Flying Fenagh book their place in senior championship semi-final with victory over Melvin Gaels

Fenagh St. Caillins booked their place in the Connacht Gold Senior Football Championship semi-final with an assured victory over Melvin Gaels in Kinlough on Saturday evening.

Kinlough can often be a difficult place to come, but no such issues for Fenagh who were far too much for the hosts on this occasion. A trio of goals before half-time, courtesy of their inside forward line, had the visitors out of sight by the interval.

Fenagh will come away happy with their performance. Aside from some good Melvin Gaels counter-attacking play, they never really looked in trouble. The visitors made hay with the wind in the first half, winning in the middle and playing the ball inside to great effect. Against the wind in the second, they played intelligent - if a bit dull - football, holding possession for long periods, happy to see out the game rather than run up the score.

The North Leitrim men were looking for some luck in other results and a big performance in Kinlough to avoid a relegation final in their first year back at senior football, but neither materialised as they looked out of ideas at times in this clash. They now face St. Mary’s Kiltoghert in the relegation decider.

The opening stages were all Fenagh, as Fergal McLoughlin opened his tally early with an impressive point from a tight angle two minutes into the game.

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The hosts struggled to get the ball out of their half as Fenagh pressed high and won turnovers in play and from kick-outs, but wides from Jack Gilheany and Ryan O’Rourke kept the damage to a minimum before the Kinlough men got on the board.

Despite often struggling to put things together inside Fenagh’s 45, the Gaels showed real prowess on the counter-attack, with hard running from the likes of Cillian McGloin, Liam Ryan, and J.J. Lipsett making ground against the wind.

McGloin collected the ball from one of Kinlough’s kick-outs and set off running. Quick hands and off-the-shoulder support put Sean McSharry through on goal, but he was taken down by a swarm of scrambling Fenagh defenders. A penalty was awarded on five minutes and duly converted by captain Shane McGloin to give them the perfect start.

The lead was short-lived, however, as McLoughlin hit a point on the next attack and Riordan O’Rourke swept over another after pressure on Melvin Gaels’ attempt to build from the back by his brother Ryan.

Melvin Gaels looked short of options and fairly toothless in the final third, while Fenagh looked organised up front and lethal when they got the ball inside.

Their opening goal came on ten minutes when full forward Fergal McLoughlin collected a simple ball on the right-hand side of the arc, turned, burst through the space in the Kinlough defence, cut inside, and rifled it into the net at close range.

Fenagh found plenty of success down that channel in the first half, as Dara Greenan followed up with a point from the same area straight after.

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The South Leitrim men built a head of steam as Riordan O’Rourke was fed a quick kick-pass inside from midfield. He carried it across the Melvin Gaels 21-metre line and went for the roof of the net, pulling a strong save out of David Cleary in the Kinlough goal.

Mark Keegan, pushing forward from wing-back, added another point for Fenagh, slotting over from 30 metres after a patient build-up. 

A minute later J.J. Lipsett finished off a fast break for Melvin Gaels, curling over with his right to bring them within four points, but quickly McLoughlin hit another point off his left to restore the gap.

Melvin Gaels continued to struggle on their kick-outs, with Fenagh winning the breaking ball and keeping the pressure on. The pressure paid off on 18 minutes as a short restart was intercepted by Riordan O’Rourke on the edge of the arc. The corner forward drove straight in and rocketed it into the roof of the net.

Fenagh were in a purple patch, and they made the most of it. James Gilheany slotted over after a nice switch across the field, and once again the ever-dangerous McLoughlin collected the ball on the right, ran at gaps in the Kinlough defence, and this time slid a low shot inside the near post for Fenagh’s third goal.

They added two more points through Ryan O’Rourke, one from play and one free, before Melvin Gaels managed to respond. Conor Sheridan won a free on the left, which Joe McGloin converted nicely.

Sheridan followed up with a point from play, and Cillian McGloin struck over the game’s first two-pointer off his right boot to give the home crowd something to cheer before the break.

An infringement of the three-men-up rule gave Fenagh their own chance at a two-pointer on the stroke of half-time, which Ryan O’Rourke took. Melvin Gaels cut a frustrated figure heading into the dressing room.

For all the attacking flair Fenagh showed in the first half, they were desperately conservative at times in the second, holding the ball for long periods and looking unbothered by the prospect of scoring—content instead to run down the clock.

They opened the half by keeping possession for four minutes, recycling the ball side-to-side before retreating again.

Even so, they created chances, and David Cleary had to pull off a brilliant save low to his right when James Gilheany found his way through on 35 minutes. Ryan O’Rourke then slotted a point off his right ten minutes into the half.

Liam Ryan hit back with a point after a driving run and good link-up with Jack Ronayne. Shane McGloin followed with the game’s third two-pointer from a tight angle on the right midway through the half.

McLoughlin pointed again before James Gilheany struck Fenagh’s fourth goal, firing into the near top corner after seizing on a Melvin Gaels kick-out that was punched back towards goal.

Daniel McLoughlin added another point for Fenagh, while Cillian and Joe McGloin converted frees in the final minutes, rounding off a successful trip to Kinlough for Fenagh St. Caillins and difficult day for Melvin Gaels.

Melvin Gaels 

Team: David Cleary; Mathew San Pedro; Kieran Clancy McGowan; Connall McGowan; Shane McGloin; Liam Ryan; J.J. Lipsett; Conor Sheridan; Cillian McGloin; Jamie Moore; Sean McSharry; Eoghan Gallagher; Philip McGowan; Joe McGloin; Jack Ronayne. James O’Reilly for Eoghan Gallagher (42); Ben Higgins for Philip McGowan; Paddy McGowan for Matthew San Pedro (51); Dathai McGloin for Conor Sheridan (56).

Scorers: Shane McGloin 1-2,1p,1tp; J.J. Lipsett 0-1; Joe McGloin 0-2, 2F; Cillian McGloin 0-3, 1tp; Conor Sheridan 0-1; Liam Ryan 0-1.

Fenagh

Team: Shane Doonan; Cailin O’Rourke; Donal Wrynn; Conal McGovern; Mark Keegan; Eoin McLoughlin; James Gilheany; Colm McLoughlin; Jack Gilheany O’Rourke; Dara Greenan; Tom Gilheaney; Daniel McLoughlin; Fergal McLoughlin; Riordan O’Rourke. Subs: Aaron Smith for Ryan O’Rourke (52); Josh McNabola for Dara Greenan (56); Niall Butler for Fergal McLoughlin. (56).

Scorers: Fergal McLoughlin 2-5; Riordan O’Rourke 1-1; Dara Greenan 0-1; Mark Keegan 0-1; James Gilheany 1-1 Ryan O’Rourke 0-6, 1f,1tpf; Daniel McLoughlin 0-1.