Late Gaels surge nicks it

Masonite Senior Championship Quarter-Final Replay

A shell shocked St. Caillin’s were dumped out of the Masonite Senior Championship after a dogged and never say die Melvin Gaels simply refused to let this disappointly poor Quarter-Final replay get away from them as they produced a potent last ten minutes in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada last Saturday evening.

by John Connolly


In a very poor game of football, Melvin Gaels deserve huge credit for the way they dug in and kept fighting away but St. Caillin’s will wonder how they let another big game slip from their grasp!

The League Champions had at least three clear goal chances, led by three points with ten minutes to go and missed a penalty that would have put them two points clear with three minutes to go in what can only be described as a disaster for the Fenagh men.

For the Gaels, it was a defiant victory as Fenagh appeared the better team for long spells but lacked the killer instinct they displayed. However, it still took a large slick of luck for the crucial goal when a high Daniel Branley shot came off Bobby O’Rourke and Paul Gill to rebound to an unmarked sub Thomas Lipsett.

Another crucial move was the switch of Brendan Brennan and Anthony Tiffoney. Both were completely out of the game but the switch worked wonders as Brennan started to clean up in defence and Tiffoney scored a vital point and posed more of a threat upfront. 

What will worry the Gaels was the poor form of their attack as, with the exception of Branley who won a lot of ball and showed well, they never got going. Indeed, none of their starting front six got on the score sheet and it was only the free taking of Gareth Phelan that kept them in contention.

St. Caillin’s had more than enough chances to win this one and will still be wondering how they lost it. The defeat must raise question marks about just how long this Fenagh team can go on sustaining morale shattering defeats like this!

After this game, Aughavas (whether they like it or not) will wear the mantle of favourites for the Semi-Final but the Kinlough men will be boosted by the return of Colin Regan, Joe Tiffoney and Michael McGowan for the Semi-Final which will make them a more formidable outfit.

Fenagh started brilliantly with a first minute Gerry Butler point after Padraig McGloin blocked what looked like a certain Patrick Guckian goal. Dessie Bohan hit a free wide before referee Enda Stenson punished dissention from James Phelan by moving a free in front of the posts which Brendan Flynn duly pointed after eight minutes.

A minute later, Fenagh broke from defence and Ciaran Duignan pointed to leave them three clear. The Gaels came back into the game but showed terrible shooting in front of the posts with wides from Aiden Dolan and Daniel Branley.

St. Caillin’s were not better with wides from Bohan and T.P. McLoughlin while Liam Gilmartin wided from a free. Yellow cards were issued to Johnny McGovern and Simon Foley, harshly for the Gaels player, before St. Caillin’s suffered a blow when Patrick Guckian had to leave the field injured.

Brendan Flynn scored his second point with four minutes of the half left but Peter Guckian and Duignan both hit wides almost immediately. After twenty-eight minutes, Gareth Phelan converted a lovely fifty for Melvin Gaels first score of the game.

However, the Gaels had an escape when a good move put Dessie Bohan through but he shot wide. The half ended with T.P. McLoughlin being booked for dissent as St. Caillin’s led 0-5 to 0-1 at the interval.

After a very early Ray Tubman wide, St. Caillin’s increased the lead when T.P. McLoughlin pointed but it should have been more as Dessie Bohan was put clear. They had more wides from Duignan and Padraig Flynn as Melvin Gaels gradually began to get a grip on the game at midfield.

However, they also shot wides from Branley, Gareth Phelan & Brendan Brennan including a shot from Branley that screamed across the face of the goal. Fenagh sent on Enda McKiernan for Dessie Bohan but Melvin Gaels finally got their second score of the game when Gareth Phelan converted a free after a foul on himself after fourteen minutes.

Two minutes later, Phelan repeated the dose to suddenly leave just two points in it as Thomas Lipsett came on for Damien Foy. Despite a wide, Ciaran Duignan made amends when he punished an Anthony Tiffoney foul with a free to restore a three point gap.

But Fenagh’s lead vanished in an instant a minute later when a high Branley effort for a point from the wing dipped but Bobby O’Rourke and keeper Paul Gill made a mess of it, dropping it at the feet of Thomas Lipsett who buried it in the net from about two yards.

Gareth Phelan was then yellow carded for a foul on Padraig Flynn and incredibly, Melvin Gaels took the lead for the first time when he brought off a great pick-up before sending over a fabulous point. Fenagh brought on Donal Leydon for McKiernan and it looked as if they would have an immediate chance of redemption.

A high ball in found Ciaran Duignan and he looked as if he was through on goal only for Aaron Phelan to trip him. Phelan was booked but Duignan’s focus was not on the place kick as he scooped the shot high and wide of the posts in a terrible miss.

That lifted the Gaels and they immediately when downfield where James Phelan’s run ended with Aiden Dolan being fouled and Gareth Phelan sent the free across the bar. Sean Logan came on for Brendan Flynn while Padraig Flynn earned a yellow card for a foul on James Phelan.

The Gaels made sure of the win with a point four minutes into injury time from Gareth Foley despite a pick-up off the ground. All that remained was a James Phelan wide as Fenagh never threatened at all to get a late equaliser.

Best for Melvin Gaels were James & Gareth Phelan, Gareth Foley and Daniel Branley while T.P. & Killian McLoughlin and Niall Flynn were best for St. Caillins.

Melvin Gaels

Aaron Phelan, Anthony Tiffoney (0-1), James Phelan, Fergal McGowan, Padraig McGloin, Gareth Foley (0-1), Martin McCarron, Aiden Dolan, Gareth Phelan (0-4), David Gillespie, Liam Gilmartin, Damien Foy, Brendan Brennan, Daniel Branley, Simon Foley. Sub: Thomas Lipsett (1-0) for Foy (46 mins).

St. Caillin’s

Paul Gill, Bobby O’Rourke, Killian McLoughlin, Francis Duignan, Johnny McGovern, Padraig Flynn, Ray Tubman, Niall Flynn, Peter Guckian, Brendan Flynn (0-2), T.P. McLoughlin (0-1), Dessie Bohan, Patrick Guckian, Gerry Butler (0-1), Ciaran Duignan (0-2). Subs: Enda McKiernan for Bohan (41 mins), Donal Leydon for McKiernan (55 mins), Sean Logan for B. Flynn (60 mins).

Ref: Enda Stenson.

© 2000 Leitrim Observer

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