First half goals set Dunmore on the road to victory

Murray and Costello net twice against Naomh Anna

Dunmore MacHales 4-12

Naomh Anna Leitir Móir 3-10

By Stephen Glennon

At Pearse Stadium

GOALS were the order of the evening at Pearse Stadium last Saturday as Dunmore MacHales held off a spirited Naomh Anna Leitir Móir fightback to take the spoils in a seven-goal Senior Football Championship Group 3 encounter in Salthill.

Dunmore MacHales did much of the damage before the break, with Barry Murray and Colm Costello, who struck twice, the second from the penalty spot, raising green flags as Michael Halliday’s charges raced into a commanding 3-9 to 1-5 interval lead.

Dylan Seoighe’s first half goal kept Naomh Anna Leitir Móir in touch, but they faced a sizeable deficit trailing by 10 points heading into the second period. Yet, the Connemara men refused to go quietly, and imbued with a newfound sense of purpose, they took the fight to their opponents, who they held scoreless in the third quarter.

Disjointed on squeezing kickouts, on defensive out-balls and on the middle third in the opening period, Naomh Anna Leitir Móir were more tuned in to what was required after the break. Such a squeeze on Dunmore MacHales’ defence saw possession overturned in their favour in the opening minutes, and from a resultant free, Oisín Mac Donnacha converted his third dead ball.

Subsequent points from Tomás Ó Curraoin (free) and Dylan Seoighe in the third quarter was representative of a better showing in this period, as Dunmore MacHales simply took their foot of the proverbial pedal.

Indeed, having been so savvy in the opening period, Halliday’s charges didn’t raise a flag again until the 49th minute. However, when the score did arrive, it was a thing of beauty as Jake Slattery fed Murray for his second goal of the tie.

Leading 4-9 to 1-8 coming down the home stretch, Dunmore MacHales just had to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and this they did through points from Slattery, Colm Costello and Padraig Costello.

In fairness to Naomh Anna Leitir Móir, they kept fighting until the death, and another 2-2 was just reward for their endeavours. Those points were tallied by Ó Curraoin (free) and Fionn Mac Donnacha while Ó Curraoin shot both of his second half goals from the penalty spot following fouls on Dylan Seoighe and Oisín Mac Donnacha on 55 and 58 minutes respectively. The second earned Dunmore MacHales’ Sean Murray a black card.

However, the outcome of the contest at this stage was not in doubt – and some might say that was the case after only 20 minutes when the North Galway outfit led 3-4 to 0-3. That could easily have been 4-4, only for referee Patrick Holohan to scrub off a Thomas Gleeson goal for over-carrying.

Still, Dunmore MacHales were in complete control at this stage. After Shane McGrath opened the scoring with a neat point, Barry Murray netted his first goal on three minutes on the back of good work from Slattery, Brendan Carr and Padraig Costello.

Their second goal was netted 12 minutes later, after Dunmore MacHales were awarded a penalty for a foot-block and Colm Costello hammered home the spot kick.

Goal three followed shortly after. This time Matthew Redington, not for the first time, raided up-field and supplied Colm Costello with possession which the sharpshooter converted into a green flag, despite having his jersey tugged on route to goal.

On the ensuing kickout, Dunmore MacHales stole the ball once again and looked to have a fourth goal when Gleeson struck the net, only for the effort to be struck off. It didn’t hamper the winners, however, as Padraig Costello (play and free), McGrath, who kicked a fantastic two-pointer earlier in the half, Dylan Brady and Brendan Carr registered points to leave them in a commanding position.

Indeed, Dunmore’s only blemish from the first half was the concession of a 21st minute goal, with Dylan Seoighe catching the defence unaware and firing to the net. Eamon Ó Loingsigh, Oisín Mac Donnacha (two frees) and Fionn Mac Donnacha (two) contributed the five points in what was a poor showing by Naomh Anna Leitir Móir in the opening period.

While Alan Murphy's men are now bound for a relegation battle, Dunmore MacHales can be happy with the glimpses they showed in this one. They were goal hungry in the opening half and their organisation on opposition kickouts and their stranglehold on the middle third paid rich dividends in the high volume of turnovers they executed and the resulting scores.

As Group 3 runners-up, they can look forward with optimism to their preliminary quarter-final against Oughterard.

DUNMORE MACHALES: C. Gleeson; D. Forde, C. Comer, D. Brady (0-1); J. Slattery (0-1), M. Redington (captain), R. Walkin; S. Murray, S. McGrath (0-4, one 0-2 score); B. Carr (0-1), T. Gleeson, L. Murray (0-1); B. Murray (2-0), P. Costello (0-3, 0-1 free), C. Costello (2-1, 1-0 penalty). Subs: S. Mitchell, for D. Brady inj., 38 mins; N. Rattigan, for Slattery, 57 mins; Dylan Hannon, for B. Murray, 57 mins.

NAOMH ANNA LEITIR MÓIR: C.T. Ó Flatharta; R. Mac Donnacha, E. Ó Flatharta (captain), M. Ó Cualáin; D. Seoighe, T. Ó Curraoin (2-2, 2-0 penalties, 0-2 frees), C. Seoighe; M.E. Bairéad, O. Mac Donnacha (0-3, 0-3 frees); C. Ó Catháin, D. Seoighe (1-1) F. Mac Donnacha (0-3); W. Seoighe, P.S. Ó Ceallaigh, E. Ó Loingsigh (0-1). Sub: I. Ó Curraoin, for P.S. Ó Ceallaigh, 56 mins.

REFEREE: Patrick Holohan.

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH:

Matthew Redington (Dunmore MacHales).