Too easy for Gaels
Masonite Senior
Championship Group Three Third Round
By John Connolly -
sports@leitrimobserver.ie
Melvin Gaels 3-14,
Aughnasheelin 0-5
Melvin Gaels rediscovered
their form in the Masonite Senior Championship Group Three last Sunday evening
but only at the expense of an outclassed Aughnasheelin in terrible playing
conditions in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.
Colin Regan was the main driving force of a far more direct and purposeful
Melvin Gaels performance as he took this game by the scruff of its neck and
literally ran with it.
Melvin Gaels controlled the game in the middle of the field and the running
ability of Regan meant they punched huge holes in Aughnasheelin’s defence time
and time again.
Unfortunately for the Gaels, this performance came too late against a team
already out of the reckoning. However, it may be the start of a good campaign in
the B championship.
Regan was outstanding for the Gaels while Brennan also shone along with Thomas
Lipsett who turned in another impressive display. Joe Tiffoney, Martin McCarron
& Padraig McGloin also did well.
For Aughnasheelin, it was an awful experience - they never got started, were
wiped out of it at midfield and made no headway against a Melvin Gaels team that
seemed intent on redeeming themselves.
There has been a lot said about matches like this as the inequality of the
championship format again comes home to roost. With Glenfarne/Kilty failing to
field at the weekend, it is time that the County Board and clubs realise that
something must be done about the structure of football in the county.
Twenty teams in the senior championship is just far too much, particularly when
counties like Fermanagh and Roscommon have eight and 12 teams in their Senior
championships respectively.
Aughnasheelin tried their best but were just outclassed after Melvin Gaels
lightning start. Derek Moran, Michael Creamer, Ollie Mahon, Cathal Egan and
Ciaran Moran did best for Aughnasheelin.
Melvin Gaels started the contest like a train and by the tenth minute, were
already out of reach. Brendan Brennan & Cathal Egan traded points in the first
three minutes but a fine score from Colin Regan and two from David McSharry, one
from a free, put the Kinlough men well in control.
They reinforced that control when Thomas Lipsett scored a cracker of a goal from
a very tight angle almost on the goal-line on nine minutes. Within three
minutes, Regan added two more, although the second point looked as if it had
drifted wide from my vantage point.
Gabriel Prior replied with a lovely score from 40 yards but Regan couldn’t be
stopped and added his fourth point on 15 minutes. Gavin McWeeney replied with a
free while Gabriel Prior shot just wide.
But the Gaels killed off the game when a high ball broke loose and Lipsett
showed good poacher’s instinct to blast the ball home with two minutes of the
half left. Brendan Brennan and McWeeney traded points in a very long period of
injury time but McWeeney suffered a horrendous injury. As the ball was being
kicked out to him to take a 45, he appeared to turn on his ankle and was forced
to go off.
That left Aughnasheelin reeling, with a halftime score of 2-8 to 0-4 in favour
of the Gaels. The rate of scoring dipped considerably in the second half as the
atrocious conditions and the fact that there wasn’t much of a contest took its
toll.
David McSharry ended the scoring drought on 17 minutes with a fine point. Colin
Regan added a lovely scored while Martin McCarron thumped over a massive point.
Ollie Mahon scored a fine point on the run after 23 minutes but it got worse for
Aughnasheelin when Joseph McGowan was taken down after a ball came off the
upright. Colin Regan stepped up and finished off a great display with a powerful
penalty.
All that remained after that was two points, one each from Lipsett & Brennan, as
the Gaels ran out very easy winners.
Melvin Gaels: Gareth Phelan, Padraig McGloin, James Phelan, Matt
Connolly, Colm McGowan, Fabian McMorrow, Joe Tiffoney, Martin McCarron (0-1),
Michael Tiffoney, Brendan Brennan (0-3), Damien Sheridan, Colin Regan (1-5),
Thomas Lipsett (2-1), Shane McCarron, David McSharry (0-3). Subs: Paul McGurrin
for J. Phelan (20 mins), Joe McGowan for S. McCarron (45 mins).
Aughnasheelin: Sean Mahon, Mark Egan, Derek Moran, Tommy Tubman, Michael
Creamer, Richard McManus, Ciaran Moran, Barry McWeeney, Gabriel Prior (0-1),
Conor Flynn, Gavin McWeeney (0-2), Wayne Gilgunn, Cathal Egan (0-1), Ollie Mahon
(0-1), Cathal Prior. Subs: Peter Roddy for G. McWeeney (34 mins), Chris McNulty
for Flynn (37 mins), Damien Flynn for C. Egan 940 mins).
Ref: Ray McBrien.
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Copyright © The Leitrim Observer 2004.