Connacht Gold Junior A Championship Semi final

Sunday 10^th 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)