Parke clip Holly’ as Singh secures junior crown

Mayo Primary Junior ‘B’ Football Championship Final

Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin 0-10 

Hollymount-Carramore 0-9 

Patrick Hennelly in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar 

A virtuoso performance by Simran Singh helped propel Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin to a coveted county title success at a wet and windy MacHale Park on Sunday. These are indeed glorious days for Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin and with their minors having captured a minor ‘B’ title also last week, things are definitely looking up for the Black and Amber.

Hollymount-Carramore had the strong wind at their backs during the first-half and almost fashioned an early goal, but the woodwork denied Conor Heneghan’s ferocious strike.

Moments later, the aforementioned Heneghan got his name on the scoresheet, with his converted free also being the opening score of the joust.

Parke very nearly plundered a goal at the other end, when Lucas Kenny’s precise pass found the inrushing Dara Kelly whose fine strike was thwarted by the alert Alan Canny.

Hollymount-Carramore were eager to utilise the elements and Robert Molloy guided over a splendid effort on six minutes, much to the delight of the vocal Saffron and Blue contingent. However, despite doing their utmost to maximise the strong wind at their backs, the South Mayo side kicked some bad wides and took some poor shot selections, which would come back to haunt them at the full-time whistle.

Hollymount-Carramore then suffered a set-back when Iarla Moran picked up a black card on 18 minutes.

Despite being momentarily down to 14 men, their lively corner-forward Heneghan was proving a menace, and he pointed a marvellous long-range free on 21 minutes, before his teammate Molloy stretched the Holly-Carra lead further, 0-4 to no score.

Parke had to wait until the 26th minute to notch their first score of the game, courtesy of a free from Simran Singh, before Heneghan’s pointed reply from an acute angle just before the break helped garner a 0-5 to 0-1 half-time advantage for his Hollymount-Carramore teammates.

Following the half-time pep-talks, Parke made a positive start to the new half when Singh landed an inspirational point from distance. Jack Doocey then struck over an awesome long-range point for the chasers and a keenly-contested second period was in the offing.

Conor Heneghan then displayed great ingenuity when he took a short free and received the subsequent recycled possession, before bisecting the posts, to regain a three point cushion for the Saffron and Blue (0-6 to 0-3). However, the pendulum was beginning to swing in Parke’s favour and two points from Singh, including one from a free, on 38 and 39 minutes respectively, reignited the West Mayo side’s challenge.

Hollymount-Carramore tried their level best to quell their opponent’s enthusiasm, and a superb white-flagged effort from the energetic Molloy on 45 minutes helped give his team a little bit of breathing space. But a resolute Parke kept plugging away and points from John Cloherty, a free, and Singh had the sides tied at 0-7 apiece by the 48th minute.

Both sides shuffled their decks, and Hollymount-Carramore appeared to hold the upper hand once again when the lion-hearted JJ Connelly brilliantly guided over a self-won mark after 55 minutes.

With the game on a cliff edge, coolness was required, and when Parke were awarded a ’45, the reliable Singh was on hand to level this gripping encounter on 56 minutes.

The dying embers were helter-skelter, as Molloy regained a slender lead for the South Mayo men, following a fine move which involved JJ Connelly and Conor Heneghan.

Two minutes into stoppage-time, Singh then struck over a free to level the tie and extra-time seemed a real possibility. However, with 64 minutes played, there was controversy, when Hollymount-Carramore conceded what seemed a harsh free, which was duly converted by Singh to nudge his side in front.

There was little time for the South Mayo men to launch a comeback, and a doughty Parke were soon celebrating a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat.

Scorers – Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin: Simran Singh 0-8 (4f, 1 ‘45), Jack Doocey and John Cloherty (f) 0-1 each.

Hollymount-Carramore: Robert Molloy and Conor Heneghan (2f) 0-4 each, JJ Connelly 0-1m.

Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin: Kieran Doocey; Aaron Hurst, Muiris Cloherty, Ethan McDonagh; Martin Loftus, Jack Doocey, Aaron Moran; Lucas Kenny, Adrian Neary; Oisin Carolan, John Cloherty, Shane Corley; Simran Singh, Conor Sweeney, Dara Kelly. Subs: Jack McLoughlin (for Neary ht), Shane Kelly (for Carolan 38), Dylan Carroll (for Corley 52), Ruairí Cronin (for D Kelly 57).

Hollymount-Carramore: Alan Canny; Sam Connelly, John Walsh, Conor Geraghty; Barry Sheridan, Richie Bell, Kevin Feerick; JJ Connelly, Michael Sheridan; Iarla Moran, Rory Walsh, Oisin Duffy; Jamie Walsh, Robert Molloy, Conor Heneghan. Subs: Ben Sheridan (for Moran 28), Aodh Murphy (for Bell 44), Evan Morley (for R Walsh 46), Oisin Gill (for J Walsh 52).

REF: Declan O’Boyle (Ardagh)