Pressure is no big Deel for Cross’ young guns
Belmullet’s Colin Barrett feels the full force of Crossmolina’s Sean Og McGuinness. Picture: David Farrell Photography
For those tuning in around the country to TG4 last Sunday afternoon, they will have realised what many followers of Mayo football already know about this Crossmolina Deel Rovers team: there’s substance to the hype.
Many were expecting the hosts to experience their toughest test to date against the men from Erris but by half-time, Belmullet supporters were left in disbelief by the exhibition of football that Brian Benson’s men had put on.
The word men may be an exaggeration for some of Crossmolina’s starting fifteen, given some of them were back into secondary school yesterday (Monday) morning. The minor fivesome of Sean Óg McGuinness, Josh Moyles, Dylan Flynn, Oisin Deane and Kobe McDonald are not just playing a supporting role but are thriving in the red-hot atmosphere of senior club championship football, adding generational quality to the All-Ireland intermediate club champions.
Kobe McDonald was sensational once again. The 17-year-old lit up St Tiernan’s Park with his vision and quality, playing with a confidence not even peers ten years his elder would display. The calls for Andy Moran to parachute him into the Mayo senior panel will only grow louder and on this evidence, he is ready for the biggest stage.
But it’s not just the new kids on the block. Conor Loftus and Jordan Flynn were imperious, the former driving from defence time after time, the latter a dominant force in the air on both Crossmolina and Belmullet kickouts.
The Coggins trio of Aaron, Niall and Diarmuid were full of industry while the quality off the bench also cannot be overstated, with Fionán Duffy and Diarmaid Walsh both pointing and former Mayo panellist Cathal Carolan also appearing late on as a sub.
Belmullet set up to contain Crossmolina early on but by the time they got their first score on eight minutes, through a Ryan O’Donoghue free, Crossmolina had already tagged on four points through Dylan Flynn, a McDonald two-point free stuck sweetly off the carpet, and a lovely point from Loftus, driving from the heart of defence to pop the ball over.
Kieran Lavelle’s side were struggling to get out of their own half, with Crossmolina’s work-rate and tackling not giving them an inch. After Cross’ stretched their lead to six thanks to points from James Maheady, a free, Jordan Flynn and Oisin Deane, the latter two points also real good goal chances, Belmullet had one of their own on 18 minutes after Ryan O’Donoghue picked out Anthony Barrett with a brilliant ball. Crossmolina goalkeeper Patrick Loftus, who was a spectator for most of the half, got down quickly to save.
Belmullet would tag on their second point through another Ryan O’Donoghue free on 27 minutes but by then, the gap was already eleven points thanks to two points from McDonald, one each from Deane and Dylan Flynn, and a two-pointer from Jordan Flynn. It could have been more were it not for a great save by Shane Nallen who denied goal-machine Niall Coggins after another delightful ball by McDonald. The gap remained at eleven points at the break, 0-14 to 0-3, after James Maheady, a free, and Gary Boylan, exchanged points, the latter being Belmullet’s first from play.
McGuinness and Barrett traded points at the start of the second-half before another goal opportunity fell Belmullet’s way. Colin Barrett did fire the ball to the net but the referee, James Regan, correctly ruled it out for overcarrying.
Going into the final quarter, Crossmolina’s rate of scoring had slowed but Maheady, Loftus, McDonald and Deane extended their side’s lead to twelve points while Ryan O’Donoghue got a trio of Belmullet points from frees, including a two-pointer.
The goal that Crossmolina’s dazzling play deserved finally arrived on 49 minutes as Loftus lifted the ball to Kobe McDonald and the teenager fired past Nallen into the net. McDonald, and the Crossmolina supporters, roared with delight, while the Belmullet crowd began to make their way home – or at least as far as Bangor to also take in the ‘Battle of Erris’ between Kiltane and Cill Chomáin.
Their players continued to soldier on however, with a two-point free from Nallen and one point each from Gary Boylan, Evan Ivers and O’Donoghue, his sixth from a free, being the final scores of Belmullet’s championship. But Crossmolina finished the game as they had started it, with a run of points coming from the bench through Fionán Duffy, including a two-pointer, and Diarmaid Walsh.
Westport now await in the semi-finals for Crossmolina. Who would bet against them reaching back to back senior and intermediate finals now?
Scorers – Crossmolina Deel Rovers: Kobe McDonald 1-1-3 (1tpf), Fionán Duffy 0-1-2 (1tpf, 2f), Jordan Flynn 0-1-1, James Maheady (2f) and Oisin Deane 0-0-3 each, Dylan Flynn and Conor Loftus 0-0-2 each, Sean Óg McGuinness and Diarmaid Walsh 0-0-1 each.
Belmullet: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-1-4 (1tpf, 4f), Gary Boylan 0-0-2, Shane Nallen 0-1-0 (1tpf), Anthony Barrett and Evan Ivers 0-0-1 each.
Crossmolina Deel Rovers: Patrick Loftus; Sean Óg McGuinness, Kevin Mulhern, Matthew Gordetskyy; Aaron Coggins, Conor Loftus, Josh Moyles; Jordan Flynn, Kobe McDonald; Dylan Flynn, Oisin Deane, Niall Coggins; James Maheady, Patrick Leddy, Diarmuid Coggins. Subs: Fionán Duffy (for Maheady 52), Mikie Loftus (for McGuinness 56), Diarmaid Walsh (for D Coggins 58), Daragh Syron (for Leddy 60+1), Cathal Carolan (for N Coggins 60+2).
Belmullet: Shane Nallen; Daniel Barrett, Colin Barrett, Conán Connor; James O’Donnell, Eoin O’Donoghue, Anthony Barrett; Seamus Howard, Evan Ivers; James Lavelle, Fionnan Ryan, Owen McHale; Ryan O’Donoghue, Gary Boylan, Riain Concannon. Subs: James Ivers and Fionn O’Donoghue (for O’Donnell and Lavelle ht), Eamon McAndrew (for McHale 43, inj), Padraic Cowman (for Boylan 60).
REF: James Regan (Hollymount-Carramore)
