Shannon Gaels remain unbeaten after close battle with Drumalee

Junior Football Championship round 2

Drumalee 0-8

Shannon Gaels 0-8

Scores were hard to come by when Drumalee and Shannon Gaels met late last night in Bawnboy but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Both sides created more than enough chances to win the game with the wides tally in double digits for both.

A penalty award to Drumalee in injury time when they were a point down looked to have given them the advantage, but Cian Byrnes spot kick rose over the bar to level the match. Caoimhan McGovern had a chance to win the game for Shannon Gaels but Enda McCormick did just enough to see his shot go wide.

Shane Walsh opened the scoring with a free inside the first minute after a foul on Clive Moffit. Drumalee replied two minutes with an attacking mark from corner forward Eamon Quinn after a precise pass from Sean O’Kane. After a couple of missed chance for the lily whites Shannon Gaels edged ahead with a point off the left foot of Clive Moffit with ten minutes on the clock.

Dean Fay in goals for Drumalee, as he done all night, found a white jersey from the resulting kick-out setting up a move that finished with a beautiful point from Cian Byrne on the left wing. Shannon Gaels then hit their first wide of the game and were punished with a second point in a row from Drumalee captain Byrne, this time on his left foot.

The end to end nature of the game continued but both sides lacked the finishing power to capitalise on their chances. With the second quarter three minutes old Caoimhan McGovern from a very acute angle curled over an equaliser with his right foot.

A foul on Harry Moffit gave Shane Walsh a chance to edge Shannon Gaels in front and Walsh comfortably raised a white flag. A turn over won by Jamie Heffernan set him up for a pass to Eamon Quinn who won and converted the attacking mark to leave the sides level at four each at the break.

Drumalee started the second half the quicker with Cian Byrne again leading the way with his third point of the night. With five minutes on the second half clock wing forward Leigh Dunne gave Peter McGinnity and Kevin Downey’s side a two point lead for the first and only time in the game.

A sideline dropped into the Drumalee 20-metre area by Caoimhan McGovern broke to Shane Walsh and he closed the gap to a single point with his right foot. Shannon Gaels worked hard to force a turn over in their defence before moving the ball quickly up the field for Donnacha Maguire to pass to Clive Moffit for an attacking mark to level the game for the fifth time.

With 20 minutes to go, Eugene Walsh introduced Jason McLoughlin off the bench but it was Drumalee who worked the next score to take the lead. Sean O’Kane selflessly played a free short to Eamon Quinn who hooked over his third point of the game from close range.

The score of the game came at the end of the third quarter to level the match again. Drumalee well positioned defensively looked to have forced Shannon Gaels outside of the scoring zone but Caoimhan McGovern gathered the ball on the 45 meter line and with half a yard of space he booted the ball over the bar with his right foot.

With ten minutes to go the missed chances tallies rocketed but a long ball to the Shannon Gaels full forward line resulted in a 45 which Nevin O’Donnell stepped up and sailed over the bar to give his side a one-point lead. Drumalee upped the ante and began to control more of the ball but failed to make it impact the score board.

With Shannon Gaels ahead by a point and the game in injury-time Drumalee pushed for an equaliser but when Eamon Quinn side stepped his man he was taken down inside the square. Referee John Power immediately awarded the penalty but Drumalee had to settle for a point from the spot kick. With the resulting kick-out Shannon Gaels forged one last chance to claim the win but when the shot went wide the final whistle was blown.

Drumalee: Dean Fay, Eoin Donohoe, Enda McCormaick, Kevin Gavigan; Dylan Duffy, Philip McArdle, Tommy Walsh; Dean Sherlock, David O’Keeffe; Leigh Dunne(0-1), Cian Byrne(0-4,1p), Jamie Heffernan; Sean O’Kane, Niall Young, Eamon Quinn(0-3,2m). Subs used: Greg Duffy for D Sherlock, Darragh Byrne for J Heffernan, Darragh Gaffney for N Young.

Shannon Gaels: Nevin O’Donnell(0-1’45); Harry Moffit, Sean McHugh, Gearoid Flanagan; Daniel Fitzpatrick, Kevin McGovern, Donnacha Maguire; Billy O’Mahony, Daniel Fitzpatrick Jnr; Niall Higgins, Shane Walsh(0-3,2f), James Maguire; Jody Savage, Caoimhan McGovern(0-2), Clive Moffit(0-2,1m). Subs used: Jason McLaughlin for N Higgins, Ronan McCaffrey for J Savage.