Dunmore MacHales continue league rise

St. Michael's promoted despite final loss

Dunmore MacHales 3-17

St. Michael’s 2-13

By Ivan Smyth

At Kenny Park

DUNMORE MACHALES secured their third league title in as many season as they defeated a game but ultimately wasteful St. Michael’s side in Friday evening's Division 2 League decider in Athenry.

Michael Halliday’s side possessed the extra sprinkling of quality particularly with the returning Shane McGrath and Colm Costello combining for seven points. Although Dunmore were without the services of 'keeper Connor Gleeson, their defence was effective in restricting St. Michael’s to shots from range, particularly in the first half when the city side played with the aid of a stiff breeze.

For a St. Michael’s, this defeat isn’t disastrous. They had already secured promotion to Division 1 for 2027 while they created openings but their shooting with the wind at their backs was poor.

Nine first half wides and just one two-pointer score from seven attempts meant Michael’s were fighting an uphill battle. With Dunmore doing a fine job in terms of pressuring the kicker and stifling their opponent’s ability to break through in the first phase, Michael's were left with a sizeable task when trailing 3-5 to 1-6 at half time.

St. Michael’s struck the game’s first real blow when David Moloney’s long-range shot found the net but his side had already kicked four wides in 10 minutes. Padraig Costello was excellently thwarted by Michael’s ‘keeper Shane Geoghegan but the runners-up continued to squander chances while a far more efficient Dunmore punished those misses.

Matthew Redington stated in his captain’s speech afterwards that Dunmore's victory was in tribute to the late John Coleman, who was remembered with a minute’s silence prior to throw-in. Redington coolly slotted to the net after rounding Geoghegan. Just as St. Michael’s appeared to be gaining a foothold, the impressive Shane Mitchell latched on to Barry Murray’s through ball before adding Dunmore’s second major.

Eoin Gacquin cut the gap to two with a two-pointer but a palmed goal by Thomas Gleeson in first half injury time was a crushing blow for St. Michael’s. When Shane McGrath raised an orang flag just two minutes into the second period, the fear for the city side was that this would become ugly.

However, St. Michael's showed enough to glean encouragement. They were left incensed in the 35th minute when they felt Eoin Kerin’s shot had crossed the line and hit the back stanchion. After a stoppage in play, the officials deemed the ball had struck the post, hence play resumed with a Dunmore free in the midfield sector that eventually led to a Jake Slattery score.

Eoin Gacquin kicked a pair of two-point frees in the second half but Dunmore possessed the greater cut and thrust in attack as McGrath raised his performance level with himself, Matthew Redington and Padraig Costello cancelling out a Gacquin effort from outside the arc. A plucky St. Michael’s side continued to battle away as a quickfire 1-1 with Liam Brannigan’s goal cutting his side’s deficit to five points after 52 minutes.

But Dunmore remained composed and when Padraig Costello converted a two-point free after St. Michael’s were adjudged to have committed a breach, the north Galway side had secured another league title.

DUNMORE MACHALES: S. Geoghegan; F. Cronin, D. Forde, C. Meehan; S. Mitchell (1-1), S. Murray, D. Reddington; S. McGrath (0-3, one 0-2 score), M. Redington (1-1); R. Walkin (0-1), T. Gleeson (1-0), J. Slattery (0-1); B. Murray, P. Costello (0-6, one 0-2 free, 0-2 frees), C. Costello (0-4). Subs: L. Murray, for D. Reddington, 44 mins; N. Rattigan, for B. Murray, 44 mins; C. Comer, for Meehan, 45 mins; P. Martyn (0-1), for Gleeson, 58 mins; M. Connolly, for C. Costello, 58 mins.

ST. MICHAEL’S: S. Daly; S. Kerr, S. Connaughton, J. Browne; J.D. Boyle (0-1), E. Fiorentini, E. Kerin (0-1); D. Moloney (1-0), R. Mac Giolla Rí; G. Summerville, D. O’Malley (0-1, free), D. Gacquin; E. Gacquin (0-8, one 0-2 score, two 0-2 frees, one free, one 45), D. Cunnane (0-1), C. Morley. Subs: M. Maguire (0-1), for Morley, L. Brannigan (1-0), for Boyle, 46 mins; F. Daly, for Summerville, 51 mins; D. McGovern, for O’Malley, 59 mins.

REFEREE: Ciaran Harkin.

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH:

Padraig Costello (Dunmore MacHales)