Aughnasheelin overwhelmed by powerful St Dominics

Aughnasheelin’s dreams of a Connacht Final appearance were ruthlessly blown apart by a powerful first half display from Roscommon’s St Dominic’s in Saturday’s AIB Connacht Club Intermediate Championship Semi-Final in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

Aughnasheelin’s magical year came to a crushing end as they finished the game with 13 men after second half dismissals for Gavin Sammon and Paul Earley but the dismissals had little bearing on the outcome as the Roscommon side dominated most of the game.

Fans out in force for Aughnasheelin's Connacht Semi-Final with St Dominic's - GALLERY

Aughnasheelin's year ended with defeat in the AIB Connacht Club Intermediate FC Semi-Final on Saturday as Roscommon's St Dominic's proved far too strong as they cruised to a 1-12 to 0-5 victory in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there to capture images of fans from both sides .... see who you can spot!

The Roscommon champions dominated the first half to lead by eight points at the interval and they were never seriously troubled by an Aughnasheelin side who struggled to cope with their pace, power and combination football.

Starting without Wayne Gilgunn and Cormac Sammon from their County Final victory, Aughnasheelin’s resources were already stretched with long term absentees Conor Cullen and Philip Dolan and once St Dominic’s got a grip on the game, they were always in control.

For Aughnasheelin, it was more a case of ‘what ifs’ with St Dominic’s greater efficiency in front of the posts at key moments the major difference between the sides as poor wides throughout the course of the game cost the Leitrim champions dearly.

Fintan Fitzpatrick scores an early point for Aughnasheelin Picture: Willie Donnellan

Terence Reynolds’ side had one real goal chance with just three points between the teams when a ball was floated across the face of the goal towards the charging Aaron Hoare but a superb fisted clearance from Tom Appleby prevented the Leitrim panellist from getting the touch he needed.

The contrast was most starkly seen in St Dominic’s brilliant goal on the stroke of halftime - a poor Aughnasheelin hand pass was intercepted and Dominic’s Cian Kelly took off a blistering run that started virtually on his own 14 yard line.

Cillian Cullen chased manically but the incredible pace of Kelly took him clear and after what must have been a 60 yard surge, he bombed a ball towards the Aughnasheelin goal. When kicked, it looked as if it would be intercepted but the ball flew over the despairing hands of an Aughnasheelin defender and right into the lap of Daire Keenan who produced a superb finish to beat Kevin McWeeney for the game’s only goal.

Those little inches - from the intercepted hand-pass to Cullen’s desperate chase through to Kelly’s fantastic 40 yard pass - all went St Dominic’s way but it wasn’t luck as their physically powerful and mobile middle eight bossed this game completely and Aughnasheelin could never get on an even keel.

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Aughnasheelin started off on the front foot, Sean McWeeney seeing a shot fly wide but Fintan Fitzpatrick converted a fifty yard free, moved forward for dissent, to put them in front after just a minute.

St Dominic’s gave notice of the danger they would pose for the rest of the game when Tom Appleby and Karol Ferrick combined to find Tommy Hurley in front of goal and he fired high over the crossbar to tie the scores.

A foul on Ciaran Cullen allowed Fitzpatrick tap over a second free after four minutes but another swift passing Dominic’s move almost led to a goal for the Roscommon men only for a timely Paul Earley challenge to knock the ball out of the grasp of Cian Kelly on the edge of the square.

Aughnasheelin broke, won a free in the corner but Fitzpatrick saw his effort fly wide on the near side and St Dominic’s drew level when a Sean McWeeney foul on Appleby allowed Darren Donnelly fire over the first of five frees on eight minutes.

Tommy Hurley scores St Dominic's first point against Aughnasheelin Picture: Willie Donnellan

From the kickout, Dominic’s won possession and quickly transferred the ball to Daire Keenan in the right hand corner but the Roscommon man scored from a very tight angle. Two minutes later, Donnelly tapped over another free and suddenly Dominic’s were two points clear.

A late Paul Earley foul on Paddy Fallon, which led to a yellow card, saw Donnelly convert the free on 13 minutes later and an increasingly dominant St Dominic’s moved four points clear when they found wing-back Kyran Dockery in space who fired a wonderfully stylish shot over the bar.

But St Dominic’s had to be alert when Ciaran Cullen and Gavin Sammon combined down the left wing - they floated the ball across the face of the Dominic’s square to where Aaron Hoare was coming in at pace but Tom Appleby did superbly to punch the ball away before the Leitrim men could get a decisive touch.

Aughnasheelin did get their first and only score from play when Gavin Sammon gathered a long ball and ran on to curl a lovely shot over the bar, reducing the gap back to a goal on 19 minutes.

Tom Appleby went into the referee’s book for a high tackle on Paul Earley but Fintan Fitzpatrick’s free was short and cleared. Donnelly, against the wind, also saw a free drop short but when an Aughnasheelin attack broke down, St Dominic’s started on their own 30 yard line that ended with Daire Keenan curling a lovely shot over the bar.

St Dominic’s were having wides themselves with Appleby and Donnelly off target before Donnelly converted a free from the left hand corner just into added time, to leave the Roscommon side five points clear.

The game killing goal came when Dominic’s intercepted a poor Aughnasheelin hand pass and Cian Kelly, after a blistering 60 yard run under produced a superb finish to beat Kevin McWeeney for the game’s only goal.

That left Aughnasheelin with a mountain to climb at halftime as they trailed 1-8 to 0-3 and it seemed as if Dominic’s were determined to put the game to bed early in the second half with sub Jack O’Beirne seeing a goal bound shot less than 20 seconds after action resumed, Donnelly converting a free for an earlier infringement.

St Dominic's Tom Appleby fists the ball clear just ahead of Aughnasheelin's Aaron Hoare Picture: Willie Donnellan

O’Beirne and Gavin Sammon swapped wides but the gap stood at ten points after Keith Doyle completed a good move with a third minute point. Ciaran Cullen was booked for a late challenge but Donnelly put the resulting free wide.

Wides were starting to mount for both teams with Gavin Sammon missing a good chance after a good Aughnasheelin move on seven minutes while Donnelly & Fitzpatrick both missed frees.

Gavin Sammon ended a 28 minute wait for an Aughnasheelin score when he claimed a mark and fired over but straight from the kickout, Dominics put together a lovely move that ended with a good Keenan point.

Aughnasheelin couldn’t buy a score, Aaron Hoare firing wide from close range while their slim hopes of a comeback ended when Gavin Sammon, booked on 37 minutes after he caught Dominic’s keeper Mark Miley with a late challenge, was booked for a second time and the Leitrim champions were down to 14 players.

With subs and injuries slowing the flow of the game, the contest went 12 minutes without a score before Aaron Hoare claimed a mark and fired over for Aughnasheelin’s final score of the game.

There was still time for another Keith Douyle point and a second yellow card for Aughnasheelin captain Paul Earleyas the Leitrim side finished the game with 13 players and St Dominic’s celebrated their passage to a Connacht Final appearance against Dunmore McHales of Galway next weekend.

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AUGHNASHEELIN

Scorers: Fintan Fitzpatrick (2f) & Gavin Sammon (M) 0-2 each; Aaron Hoare 0-1, 1M

Team: Kevin WcWeeney, Paul Earley, Niall Gallagher, Sean Flynn, Cillian Cullen, Sean McWeeney, Darragh Gunn,Ciaran Cullen, Aaron Hoare, Cian Sammon, Fintan Fitzpatrick, Joe Earley, Pearse McTeigue, Gavin Sammon,Brendan Mulvey. Subs: Cathal Egan for McTeigue (37); Christopher McNulty for J Earley (51); Brian Boyle & Fergal Flynn for S Flynn & Gunn (55); Dean Flanagan for B Mulvey (57)

ST DOMINIC’S

Scorers: Daire Keenan 1-3; Darren Donnelly 0-5,5f; Keith Doyle 0-2; Kyran Dockery & Tommy Hurley 0-1 each

Team: Mark Miley, Michael Feely, Eoin McCormack, Mark O’Malley, David Gately, Jack Lohan, Kyran Dockery, Paddy Fallon, Tom Appleby, Darren Donnelly, Keith Doyle, Daire Keenan, Cian Kelly, Tommy Hurley, Karol Ferrick. Subs: Jack O’Beirne for Dockery (HT); Conor Fallon for O’Beirne (48); Ethan Connaughton for Lohan (55); Jason Martin for Appleby (58); Conor Fallon for Miley (61)

Referee: Christopher Ryan (Galway)