Intermediate Football Final

 

St. Columbkille’s 2-6 Galway 1-10

 

St. Columbkille’s and Galway played an exciting intermediate football final.  There was little that separated the sides all year, and so it was on Saturday evening as Galway took the title by a solitary point.  Galway dominated for stretches of the game but kicked a tremendous amount of wides, while St. Columbkilles kept themselves in the game with a first half goal and some spurts of good play.  A goal at the death came too late for St. Columbkille’s as time abruptly ran out denying the men in black a chance to equalize.

 

St. Cols had two early chances which were snatched at as a goal beckoned, but perhaps taking the point would have been the better option early in the game.  Galway went into a three point lead before St. Cols got off the mark.  Eoin Keating, Dara Shovlin,and Andy Farrell answered the early Galway scores, and after Lloyd Golfer put Galway into a one point lead with a free St. Columbkille’s goaled by Dara Shovlin who was fed by Andy Farrell.  St. Columbkille’s found it hard to cope with the running of Mark Brennan and the Carlow man opened up holes in the opposing defence on several occasions.  Golfer and Kieran Comer pointed before the half and Eoin Keating did likewise for St. Cols.  At the half St. Cols held a tenuous one point lead.

 

The early part of the second half has been the Achilles heel for St Columbkille’s, and so it was in the final.  Galway scored a goal and two points to a point for their opponents to go into a three point lead.  Sean O’Meara goaled, and it was always coming as the maroon side had missed two great chances prior to that.  Corner backs Andreas Doyle and Brian Malone did a superb marking job on the St. Cols corner forwards and shut down the scoring threat.  With five minutes to go St. Cols made a run at it and could have stolen the game.  Sean O’Meara opened the lead to four with a point, requiring two scores from St. Cols to win.  Two badly missed frees proved to be the downfall for St. Cols, as a goal came from Ordhan McCann with practically the last kick of the game.  The Galway lead was reduced to a point, but the whistle went for full time before St. Cols had a chance to try and level the scores.  Jubilation for Galway and severe disappointment for St. Cols who have lost four finals in the last six years.

 

St. Columbkilles:  Colin Murphy (Gaillimh), Darren Burke (Luimnigh), Fiontan Gamble (Aontroim) Darragh Keane (Ath Cliath), Niall Clarke (Ath Cliath), Jason O’Brien (Luimnigh), Conor Hannick (Maigheo), John Cunningham (Tir Chonaill), Andrew Farrell (Ath Cliath) JP Stokes (Luimnigh), Odhran McCann (Ath Cliath), Eoin Keating (Luimnigh), Dara Shovlin (Ath Cliath). Subs:  James Kinsella (Loch Garman), Paddy McKenna (Tir Eoghain), Donnacha Lee (Ath Cliath), Davy Feehan (Maigheo), Dermot O’Connor (Maigheo).  Galway:  Dermot Donnellan, Andreas Doyle, Brian Malone, JJ O’Neill, Peter Ryan, Pat Nolan, Kieran Comer, Dave Lally, Donal Redmond, Mark Brennan, Sean O’Meara, JF O’Connor, Lloyd Golfer.  Subs:  Peter Nolan, MJ Hynes.