Belfry Senior Football Championship Group 1
Geevagh 2-13 St. John's 0-13
Sweeney’s goals decisive
Geevagh’s Kenneth Sweeney two second half goals in a two minute spell proved decisive for Geevagh as they put in a storming second half performance see off the spirited challenge from St. Johns in Corran Park, Ballymote on Saturday evening last, writes Michael McGee
Sweeney’s two goal salvo turned the contest on its head. St Johns had the lion’s share of possession in the first half but just had a slender three point advantage to show for their endeavours.
St. John’s looked the livelier in the first half; however it was Geevagh’s Pat Cawley who opened the scoring after just twenty seconds when pointing from 14 metres on the right wing. Twenty year- old Ross Gordon had the side’s level with a pointed score on the run after 3 minutes. Shane Stenson scored the first of his 5 points tally for St. John’s from a free 24 metres out. The St. John’s rearguard was doing well particularly Eoin Flanagan & Niall Walsh who hassled & harried in numbers the Geevagh forwards into mistakes. St John’s midfielder Paul McNamara slotted over after running 30 metres to score a fine point. With just 10 minutes gone St. John’s went into a 4-1 lead thanks to Tommy Kelly. Geevagh’s Kevin Henry reduced St. John’s lead with a well executed score from a difficult angle. A minute later there was just the minimum in it when Geevagh’s Corner forward Keith McGrath pointed. Geevagh came more and more into the game following a sluggish first 10 minutes. Shane Stenson pointed from 24 minutes out. St John’s David Rooney pointed a free off the ground from 45 metres putting St. John’s into a 6-3 lead after 17 minutes of play. St. John’s goalkeeper Noel O’Donnell was called into action and pulled of an outstanding point blank save from Geevagh’s Pat Hughes who let fly from 14 metres out. O’Donnell was equal to it getting down smartly smothering the shot. Kenneth Sweeney began to make inroads into the St. John’s defence with a well worked score. Shane Stenson was again on hand to score from 21 meters following an accurate cross field pass from David Rooney. Rooney provider turned poacher almost immediately with a point from 23 metres to put St. Johns into a 0-8 to 0-5 lead after 24 minutes of play. Soon after St. John’s made the first of their 3 substitutions with Conor Greene replacing Fiachra Grennan. The St. John’s defence stood up tall defending in numbers and swarmed around the Geevagh forwards at almost every opportunity. Still Cormac Hughes found a way through the teak tough St. John’s defence to collect a misplaced shot from Pat Cawley that went across the face of the goal and appeared to be going wide. Hughes reacted quickest to slot over to leave St. John’s with a slender 0-8 to 0-5 advantage at half time despite their dominance for most of the first half.
Sweeney’s goal rush
At half time the St. John’s manager Anthony Brennan had some stern words to say to his players asking them for more conviction. Yet it was Geevagh who came out with all guns blazing. Within the first 8 minutes of the second half the teams were on level terms with points form Pat Hughes, Kenneth Sweeney & Cormac Hughes. Shane Stenson put St. Johns into the lead again but it was short lived. The Geevagh midfield was beginning to cut loose with play opening up. A high ball in from Kevin Byrne was caught by Sweeney who rounded the goalie before shooting into the empty net to put Geevagh in front after 40 minutes. Geevagh’s Eamon McDonagh was then shown a straight red card for a heavy challenge soon after. Stenson pointed the resulting free. Another lofty high ball delivered in from midfield was caught out of the sky by Sweeney who had only one thing on his mind as he turned swiftly and rattled the back of the St. John’s net again with a rasping shot. St. John’s even with numerical supremacy couldn’t make it count. Between the fourteenth and twenty first minute Geevagh pulled further clear with four unanswered points from Pat Hughes, Pat Cawley, Colm McManus & Cormac Hughes to lead by 2-12 to 0-10 with 9 minutes left to play. Stenson had an opportunity to reduce the Geevagh lead but he shot badly wide from his point attempt from 21 metres out. He made amends from almost the same position shortly afterwards. A David Rooney free off the ground from all of 45 metres sailed over the bar but still left 2 clear goals in it. A great pass from Stenson to the unmarked Jamie Murphy pointed with time almost up. Still there was time for man of the match Kenneth Sweeney to land a colossal point from over 48 metres out and raised his hand over his head to mark an outstanding individual display finishing with a personal tally of 2-3. Geevagh’s quintuplets of gentle giants Pat Cawley, Shane McManus, Kenneth Sweeney, Pat Hughes & Kevin Byrne had aerial supremacy especially in the second half and they made it count with devastating effect. For St. John’s the tactic of keeping the game tight and closing down the Geevagh forwards worked well in the first half but once the play opened up the Carraroe men faced an uphill battle. Shane Stenson was the St. John’s best player and he was ably supported by the hard working David Rooney, Charlie Harrison, Niall Walsh, Eoin Flanagan & Paul McNamara.
Footnote: The Ballymote Club have to be commended for having the pitch looking in perfect playing condition and the Sligo G.A.A Board provided a very useful match programme for the local press and supporters.
Scores Geevagh: Kenneth Sweeney 2-3, Cormac Hughes 0-3, Pat Hughes 0-3,Kevin Henry 0-1, Pat Cawley 0-1,Ketih McGrath 0-1, Colm McManus.
St. John’s: Shane Stenson 0-5 (2 frees), David Rooney 0-4 (2 frees) Jamie Murphy 0-1, Ross Gordon 0-1, Paul McNamara 0-1, Tommy Kelly 0-1.
Geevagh: Darren Kearns, Sean O’Rourke, Eamon McDonagh, Denis O’Rouke, David O’Reilly, Kevin Byrne, Dominic Kearins, Pat Hughes, Shane McManus, Kevin Henry, Pat Cawley, Colm McManus, Keith McGrath, Cormac Hughes, Kenneth Sweeney.
Subs used: Barry Sweeney for Kenneth Sweeney (59 mins)
St. John’s: Noel O’Donnell, Niall Walsh, Neal Hayes, Enda Roche, Feidhlim Murphy, David Rooney, Eoin Flanagan, Paul McNamara, Shane Stenson, Fiachra Greenan, Philip Greene, Tommy Kelly, Charlie Harrison, Ian Rossitor, Ross Gordon.
Subs used: Conor Greene for Grennan (25 mins) Jamie Murphy for Gordon (Half time), Aaron Clerkin for Roche (45 mins)
Referee: Ciaran McGovern