Gaels one step closer
Masonite
Senior Championship Group Four Fourth Round
Melvin Gaels took a huge step towards the Masonite Senior Championship Quarter-Finals when they saw off group leaders St. Caillin’s in Drumshanbo last Saturday.
Melvin Gaels 0-9 Fenagh 0-6
St. Caillin’s had already qualified for the quarter-finals but Melvin Gaels needed the victory to stay ahead of Annaduff and Ballinaglera in the battle for the second qualifying place. The victory sets Melvin Gaels up for a huge north Leitrim derby with Ballinaglera next Saturday evening. Just a point will be enough for the Kinlough men to reach the Quarter-Finals, thereby ending the reign of Annaduff as County Champions. However, a loss for the Gaels and an expected victory for Annaduff over Carrigallen next weekend would mean a playoff for the second qualification.
In terms of the Group, Melvin Gaels victory was a huge achievement as they recovered from a bad start and held off a late Fenagh rally to take the vital victory. The Gaels, however, won’t be happy with the fact that they kicked 13 wides to Fenagh’s six over the hour while another unusual fact is that four points out of their nine came from defenders!
Fenagh got off to the best start with a point from Bobby O’Rourke after just five minutes. Enda McKiernan extended that lead with a point two minutes later, although a goal was on the cards. However, the ferocious battling spirit of the Kinlough men was evident as two David McSharry frees, both for fouls on County star Colin Regan, had the teams level by the 13th minute. Former County player Joe Tiffoney edged the north Leitrim side in front with a 15th minute point and a minute later, Thomas Lipsett also got on the scoresheet from play for the Gaels.
The Gaels appeared to be pulling clear but Ciaran Duignan kept Fenagh in touch with an 18th minute point. Martin McCarron restored the Gaels lead with a fine effort before another former County star, James Phelan, tagged on a point with six minutes of the half remaining. Ciaran Duignan hit another point for Fenagh but he was unlucky when a ground shot hit the Melvin Gaels post and was cleared three minutes before the break, in a very lucky escape for the Kinlough men.
That left Melvin Gaels 0-6 to 0-4 in front at the interval and six minutes into the second half, Colin Regan increased that lead with a point. Again, Ciaran Duignan kept Fenagh in touch when he pointed on 48 minutes in what was a very low scoring second half. Fenagh’s hopes suffered a bad blow when Patrick Guckian received his marching orders on a second yellow card.
But Fenagh were not short of fighting spirit themselves and they closed the gap to a point when Duignan converted yet another free with five minutes to go.
However, the Gaels were determined to achieve victory and they added two more scores from unusual sources in the final minutes. Keeper Gareth Phelan sent over a fifty and corner-back Padraig McGloin confirmed the victory with a point two minutes into injury time..
Fenagh:
Frank Duignan, Peter Honeyman, Killian McLoughlin, Paul Ellis, Joe Conefrey, Padraig Flynn, Ray Tubman, Niall Flynn, Patrick Guckian, Bobby O’Rourke (0-1), Brendan Flynn, Ciaran Duignan (0-4), Paul Gill, Daragh Barden, Enda McKiernan (0-1). Subs: Donal Leydon, Johnny McGovern, T.P McLoughlin.
Ref:
Ray McBrien.
Copyright © The Leitrim Observer 2005.