Rorys safely through to JFC semi-finals

JFC quarter-final

Belturbet 2-16

Shannon Gaels 1-9

Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

A powerful second-half performance saw Belturbet ease into the semi-finals of the Junior Football Championship against a Shannon Gaels side who competed strongly in the first half but were over-run in the second.

Belturbet, who were handed a tricky draw in the group stage, fell to Knockbride and Drung but an opening-day victory over Drumalee and a round-four win against Kill Shamrocks earned their passage to this stage and their second half here was their best showing in the championship to date.

Shannon Gaels, playing in their 19th JFC quarter-final in 20 years, were unbeaten coming into the clash, having drawn with Drumalee and Swanlinbar and beaten Kildallan and Killeshandra, neither of whom made the last eight.

Shannon Gaels got off to a wonderful start when, from the throw-in, they found former county man Caoimhan McGovern and the team captain turned sharply, ate up the ground and sent a good finish to the bottom corner.

But if it was the perfect tonic for the Gaels early on, they didn’t build on it. Belturbet dominated the next eight minutes, reeling off 1-2 unanwered and also kicking a couple of wides.

Shane Fitzpatrick fielded the kick-out after the goal and the ball was worked to Callum McGreevy, who kicked a good point off the left to get the Rorys going.

Enda Henry, usually Belturbet’s scorer-in-chief, added a free which he won himself and then, in the seventh minute, he tucked away a penalty after Colm Dennehy was pulled back to make it 1-2 to 1-0.

Shannon Gaels replied with a well-taken point from Clive Moffitt from a Caoimhan McGovern pass but a fine effort from Sean O’Reilly from 30 metres cancelled it out.

Neither side was playing particularly well at this stage, with execution of the basic skills below their usual standards, but as the half wore on, Shannon Gaels improved, with McGovern, Jason McLoughlin and sweeper-keeper Nevin O’Donnell prominent.

The Blacklion-based side’s cause was helped when Henry picked up a black card and they were the better side for the time he was off, even though it was partly eaten up by an injury to Belturbet goalkeeper Cian Vaughan which required treatment.

Good work from Harry Moffitt saw him win a free which McGovern converted and in the 25th minute, the Gaels drew level. Liam Mulligan pulled off a spectacular block on McGovern but a teammates touched the ball on the ground and the Gaels captain knocked over the resulting free to make it 1-3 apiece.

Approaching half-time, another McGovern free – this time after a good turnover by McLoughlin - nudged Eugene Walsh’s men in front again. The Rorys, who kicked seven first-half wides, drew last blood before the interval when a misplaced pass by McGovern saw them launch a fast counter-attack and Fionán Donohoe split the posts to leave it all square, 1-4 apiece.

Whatever was said at half-time in the Rorys’ dressing-room worked a charm as they returned to the fray a different side. In the first seven minutes of the second half, they kicked six points, all from play and some of them exceptional strikes.

Belturbet were by now working much harder, hunting in packs and exerting huge pressure on the Shannon Gaels kick-out – and, crucially, they now had their shooting boots on.

Belturbet’s increased work ethic and probably fitness was key as they scored 1-7 from turnovers in the second half, with the bench contributing as they closed out the match.

Top scorer McGreevy sent over a huge score from distance two minutes into the second half and for the next seven minutes, the Rorys couldn’t miss, helped by gobbling up a lot of Shannon Gaels restarts.

Brian Wallace made it 1-6 to 1-4 and then Fionán O’Reilly sent over a great score from 45 metres. The same man added another, this time from 40 metres, and Henry accounted for the next after grabbing a break close to goal.

Shannon Gaels finally got their hands on the ball and made it count with a good point from McGovern but good work from Henry saw Shane Fitzpatrick blast over and when McGreevy, who also picked up a black card in an all-action display, scored a 40-metre free, it was 1-11 to 1-6.

McGovern sent over a free after a foul on McLoughlin but Belturbet could have put it to bed, Sean Óg Lawlor off target from close range.

McGovern and Henry (free) traded scores but the Rorys were now in the ascendancy and tacked on 1-4 unanswered in the closing stages.

McGreevy kicked two more from play and added a goal, palmed in after great work from Cormac Donohoe – whose introduction at half-time helped turn things around – and Henry. Sean Óg Lawlor and Dennehy both registered before Shannon Gaels had the final say with a Donncha Maguire point deep in injury time.

Shannon Gaels: Nevin O’Donnell, Harry Moffitt, Sean McHugh, Gearoid Flanagan, Daniel Fitzpatrick, Jason McLoughlin, Donncha Maguire (0-1), Billy O’Mahony, Daniel Fitzpatrick Jr, Niall Higgins, Clive Moffitt (0-1), James Maguire, Jody Savage, Caoimhan McGovern (1-7, 5f), Kevin McGovern

Subs: Philip McGoldrick for N Higgins (34), Ronan McCaffrey for C Moffitt (57)

Belturbet: Cian Vaughan, Jack Lawlor, Liam Mulligan, Giles McConnell, Killian Murray, Shane Fitzpatrick (0-1), Mark Lawlor, Fionnán O’Reilly (0-2), Luke Mulvany, Brian Wallace (0-1), Colm Dennehy (0-1), Sean O’Reilly (0-1), Callum McGreevy (1-5, 1f), Fionán Donohoe (0-1), Enda Henry (0-4, 3f)

Subs: Kevin McConnell for J Lawlor, Cormac Donohoe for F Donohoe (both ht), Sean Óg Lawlor (0-1)for B Wallace (46), Donal McDonald for L Mulvany (56), John Cahill for E Henry (60)

Ref: Kieran McCarville