now.

They did take the lead again, albeit temporarily. Mikey Gordon turned over Kieran Neville high up the pitch and fired over for Easkey but Kyle Wallace responded again for Catherine’s. Kilcullen and Cawley took scores back-to-back for Easkey before Sean O’Donoghue’s free put a point between the sides at half-time. Andrew Kilcullen had generated a big goal chance for Easkey when taking down Fionn Molloy’s pass and turning the sliotar goalwards, but the St Catherine’s goalkeeper Eoin Davis hauled the small ball wide of the net.

The Saints took the first three points of the second-half to put themselves two in front. Within sixty seconds of the restart, they were ahead as O’Donoghue added his second point of the game and Brian Mulcahy added another. Seven minutes later, O’Donoghue put them two in front. The profligate nature of the game remained as both sides struggled for scores.

Easkey eventually got themselves back in front, taking the next three scores unanswered. Fionnan Cawley scored his third point of the afternoon and Kilcullen his fourth from a free. Rory McHugh added the next for the Blues, but St Catherine’s hit their stride in the closing quarter and opened up an unassailable lead. Kyle Wallace came to the fore in this period, winning possession in the middle of the park well and taking two points from play to boot. The Ballynoe men’s ‘keeper, Eoin Davis, also scored a massive point, a free from beyond the 65-metre line either side of Wallace’s two points. Full-forward Eoin Condon’s next point was huge, opening up a three-point gap and leaving Easkey needing a big moment in the closing stages to get back into this game.

The West Sligo men pursued it with great vigour and into the first minute of the three minute injury time period, Andrew Kilcullen brought their points tally into double figures with a free. Substitute Adam Rolston fired over a fine score to cut the gap to a point but there was no time for Easkey to manifest a levelling point and the final whistle came as sweet relief to St Catherine’s.

Scorers – Easkey: Andrew Kilcullen 0-5 (3f, 1’sl), Finnian Cawley 0-3, Rory McHugh, Mikey Gordon and Adam Rolston 0-1 each.

St Catherine’s: Kyle Wallace and Sean O’Donoghue 0-3 (2f), Matthew Mulcahy and Eoin Condon 0-2 each, Eoin Davis (f) and Brian Mulcahy 0-1 each.

Easkey: Jimmy Gordon; Eoghan Rua McGowan, Gavin Connolly, Dónall Hanley; Niall Kilcullen, Rory McHugh, Ronan Molloy; Mikey Gordon, Finnian Cawley; Fionn Moylan, Joe McHugh, James Weir; Thomas Cawley, Andrew Kilcullen, Fionn Connolly. Subs: Shane Molloy (for McGowan 52), Adam Rolston (for Molloy 56).

St Catherine’s: Eoin Davis; Fionn O’Connell, Eoghan O’Riordan, Liam O’Connor; Kian O’Donoghue, Oisín Fitzgerald, Kieran Neville; Kyle Wallace, Shane Cotter; William Leamy, Rory Galvin, Seán O’Donoghue; Brian Mulcahy, Eoin Condon, Matthew Mulcahy. Subs: Kevin Barry (for M Mulcahy 45), Gearoid O’Brien (for Leamy 51), Conor Hegarty (for K O’Donoghue 53), Eoin Wallace (for O’Connor 56).

REF: Peter Owens (Down)