Western Title Number Eight for Sliabh gCua

The Western Junior Football Championship has made its way to Touraneena for the eight time as Sliabh gCua for the second time in six years this evening proved too good for An Sean Phobal at a cold Fraher Field.

Over the course of the hour, Sliabh gCua were the better of the two sides and were full value for their 1-14 to 1-5 victory and now go on to play Ballyduff Lower in the County Final, a club which beat Saint Mary’s in last year’s Junior hurling County Final at Fraher Field.

On the night brothers Mike and Eoin Kearns were excellent for Sliabh gCua lording proceedings in the middle of the field, while behind them when the ball did go past them, Brendan McGourty was often in the right place to mop up the ball and intelligently brought it out of defence and help set up another Sliabh gCua attack.

It would be wrong however to think that the win was down to these three men, as each and every one of the 19 players used by the Sliabh gCua management team played their part in the win and in the championship success over the past number of weeks and months.

An Sean Phobal will be disappointed with their overall performance in this game, as they know that they are much closer to Sliabh gCua than the score line would suggest, and they will be back in contention once more next year.

Sliabh gCua on the night never trailed in this game.

Jason Sheehan who was accurate on free taking duty all night opened the scoring on five minutes when he put over the first of his seven points in this game.

Sliabh gCua after this soon got into their stride and kicked points on eight and nine minutes off the boots of Dermot Tobin and Denis Coffey.

Cormac Ó Innseadúin hit An Sean Phobal’s first score of the game on ten minutes when he put over a free. But that score was quickly cancelled out with a second point from Dermot Tobin on twelve minutes and them a brace of Jason Sheehan frees in the thirteenth minute and a further score from the same player five minutes later which put Sliabh gCua 0-7 to 0-1 in front.

Tiarnan Ó Foghlú hit An Sean Phobal’s first score from play on twenty one minutes, but the Touraneena outfit would finish the half the half continuing to be the stronger of the two sides, despite losing JJ Coffey on twenty four minutes with an injury after he bravely put his body on the line to deny Sean Phobal a goal scoring chance just moments earlier. 

In added time at the end of the first half Jason Sheehan put over his fifth score of the game and Denis Coffey got his second to send Sliabh gCua to the dressing rooms leading 0-9 to 0-2.

Sliabh gCua in the third quarter proved once more to be the better of the two sides, as Eoin Kearns hit a brace of points on thirty-two and thirty-eight minutes with Jason Sheehan putting over another free for the winners in between.  

At this point Sliabh gCua were ten points in front, but that lead was eaten into on forty minutes when Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín gave Daniel Flynn no chance planting the ball high into the roof of the net to leave seven between the sides.

Points from Brian Froinnseach and Cormac Ó Innseadúin followed for ‘The Shock’s’ who closed in on the Sliabh gCua lead with twelve minutes plus stoppage time still to play.

There is bound to have some inside the stand that felt that if Sean Phobal could raise another green flag then there could well be a grandstand finish to this game, but for An Sean Phobal this was as good as it got.

Kevin Sheehan had a good chance to rattle the net with eight minutes to go, but he saw his effort rise a little too high and hit the outside of the post and went wide as Sliabh gCua once more began to exert pressure at the country end of the field.

With four minutes to go Jason Sheehan put over his seven free of the evening and a minute later Stephen Coffey split the post to put Sliabh gCua 0-14 to 1-4 in front.

Credit An Sean Phobal however, they refused to throw in the towel and on the hour mark, Aodhan Mac Gearailt drew a brilliant save from an alert Daniel Flynn in the Sliabh gCua goal and from the rebound Graham Ó Gadhra struck the upright. Sliabh gCua cleared the danger and attacked down field and within seconds of An Sean Phobal missing at one end, Stephen Coffey blasted to the net to the net at the other.

Substitute Tomás Ó Cuirrín put over a point for Sean Phobal  in added time but it proved to be a mere consolation score for his side.

Sliabh gCua now play Ballyduff Lower in the County Final after they beat Erin’s Own in the Eastern Final earlier today on a 2-7 to 1-5 score line in Dunhill.

Sliabh gCua: Daniel Flynn, Gearoid Hallinan, JJ Coffey, Jack Skehan; Dylan McCarthy, Brendan McGourty, Sean Fitzpatrick; Eoin Kearns, Mike Kearns; Denis Coffey, Stephen Coffey, Dermot Tobin; Kevin Sheehan, Jason Sheehan, Killian Tobin. Subs: Ronan Gleeson for JJ Coffey (24), Aidan Fitzpatrick for Dermot Tobin (57), Tom Tobin for Kevin Sheehan (61), Eoin Walsh for Mike Kearns (61).

Scorers: Jason Sheehan 0-7 (7F), Stephen Coffey 1-1, Dermot Tobin, Denis Coffey, Eoin Kearns 0-2 each.

Sean Phobal: Aodan de Paor; Liam O’ Raghallaigh, Reamonn Ó Turraoin, Seamus Ó Flaibhín; Stiofán Ó Conbhuí, Andrias Breathnach; Cormac Ó Innseadúin, Shane de Paor; Brian Froinnseach, Sean Ó Conbhuí, Tiarnain Ó Foghlú; Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín, Graham Ó Gadhra, Aodhan Mac Gearailt. Subs: Padraig Ó hEalaithe for Tiarnain Ó Foghlú (40), Tomás Ó Cuirrín for Brian Froinnseach (45), Domhnall Ó Murchú for Stiofán Ó Conbhuí (57).

Scorers: Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín 1-0, Cormac Ó Innseadúin 0-2 (1F), Tiarnain Ó Foghlú, Brian Froinnseach, Tomás Ó Cuirrín (F) 0-1 each.

Referee: Pat Casey (Affane).