Fortune favours Allen Gaels this time against Annaduff but they make the most of it

Fortune favours the bold they say but it also favours those who are able to make the most of it and certainly Allen Gaels did just that as they unleashed a barrage of late scores to kill off a superb Annaduff challenge in Sunday's entertaining Smith Monumentals IFC Semi Final in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

Luck plays a part for every successful team and the Gaels, victims of cruel misfortune in last year's Final, certainly got the bounce of the ball when Arek Oberwan's mishit 50 flew over the head of an Annaduff defender, bounced off the incredibly firm Pairc Sean surface and flew past the startled arms of Annaduff keeper Shane Cox and Dillon Keane.

At the time, the scores were level and Annaduff were having the best of the exchanges, coming from five points down late in the first half to lead by two early in the second half. But Oberwan's goal sucked the life out of Annaduff while filling the lungs of the Drumshanbo men as they rattled off ten points to Annaduff's one before the final whistle.

It was cruel on Annaduff who had done so much to discomfort the favourites with their hard running and relentless positivity - Darren Cox led the show but in Kenny Cox and Daniel Bosquette, Annaduff had a midfield platform that caused Annaduff no end of bother while Shane Morrison, Keane and Eoghan Ridge led a tigerish defence.

In truth, the tide had begun to turn before the goal and that coincided with the introduction of Jake Tobin. Suddenly the Gaels were winning scrappy ball and with the amount going into their forwards, something was sure to give against an injury hit Annaduff.

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Annaduff probably had greater cause for complaint when Darren Cox was tripped as he bore down on goal in added time at the end of the first half. Adrian Sorohan's foul occurred just outside the area but the Gaels joint captain was lucky to escape a black card, rather than the yellow he received.

The Allen Gaels team that defeated Annaduff in the Smith Monumentals IFC Semi-Final Picture: Willie Donnellan

But when they look back, Annaduff will curse their own profligacy in front of the posts with two missed goal chances and a host of wides that would have reflected their growing dominance of the game far better on the scoreboard.

Darren Cox opened the scoring with a second minute free, Senan Mooney showing nice footwork to point two minutes later. Ciaran McMorrow replied for the Gaels but the Mooney Cox double act added a point each to stretch their advantage to three after eight minutes.

But the Gaels were finding their range with Kieran Kilcline pointing after great work from Thomas & Brian Mulvey while McMorrow and Ciaran Walsh scored good points. Twelve minutes in, it seemed as if all of Annaduff's good work was undone when Kilcline bore down on goal, Caleb Duffy swiping at the loose ball before McMorrow tapped home from close range.

Thomas Mulvey added a point but Annaduff dragged themselves back into it, Jason Ward forcing a great save from Daniel Egan but two resulting 50s went wide. Cox put over a fine point but it was misses more than scores Annaduff were totting up with Cox dragging a great goal chance wide after they turned over a kickout. 

The Annaduff team who were defeated by Allen Gaels in the Smith Monumentals IFC Semi-Final Picture: Willie Donnellan

McMorrow & Duffy rubbed salt in the wounds of those misses with points but Eoghan Ridge scored a great point on the run under pressure. Kilcline and Sean McNabola swapped frees before Cox hit two late frees before the break at Allen Gaels led 1-8 to 0-9.

Cox continued his scoring run with four from play, including a two pointer, inside the first seven minutes as Annaduff camped in the Allen Gaels half. But Jake Tobin came on and a break saw Radek Oberwan fire over from play before Kilcline scored a wonderful point from the corner to tie the scores.

Shane Walsh's blistering run set up a great chance for Ciaran Walsh but Shane Cox made a superb diving save at the expense of a fifty. From that 50, Arek Oberwan's mishit delivery somehow bounced into the net to put the Gaels three up midway through the second half in a real killer blow to Annaduff's hopes

Annaduff almost hit back when sub Jack Hughes left a long ball into the area but the ball was touched wide. Darren Cox did add a point with just over eight minutes left but then we got a barrage of Allen Gaels scores, started by a huge Thomas Mulvey two pointer from the corner.

It then became the Kieran Kilcline show as the Gaels' new recruit added seven points before the final whistle, including a two point free and a two pointer from play while Brian Mulvey weighed in with a point, Annaduff's challenge fading away in the face of the Gaels powerpacked finish.

ALLEN GAELS

Scorers: Kieran Kilcline 0-10, 4f, tp; Ciaran McMorrow 1-3; Thomas Mulvey 0-3, tp; Arek Oberwan 1-0, 1-0f; Brian Mulvey, Radek Oberwan, Caleb Duffy & Ciaran Walsh 0-1 each

Team: Daniel Egan, Adrian Sorohan, Mark Gunning, Mark Raftery, Kyle Flynn, Karl Foley, Brian Mulvey, Arek Oberwan, Radek Oberwan, Shane Walsh, Caleb Duffy, Thomas Mulvey, Kieran Kilcline, Ciaran Walsh, Ciaran McMorrow. Subs: Jake Tobin for K Foley (37); Colin Moran for S Walsh (51); Oran Foley for Raftery (55)

ANNADUFF

Scorers: Darren Cox 0-10, 9f; Senan Mooney 0-2; Sean McNabola (f) & Eoghan Ridge 0-1 each

Team: Shane Cox, Keelan Lynch, Dillon Keane, Eoghan Ridge, Tommy Taylor, Shane Morrison, Peter Moran, Kenny Cox, Dan Bosquette, Darren Cox, Alan Glancy, Jason Ward, Senan Mooney, Sean McNabola, Kyle Russell. Subs: Jack Hughes for McNabola (45); Frank Shanley for Moran (55)

Referee: Enda Egan