Connacht Gold Junior A Championship Semi final
Sunday 10th October
Connolly Park, Collooney
Referee: Micheal Connolly
By Alanna Cunnane
Strong Finish Sees Pats Surpass Mary’s
St Patricks, 2-08, St Marys 2-06
St Patrick’s made good in the final quarter of their
clash versus St Mary’s on Sunday to scrape past the Shane Nealon managed Sligo
town outfit and earn themselves a spot in the Connacht Gold Junior A final.
The men in red and green had a dream start with two
Padraic Clarke goals and a point each for Clark again and Jim Davis in the opening
minutes ensuring they had 2-2 clocked up before the water break against Mary’s’
0-1 collected by Jay Cox.
Momentum then swung the town side’s favour when Dylan
Kilgallon struck the back of the net and Cox added another point. Oisin Kevany
acquired a yellow card for Pats but Padraic Clarke captured put another on the
scoresheet, leaving things 2-3 to 1-2 at the interval.
The third quarter saw a ramp up in tension with goal
chances for both parties resulting in top notch last ditch defending from key
players such as Conor Kevany and James Kearins for the West Sligo team, and
Donal Keavney in tandem with Liam O’Kelly Lynch for Mary’s.
Johnny Steward managed to make good on one such
opportunity to send the green flag waving for St Mary’s. In addition to more
accounts from Cox and Dylan Corcoran, the scoreboard was balanced heading into
the final 15 minutes.
In the final quarter, midfielder Cathal Finneran was
next to work the scoreboard with a point that was quickly cancelled out by a
Mark Breheny free.
Points from Davis and substitute Niall Connolly put two
between the sides, although a Breheny
free brough the margin back to one before talisman Padraic Clarke delivered the
killer blow to seal the victory for the Dromard saints and a 2-8 to 2-6 the
final score.
Teams
St Pats: 1. Tomas McMunn, 2. Jack
Egan, 3. Conor Kevany, 4. Jonathan Higgins, 5. James Kearins, 6. Joe McMunn, 7.
David Giblin, 8. Connell Kearins, 9. Cathal Finneran (0-1), 17. Ciaran Giblin,
11. James Clarke, 12. Piece Kearins, 13. Jim Davis (0-3), 14. Padraic Clarke
(2-3), 18. Oisin Kevany
Subs used: 21. Enda
Clarke (replaced 4. Jonathan Higgins), 22. Niall Connolly (0-1, replaced 11.
James Clarke), 20. Patrick Farrell (replaced 17. Ciaran Giblin)
St Marys
St Marys: 1. Niall Crawley, 2. Liam
O’Kelly Lynch, 3. Donal Keavney, 23. Donal Fidgeon, 5. Zack Mahon, 6. Stephen
Keenan, 7. Johnny Steward (1-0), 8. Cormac Niland, 9. Tom Gavin, 10. Jimmy
Monaghan, 11. Jack Keegan, 12. Adam Lynch, 13. Mark Breheny (0-2 2f), 14. Dylan
Kilgallon,(1-0) 15. Jay Cox (0-3)
Subs used: 19. Dylan
Corcoran (replaced Dylan Kilgallon) )-1), 18. Finn Young (replaced Donal
Fidgeon), 20. Paul Moore (replaced Jimmy Monaghan), 22. Marc O’Hehir (replaced
Zack Mahon)