Tighe goal tips tie in favour of Cill Chomáin

Treenlaur Catering Mayo JFC Semi-Final 

Cill Chomáin 1-10 

Swinford 0-11 

Darragh Walsh in St Tiernan’s Park, Crossmolina 

Sunday afternoon saw Cill Chomáin and Swinford face off at St Tiernan’s Park in Crossmolina where a place in this year’s county junior championship final was up for grabs. As was the case in many games over the course of the weekend, the old saying that goals win games proved true, with the decisive moment in this contest landing in the 48th minute of play when Luke Tighe rattled the Swinford net. It was a seismic score in the context of a two points win for the Erris men who return to the final for a third time in four years, in search of their first county junior title since 2012.

Jack Healy began the game’s scoring after four minutes, converting a free won by his older brother Justin. David Taylor was quickly at hand to reply, adding Swinford’s first a couple of minutes later to open his account.

A strong breeze blew directly across the pitch in Crossmolina but this made no difference to Kian Gallagher as the Cill Chomáin goalkeeper split the posts from a ’45 with a fine strike. Swinford again responded as Liam Moran adding a fine free of his own, drilling the ball over the bar off the outside of his right boot from long range.

The following 10 minutes saw the Erris men hit an unanswered triplet of singles as Justin Healy converted a free, Sean Murphy fisted the ball over the bar and Joe Mason landed a point from long distance off the outside of his left foot.

With half-time quickly approaching, Swinford clawed back a couple of points to reduce the deficit to one. Raiff Donnelly provided the finish after a powerful run from Sean Brady, and Mark Forkan added a single from wing-back. However, Cill Chomáin did leave the pitch two to the good as Declan Hughes’ half-time whistle sounded just after Luke Tighe had pointed from play.

The action recommenced with Liam Moran and Jack Healy both adding their second points of the match. Either side of a brilliant block from Swinford’s captain Dylan Toner on Joe Mason’s shot on goal, Swinford added a couple of points to level the contest, with Taylor and Moran again on hand to raise white flags.

Justin Healy nudged the men from North Mayo ahead again before the game’s deciding score landed. With 48 minutes on the clock, Justin found his brother Jack who, much to the delight of their manager Nigel Reape, picked out Luke Tighe at the back post who rattled the roof of the Swinford net. With a four points deficit facing them and a little over 10 minutes left to play, Swinford had work to do if wanting to extend their season to the final day.

Their perfect response almost came moments later but Dylan Toner saw his goal-bound shot cleared off the line by Cill Chomáin full-back Lorcan McGrath. Swinford did hit the next three scores without reply, however. Danny Molloy pointed from long range, Taylor added his third by finishing off a slick team move and Alan Howie was sprung from the bench to raise a white flag.

Cill Chomáin’s talisman Justin Healy was at hand, however, to double his side’s lead as the game stoppage injury time but again Moran replied, adding another free. But it was from the resulting goal kick that Cill Chomáin ensured that they would be preparing for the county final in just under three weeks’ time. Justin Healy won the long kick out from Gallagher and played through his captain Sean Murphy who split the posts with a fine finish.

Scorers – Cill Chomáin: Luke Tighe 1-1, Justin Healy 0-3 (1f), Jack Healy (1f) and Sean Murphy 0-2 each, Joe Mason and Kian Gallagher (’45) 0-1 each.

Swinford: Liam Moran 0-4 (3f), David Taylor 0-3 (1f), Raiff Donnelly, Mark Forkan, Danny Molloy and Alan Howie 0-1 each.

Cill Chomáin: Kian Gallagher; Seamus Mason, Lorcan McGrath, Eoghan MacGrath; Joe Corduff, Brendan Moran, Sean O’Flannery; Liam Maloney, Sean Murphy; Lorcan Mason, Joe Mason, Luke Tighe; Jack Healy, Justin Healy, Adam O’Connor. Subs: Shane Moran (for B Moran), Mairtin Geraghty (for Tighe, Maitios Healy (for Jack Healy), Cathal Doherty (for O’Connor).

Swinford: Conor Campbell; Alan McLoughlin, Paul McNicholas, Martin Murphy; Jack Ferguson, Sean Brady, Mark Forkan; Niall Cassidy, Dylan Toner; David Taylor, Liam Moran, Danny Molloy; Joshua Smith, Raiff Donnelly, Thomas Tuffy. Subs: Alan Howie (for Smith), Darren Campbell (for Donnelly), Jack Murphy (for McLoughlin).

REF: Declan Hughes (The Neale)