U21 Co. Championship
An Ghaeltacht 0-09 Austin Stacks 1-13
On a glorious Wednesday evening (26th June) in Gallarus our U21s qualified for the quarter finals of the Co. Championship by virtue of a seven points win in this round 1 clash. Both sides had early wides before Danny Carroll pointed us in the lead with two pointed frees in the 8th and 11th minutes. Two minutes later Ciarán O’Connell added another from play. Then in the 14th minute the home side were through on goal but Paul Glavin made a superb goal-line clearance to prevent a certain equalizer.
A beautiful move, started by Tom McLoughlin from his half back position, was carried on by his fellow wing back David O’Sullivan who found Danny Carroll who pointed. We were now dominating all sectors of play with Alan Duggan and Ciarán O’Connell outstanding in the centre and it was Ciarán who put over our 5th point after he fielded brilliantly from the kick-out and burst up field to split the posts. We added four more points in as many minutes – three from play by Eamon McAllen, Alan Duggan and Ciarán Flanagan, and another pointed free by Danny Carroll to leave us ahead by nine points to no score after 24 minutes. But then An Ghaeltacht came more into the game and between the 26th and 29th minutes put over three (two from frees). But on the stroke of half time Ciarán Flanagan landed another beauty to leave us ahead at the break by 0-10 to 0-3.
Six minutes after the resumption An Ghaeltacht had reduced the deficit even further with two points (0-10 to 0-5). But the score that really killed off the game came in the 41st minute when Seán Ryan lost his marker and received a pass from Danny Carroll, and even though his shot was partially blocked it had sufficient momentum to hit the back of the net for the game’s only goal. Seán followed this a minute later with a super point from an acute angle. Gaeltacht kept pressing and it took a brilliant save from Barry Galvin to keep his net intact. We, understandably, eased off in the final quarter, but we did manage two more points, both superb efforts from play, by Danny Carroll and Ciarán Flanagan, while the home side added four during this quarter. A very good win, with only four of the nineteen who played in the 21 age group and seven from our Minor team.
Team: Barry Galvin, Barry Walsh, Alan Crean, Paul Galvin, David O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Neill (Capt), Tom McLoughlin, Alan Duggan (0-1), Ciarán O’Connell (0-2), David Hanafin, Seán Ryan (1-1), Eoghan McKivergan, Ciarán Flanagan (0-3), Danny Carroll (0-5 – 3 frees), Eamon McAllen (0-1). Subs: Shane Crowley (37m), Breandán Caball (37m), Dylan Hartnett (57m), Paddy Fitzgibbon (58m).
We now play Shannon Rangers in the quarter final and this will go ahead in Connolly Park on next Wednesday evening (3rd July).