Melvin Gaels face Allen Gaels in intermediate final after seeing off Carrigallen

Melvin Geals continue to look like a dangerous second half team as they out-kick Carrigallen by seven points to two in the period to march on to meet Allen Geals in the final of the intermediate championship.

Carrigallen looked the slicker team in the first ten minutes of the game, as Jake Hackett opened the scoring for the south Leitrim men, swinging the ball over from near the endline, before Conor Gray fisted a point for Carrigallen to double their lead.

But it only took the Geals five minutes to level the score. Micheal Ferguson poped over a 40 metre free on twelve minutes, shortly followed by a score from Liam Ryan as he burst through a gap in the Carrigallen defence and slotted over a tidy point.

In the meantime, Sean Mc Sharry picked up a yellow card for fouling a Carrigallen player looking to start a quick attack. The geals committed this type of foul high up the field frequently to slow the game down. The tactic worked well for them as Carrigallen’s fast breaks out of defence in the early stages looked dangerous, though the Kinough men were lucky to exit the game without receiving any black cards.

Carrigallen’s corner forward Jake Hackett dropped a shot short before Gary Reynolds kicked them back in front with a long range effort, after collecting a ball that was frantically cleared by Melvin Geals keeper, Kevin McGloin, as it skirted dangerously across the Kinlough goal. 

The play went straight down the other end where Melvin Geals full forward Caolon Clancy caught a long ball close to goal and quickly kicked it across to Gary Clancy, who quickly offloaded to the onrushing Philip McGowan, the mid-fielder bundled the ball along the ground past Darren Kenny in the Carrigallen goal. From then on the tone of the game crept further and further in the Geals’s favour.

The goal assist proved Gary Clancy’s final contribution for the day as he went off with an injury just afterwards and was replaced by Joe McGloin at corner forward. 

Shane mc Gloin missed the chance to add another point for the geals, pulling a shot wide of the posts a minute later.

Carrigalen struggled to break down Melvin Geals’s defence before half time with the north Leitrim men dropping 14 behind the ball and defending furiously, though Carrigallen did manage to win a free about 30 metres out before the break which was slotted over by Derek Reilly.

Declan Clancy opened the scoring in the second half with a point from range, while Aaron Skelly failed to convert a free for Carrigallen down the other end. 

Joe McGloin won a 45 for Melvin Geals down the other end a minute later with a cute bit of play. J.J Lipset took the kick which fell into the path of Michael Ferguson who met it with a strong fist into the roof of the Carrigallen net.

READ MORE: Allen Gaels eventually find their scoring boots to see off 14 man Drumkeerin

Their celebrations were short lived, however, as what followed was a curious sequence that saw the referee investigate a square ball, and after conferring with linesmen and umpires, ruled that the 45 was not taken from the correct position. A decision that left many around the grounds mystified.

Then Aaron Skelley had two shots for Carrigallen in quick succession, pulled one wide before slotting the other over for Carrigallen’s last point of the game. 

It looked like the disallowed goal may have rattled Kinlough but soon it proved to have lit a fire under them and they kicked on to dominate the rest of the game. 

Joe McGloin showed himself a worthy replacement for Gary Clancy as he led the charge for the Geals in the closing stages of the game, kicking a free and beautiful point off the outside of his boot, while causing real trouble for the Carrigallen backs.

A demoralised Carrigallen couldn’t keep Kinlough out as Michael Ferguson struck over another free and a minute later things went from bad to worse for Carrigallen as their midfielder Eoin Ward had to be carried off with an injury to his calf. 

Melvin Geals continued to find space inside the Carrigallen defence with Caolon Clancy finding the mark off his weak foot.

Tempers began to rise and the already yellow carded Carrigallen keeper was lucky not to be sent off for pushing Joe Mc Gloin to the ground off the ball. 

Michael Ferguson slotted over the resulting free and a Conor Sheridan point off immediately after rounded out the game and set the Geals march on their way to their second intermediate final in two years.

MELVIN GAELS

Scorers: Michael Ferguson 0-3, (3f); Philip McGowan 1-0; Joe McGloin 0-2, 1f: Liam Ryan, Declan Clancy; Caolan Clancy & Conor Sheridan 0-1 each

Team: Kevin McGloin; Eoghan Gallagher; Kiernan Clancy; Kyle O’Driscoll; Shane McGloin; Liam Ryan; Sean McSharry; Conor Sheridan; Michael Ferguson; Philip McGowan; J.J.Lipsett; Declan Clancy; Gary Clancy; Caolan Clancy; Jack Ronayne. Subs: Joe McGloin for Gary Clancy (22); Jack Ronayne for Peter McGowan (37); Philip McGowan for Aiden Keegan (55)

CARRIGALLEN

Scorers: Jake Hackett, Matt Hackett, Gary Reynolds, Derek Reilly (f) & Aaron Skelley 0-1 each

Team: Andrew Hession; Daniel Lyons; Barry Dolan; Daniel McCann; Ben Harte; Gary Reynolds; Patrick McCann; Eoin Ward; Brian O’Rourke; Aaron Skelly; Kalum McLoughlin; Conor Gray; Jake Hackett; Colm Kiernan; Derek Reilly. Subs: Barry Reilly for Kalum McLoughlin (30); Finonnan Harte for Eoin Ward (55)

Referee: Martin Feeney