Flat Gaels finish strongly
In a flat performance, Melvin Gaels still showed enough resolve to hang on for victory in Saturday's Masonite Senior Championship Second Round clash, despite suffering a late scare against Sean O'Heslin's.
MASONITE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
MELVIN GAELS 1-8
SEAN O'HESLINS 1-5
Despite the fact that the win guarantees them their place in the quarter-finals, the Kinlough men will be far from happy with their displa as they dominated much of the contest but never put it completely away as they struggled badly to regain their rhythm in the second half.
The Gaels kicked an impressive amount of wides, in both halves, as they failed to translate their outfield dominance into scores on the board, leaving the door open for a late shock from the Ballinamore men, reminscent of their quarter-final loss to Carrigallen last year in the Championship.
Yet the Gaels will be pleased by the manner in which they responded to O'Heslin's goal six minutes from time. The Ballinamore men got a lucky goal when a long ball from Wayne McKeon bounched over Gareth Phelan and it seemed as if the Ballinamore men had the momentum with them.
But showing their spirit, the Gaels regained some of their earlier verve to finish stronger and confirm their win, never really giving the Ballinamore men a chance of getting a match winner score.
However, the Gaels will need no telling that this display will not deliver a long awaited Senior Championship to Kinlough and considering they had the advantage of a previous game, they will be worried that they didn't put away a game they dominated.
However, it is job done for now and they will wait to see if they finish top of the group or second, safe in the knowledge that they have qualified once more for the knock-out stages.
For O'Heslin's, the step up from Division Two League football and the lack of a previous match told it's tale as the Ballinamore men struggled badly for long periods. Indeed, during the first half, they looked severely outclassed by the Kinlough men as they struggled to make any sort of headway.
The second half saw them start to improve, whether that was Melvin Gaels becoming complacent or the Ballinamore getting to the pitch of the game is hard to tell.
And O'Heslin's will need to improve a good deal if they are to beat Mohill next weekend.
But they will draw a good deal of comfort from the fact that, with six minutes to go, they were within a point of a side that had threatened to destroy them and this ability to survive and keep plugging away may be vital when it comes down to the closing minutes next weekend.
They now face a winner takes all clash with Mohill next Saturday and they will be hoping to catch the 2006 Champions on the day.
Melvin Gaels got off to a blistering start as keeper Philip Farrelly held a shot from Stephen McGurran before making a great save to deny James Bredin a certain goal at the expense of a fifty, following a run from David McSharry.
Unfortunately for Farrelly, the next thing he did was pick the ball out of the net as Emlyn Mulligan's free dropped well short to Conor Sheridan. There seemed little contact but referee Michael Leydon spotted a pull and awarded a penalty, calmly dispatched by Mulligan on three minutes.
Three minutes later, McSharry soloed in to fist over the bar but then started a series of costly wides for the Gaels, with McGurran, Daniel Branley, Sheridan and McSharry all missing chances before Martin McCarron scored a fine effort from 35 yards on 12 minutes.
O’Heslin’s almost worked their way back into the game when Ciaran Murray collected a high ball but former County team-mate Gareth Phelan got down expertly to stop the shot. They did open their account on 18 minutes when Wayne McKeon curled a lovely effort in from 40 yards.
However, two Mulligan points and one from McSharry saw the Gaels go seven points clear. However, the wides continued with four missed chances and David Duignan raided from defence to score two vital points, one with the outside of the boot.
That left Melvin Gaels 1-5 to 0-3 in front at the break but the second half was not one for the purists. It took ten minutes for the first score, with sub Christopher Branley having a goal harshly disallowed for a square ball before McSharry scored a lovely point from the wing on ten minutes.
Immediately, O’Heslin’s countered with Brian Cafferty getting onto the end of a well worked move to point. O’Heslin’s were beginning to get more chances but it took 14 minutes for the next score as both sides had bad wides. Gareth Phelan made a good interception under pressure while Farrelly made a great save to deny Stephen Clancy a goal on 20 minutes.
The game woke up spectacularly after 24 minutes – Sean Murray scored a wonderful effort from the wing and from the next kickout, Wayne McKeon’s long delivery seemed to find Murray in behind the full-back.
The ball bounced past the Ballinamore man but it also bounced over the despairing hands of Phelan who had advanced off his line and looped into the net for a dramatic goal.
However, Melvin Gaels showed their spirit as they fought back, despite sub Paul Brennan fisting the ball into the side netting. Daniel Branley hooked the ball over his shoulder after McSharry’s first shot came off the post.
O’Heslin’s tried hard but couldn’t engineer any real goal opportunities and a late Mulligan free sealed Melvin Gaels place in the quarter-finals.
Best for the Gaels were Gareth Phelan, Stephen Clancy, Fabian McMorrow, Martin McCarron, Daniel Branley and Colin Regan while for O’Heslin’s, Wayne McKeon never stopped trying in the middle of the field while David Duignan, Liam Ferguson, Sean Murray, Philip Farrelly and Jim McTague fought tremendously hard for the Ballinamore outfit.
Melvin Gaels
Gareth Phelan, Stephen Clancy, James Phelan, Colm McGowan, Brendan Brennan, Fabian McMorrow, Paul McGurran, Martin McCarron (0-1), Stephen McGurran (0-1), Conor Sheridan, David McSharry (0-3), James Bredin, Colin Regan, Emlyn Mulligan (1-3), Daniel Branley (0-1). Sub: Christopher Branley for Bredin (16 mins), Paul Brennan for S. McGurran (49 mins), Fergal Gallagher for D. Branley (65 mins).
Sean O’Heslin’s
Philip Farrelly, Jim McTague, Joe Honeyman, Patrick McLoughlin, David Duignan (0-2), Johnny McWeeney, Liam Ferguson, Paul McLoughlin, Wayne McKeon (1-1), Brian Cafferty (0-1), Ciaran Murray, Anthony McTague, Finian Sharpley, Anton Arandelovic, Sean Murray (0-1). Subs: Rory O’Rourke for Honeyman (41 mins), Ronan Sharpley for McTague (46 mins), Honeyman for Cafferty (60 mins).
Referee: Michael Leydon.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: West
