Championship thriller goes to a replay

Published: Wed 21 Sep 2011, 10:29 AM

Last updated: Wed 21 Sep 2011, 11:29 AM

By JIM CARNEY Cortoon Shamrocks ...........2-8 Mountbellew-Moylough ....1-11 (after extra-time) IS there any way Mountbellew-Moylough can be eliminated from the S.F.C. this year or will they go all the way and win it? First they surprisingly lost to MÃƒÂcheÃƒÂ¡l Breathnachs, as far back as Sunday, May 29th. It's history now that the outcome of that match was challenged by the losers, on a technicality, and three months later came a refixture which Mountbellew-Moylough won at Pearse Stadium, 0-10 to 0-8. Playing that game gave the Black and Amber valuable match-practice, so they were strongly fancied to overcome Cortoon a week later as the Shamrocks hadn't a Championship game in the previous 110 days. Now they'll have two in eight days, with the replay at Tuam Stadium next Sunday. Again, Mountbellew-Moylough have luck on their side. Close to the end of Ã¢€Ëœnormal' time and just before the end of extra-time in Tuam last Saturday evening, Cortoon Shamrocks had big opportunities to clinch victory but three good chances were kicked wide (one off a free). Not only that, but early in this game, on their way to building up a lead of 1-4 to no score, Mountbellew-Moylough were awarded one of the Ã¢€Ëœsoftest' penalties I've ever seen in a match of this importance. Dashing upfield from his left full-back position, towards the town end, Cathal Duffy took a pass at top speed but slid to the ground onto his knees, in the praying position. Yes, a Cortoon player closing in on the Mountbellew-Moylough man put a hand on his opponent's jersey in an effort to knock the ball away but Gaelic football is a physical contact sport and if referees impose their own ban on contact, defenders will simply have to stand out of the way and allow forwards walk the ball into the net. From our Press box vantage point in the Stand, one thing was clear to all of us in relation to this incident: the Mountbellew-Moylough player on the ball was not knocked to the ground by a Cortoon player. Joe Bergin coolly netted the penalty, low to the goalkeeper's right. It was the first score of the match, eight minutes in, and Mountbellew-Moylough drove on with four unanswered points including two on the run by a naturally attacking wing-back, Gary Sweeney. Seven points down, it was a time for Cortoon to dig deep and fight back, which they did in rousing style. Big midfielder Shane Gilmore made a powerful long run and the fast man on his shoulder, raiding defender Brian Roache, took the pass and buried the ball in the Mountbellew-Moylough net. It was interesting that the two men in the No. 4 jerseys were showing their forwards how to make and take goals. Cortoon added three points to their 'major' with David Warde creating and kicking one particularly good score, but Mountbellew-Moylough then regained the initiative and at half-time they led by 1-6 to 1-3. They had played very well too, with Joe Bergin switching between midfield and full-forward, leaving the excellent Colm Colleran as the anchor man around the middle. Fergal Heverin and his cousin Shane Gilmore put in big effort for Cortoon in the centre, so there was plenty of breaking ball to be won, and much of that went to the two very good wing-backs in Black and Amber, Gary Sweeney and Raymond Murray. In fairness, Cortoon wing-backs Derek Gilmore and Paul Varley also gave it all they had and played some great football. Cortoon manager T. J. Gilmore knew he had to bring in injured captain Mickey Costelloe for the second half and the big man with the heart of a lion led by outstanding personal example with a priceless 1-1 when he joined the action, working hard in support of Shane Gilmore and Adrian Varley who were running at the Mountbellew-Moylough defence. Derek Savage also gave leadership, with huge personal courage as he was playing through the pain barrier. From the start it was obvious that 'Savo' would not be able to kick the ball off his favoured left side and it was significant that the first of his three points was kicked right-footed. Cortoon led only once in this game, after Mickey Costelloe's spectacular goal from a brilliant pass by Adrian Varley, but undoubtedly it was a fair outcome to 'normal' time when Mountbellew-Moylough sub Stephen Boyle sent the match to extra-time with a great point from play: 2-6 to 1-9. Mountbellew-Moylough regained the lead but Cortoon then got a fantastic equalising point from county minor Cathal Mulryan Ã¢€â€ a 'pressure' score, splendidly kicked from well out the field. It was still level pegging at half-time in extra-time, at 2-7 to 1-10, which meant the sides hit a point apiece in the second period of extra-time: Derek Savage for Cortoon, from play, and Cathal Kenny's last-gasp equaliser for Mountbellew-Moylough from a superbly-hit free off his hands. That too was a 'pressure' kick. On both sides it was essentially teamwork that kept them going but Cortoon had, in my opinion, the two top performers on the day, defenders Donal O'Neill and David Finnegan. Back to Tuam Stadium for the replay next Sunday at 4.15 p.m. Don't miss it! Cortoon: D. Glynn; M. Concannon, D. O'Neill, B. Roache (1-0); D. Gilmore, D. Finnegan, P. Varley; F. Heverin, S. Gilmore (0-1); A. Boyle (0-1, A. Varley, A. Tierney; D. Savage (0-3), D. Warde (0-1), C. Mulryan (0-1). Subs (including extra-time): M. Costelloe, captain (1-1), for Boyle; A. McDonnell, for Tierney; B. Walsh, for McDonnell; A. Boyle for A. Varley; A. Varley for Heverin, inj., A. Tierney, for S. Gilmore, inj. Mountbellew-Moylough: B. Donnellan (0-1, free); L. Kenny, A. McHugh, C. Duffy; G. Sweeney (0-2), J. Moore, R. Murray; C. Colleran, J. Bergin (1-0, penalty); J. Meehan, captain, C. Kenny (0-4, all frees), P. Donnellan (0-1); A. Sweeney, D. Hogan (0-1), D. Neary. Subs., P. Gardiner, for McHugh; S. Boyle (0-1), for A. Sweeney; T. Wall, for Neary; J. Collevy (0-1, free), for Meehan; C. Gardiner, for L. Kenny; M. Geraghty, for Murray. Referee: James Molloy. Herald Sport Man of the Match: Shared by Donal O'Neill and David Finnegan, both Cortoon Shamrocks. INTERMEDIATE Football Championship semi-final replay at Pearse Stadium last Saturday: Oughterard 2-6 CÃƒÂ¡rna Caiseal 1-8. That one-point win for Oughterard puts them into the County final against Kilconly Ã¢€â€ to be played on Sunday, October 9th at Pearse Stadium along with the County Junior (A) Championship final between Clonbur and Headford. Colm Ãƒâ€œ DubhÃƒÂ¡in fisted the CÃƒÂ¡rna Caiseal goal, while the scorers for Oughterard were Conrad Clancy 2-1, Martin Coady 0-2, Damien O'Reilly, Liam Tierney and Ronan Molloy 0-1 each. After next Sunday's S.F.C. replay at Tuam Stadium, the Football Board will endeavour to play the remaining quarter-final (Cortoon Shamrocks or Mountbellew-Moylough vs Tuam Stars) as quickly as possible but there may be complications. At present the Board are hoping to play the County Senior final on Sunday, October 16th as preparations for the International Rules series in Australia may take some Galway county players away the following weekend. If Salthill-Knocknacarra reach the County final, Finian Hanley's commitment to the Ireland team would tie Galway Football Board's hands to a limited amount of dates and there's also the threat of expulsion from the Connacht Club Championship if Galway haven't a representative ready by November 6th. IN HURLING, meanwhile, Galway are making very slow progress with the County Cup and the I.H.C. but the picture is brighter at Minor level. Last weekend Cappataggle won the County Minor B Championship by defeating Rahoon-Newcastle-Salthill in the final, 2-9 to 0-11, while in the Minor A semi-finals there were wins for Athenry over Clarinbridge by 2-16 to 1-10, and for Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry over Ardrahan, 3-12 to 2-9.