Connacht Colleges 'A' Football Final - 1997


Connaught Telegraph
Mayo GAA News 26 March 1997


St Gerald's retain title with performance of true grit

St Gerald's College (Castlebar) 1-10
St Jarlath's (Tuam) 2-6

John Melvin reports from Tuam

SAINTS ALIVE AND WELL! That was the message from Tuam on Sunday where St Gerald's College, Castlebar retained their Connacht Colleges senior 'A' football title with a second half performance of true grit and raw courage.

The iron will and steely determination of the Castlebar college proved crucial in ensuring they picked up their third title as they outwitted a highly fancied St Jarlath's team bidding for their 40th title.

It was a pressure game for St Gerald's who were determined to remove the cloud of suspicion that hung over their victory last year when they ended a 67 year exile in the college's wilderness. Their application to join the college's footballing elite was not fully accepted by some who doubted the pedigree of the side, who were accused of pilfering the title with a late goal.

But on this occasion the clouds of doubt have been dispersed forever, and no one could deny, that the team had the mettle and the character to be declared worthy champions as a huge support from Castlebar, Ballintubber , Parke and many other adjoining areas, turned up to embrace the Connacht champions.

It is a measure of the character of the side that they conceded two goals in the first half, but still managed to claw their way back and snatch it in the end by a single point.

The experience gained from last year was to prove a critical factor as all surviving six were to play key roles in ensuring the title remained in Castlebar.

Tradition

Tradition was thrown out the window as St Gerald's put their poor first half performance behind them to really buckle down to the serious business at hand and when it developed into a battle of nerves, it was St Geralds who held the heads under pressure with Kenneth Hyland landing the match winning point six minutes from the end of a game which ran two minutes into overtime.

And it was in those extra minutes that St Jarlath's had the chances to at least force a draw, if not win the game. However, full forward Christopher Donnellan, who looked a class act for much of the game, failed to deliver with two very scoreable frees in front of the posts.

The reputation of young Donnellan had preceded him into this final and when he rattled off two early points from play inside four minutes, there was an uneasy feeling in the St Gerald's camp that this might turn into a one man machine of destruction.

But Donnellan's contribution for a good deal of the match was minimised, particularly in the second half, when he was moved out to the forty, with St Jarlath's surprisingly altering their midfield partnership which had done enormous damage in that first half.

However, St Gerald's could easily have found the net with their first attack when Fintan McHale ghosted in behind the defence only to blast over the bar with a goal at his mercy. The full forward more than atoned for that miss in the second half when he nailed the goal which was to turn this game on it's head.

But it ws st Jarlath's who were first to find the net. Their very strong and mobile midfielder Enda Daly letting fly from about thirty yard with a shot which came off the angle of the post and into the net in the 9th minute to give them a four point lead.

But St Gerald's came back with three points without reply-Michael Hoban finishing a good move involving Kenneth Hyland and Niall Dunne, while Colm Staunton produced another superb point after a good move, and Hoban was on target again to leave just a point between them.

But those three points were wiped out in one fell swoop as Daly and Michael Higgins set up Brian O'Donovan for a well taken goal and when Donnellan fired over a free from the hands st Jarlath's were back in control with a five point lead which was reduced to four at the interval 2-3 to 0-5- thanks to a Jamie Fitzmaurice pointed free from the hands.

In fact, Fitzmaurice ws to play a key role in mapping a route back for st Geralds who got an early second half boost when Kenneth Hyland landed a superb point inside two minutes of the restart.

But the pressure was back on St Gerald's when a poor clearance gifted a point to Michael Higgins.

Colm Lyons reduced the gap to three points and in the 40th minute st Gerald's finally blew the st Jarlath's door off it's hinges when Neill Dunne's precision pass was latched onto by Fintan McHale who kept his head to dummy the keeper, before colly smacking the ball into the net to tie the game.

However, St Jarlath's were soon back in front, their hard working midfielder Enda Daly, scoring a marvellous point with fifteen minutes remaining.

But I was St Gerald's who were looking the more composed side and they landed the next two score, Jamie Fitzmaurice holding his nerve to kick two frees from the hands from around forty yards, to put the pressure back on st Jarlath's and put his side St Geralds in front for the first time with thirteen minutes remaining.

Fatal Misses

Again, the lead was short-lived. Donnellan also found the target with a free from the hands but the same player was to have two fatal misses from even easier chances late in the game.

With the game tied going into the last five minutes a re-play in Castlebar looked on the cards, that was, until Kenneth Hyland, one of the best performers up front, kicked a tremendous point with the inside of the right foot.

It ws a point worthy of winning any game. But the St Gerald's nerves jangled as the game went into injury time, and I'm sure a good few Castlebar eyes were closed when Christopher Donnellan shaped up to take two frees from the hands, any one of which would have put a hold on celebrations.

St Gerald's too had had their misses prior to that, but all those were easily forgotten when Martin Murphy decided that enough time and opportunities had been given to St Jarlath's to snatch a draw.

Credit

Certainly a victory fashioned from team spirt and effort and great credit must rest with the defence where to a man they stuck to their task. Kevin Scahill was particularly impressive in the right corner and what about full back Adrian Marley who appeared to be on his way to a roasting in the first few minutes but whose refusal to panic saw produce a fine display along with David Hayes in that very solid full back line. John Fahey, John Feeney and Anthony Dunne produced the goods when needed most in the last fifteen minutes.

After struggling in the opening half at midfield, Jamie Fitzmaurice and Tomas Earley, supplemented by Neill Dunne, lifted their game in the second half to play key roles in turning the game around for St Gerald's while up front Fintan McHale and Kenneth Hyland were largely responsible for altering the course of the game with Colm Lyons, Michael Hoban and Colm Staunton making vital contributions when they were needed most.

St Jarlath's will be disappointed at the manner in which they lost this one and might well feel they could at least have earned a draw, but they did not measure up to the task in a few key ares, particularly when it was required up front, despite excellent work from players like Michael Higgins, Christopher Donnellan, Enda Daly, Stephen Rochford, Ed Cosgrove, Hugh McAleer and Kieran Collins.

St Gerald's: Colin Warde, Kevin Scahill, Adrian Marley, David Hayes, John Fahey, John Feeney, Anthony Dunne, Tomas Earley, Jamie Fitzmaurice, Colm Lyons, Niall Dunne, Michael Hoban, Kenneth Hyoand, Fintan McHale, Colm Staunton.

Scorers for St Geralds: F. McHale 1-1; J. Fitzmaurice 0-3; M. Hoban and K. Hyland 0-2 each; C. Lyons and C. Staunton 0-1 each. St Jarlath's: E. Daly 1-1; B. O'Donovan 1-0; C. Donnellan 0-4; M. Higgins 0-1.

St Jarlath's; J. O'Hara, E. Cosgrove, B. Timothy, J. O'Doherty, H. McAleer,S. Rochford, E. Flood, K. Collins, E. Daly, R. Loftus, M. Higgins, F. Lyons, D. Hanley, C. Donnellan, B. O'Donovan. Sub: D. Curley for O'Doherty.

Ref: M. Murphy (Ballinrobe).



Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - March 1997