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Castlerea
oust champions with spirited show
Roscommon
Champion
See
Hoganstand Report
IN 1993 reigning
County Champions Strokestown were knocked out of the
Championship by a talented, rigid, inflexible and doughty
Castlerea team. History repeated itself on Sunday evening at
Dr. Hyde Park as a spirited, determined and resolute Castlerea
St. Kevin's, with Ger Heneghan, Martin Raftery and Niall
Finnegan to the fore, overcame a lethargic and listless
Strokestown team by a three-point margin. This was not a
particularly enjoyable game of football. Strokestown failed to
score until the 35th minute of the first half by which point
Castlerea had built up a commanding seven-point lead. They
were unable to claw their way back and consequently the
second-half played itself out without any great drama.
J.F. Hanley Groundscare Senior Football Championship
Castlerea St. Kevin's 0-13 Strokestown 1-7
Strokestown were certainly technically superior to their
opponents but they failed to match this technical superiority
with tenacity, determination and resolve. Castlerea proved
proficient in these departments and thus they won this match
comfortably.
Castlerea began very well, concentrating on depriving the
Strokestown forwards room. Numerous Strokestown attacks were
repelled by resolute defending and they slowly and steadily
built up a commanding and irreversible lead. Ger Heneghan
scored five points from frees in the first half. The first of
these came after five minutes, Heneghan converting from 35
metres after wing back and former county player Martin Raftery
had been fouled. Heneghan added two more frees after this,
pointing in the eighth and 13th minutes.
The 17th minute witnessed the first score from play. Giles
McDonagh pointed from 30 metres after a good pass by full
forward Noel Curran. Two more Heneghan frees gave the Losers'
Group winners a six-point lead by the 21st minute.
A dull eight-minute spell followed this, with neither team
producing anything that could be described as imaginative,
innovative or, indeed, interesting. In the 28th minute Dermot
Lyons, who played very well for Castlerea, increased his
team's lead with a point after a mistake in the Strokestown
defence.
It was only in injury time at the end of the first half that
Strokestown awoke. Luke Dolan pointed a 13-metre free in the
35th minute of the half to prevent his team having the
embarrassment of failing to score in the first half.
Strokestown were drastically improved in the second half but
to say that they resembled county champions would be a gross
exaggeration of the facts. The town were unable to eradicate
the Castlerea lead, purely because of Tommy Kenoy's men's
ability to answer every Strokestown score with a score of
their own.
Luke Dolan opened the second half scoring with a pointed free
but this was nullified by a superb Ger Heneghan point from
play. Heneghan received an accurate pass from Dermot Lyons,
turned his marker and curled the ball over the bar with his
left foot. John Rogers reduced the deficit to four points with
two points in the 41st and 45th minutes but these were
promptly cancelled out by points from Lyons and Martin
Raftery.
In the 53rd minute, following a rare error by the Castlerea
full-back line, Pearse McGinley had the chance to score a goal
but he misplaced his shot and only scored a point. Almost
inevitably, Castlerea responded, Heneghan stroking over a 45
in the 54th minutes.
Thus with five minutes remaining, Castlerea had managed to
maintain their half time advantage and were still winning by
six points. The game was over at this stage but brave
Strokestown battled on, and their efforts were rewarded with a
goal in the final minutes. Following a sweeping move involving
Emmet Collins, Mattie Colum and Ronan Owens, Rogers found
himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he finished the
ball splendidly, lobbing the ball over the advancing Geoffrey
Claffey.
There was to be no further excitement, however. Castlerea were
determined not to let victory slip from their grasp and thus
they did not allow any more dram to unfold. Luke Dolan managed
to point two frees for his team in the final moments but these
were cancelled out by scores from substitute Barry O'Regan
and, fittingly, Ger Heneghan.
In reaching the county final, Castlerea have managed to evade
the limelight. They performed poorly in the first round and
were defeated easily by Padraig Pearses at Kiltoom. They
received a bye in the first round of the losers group and
defeated St. Aidan's in the second round in a low-key match at
Athleague. They beat Clann na Gael by one point in the final
and thus it was only on Sunday that they emerged from the
relative obscurity of the losers group and performed on the
central stage.
They proved in this game that they will pose a serious threat
to either Padraig Pearses or St. Brigid's in the County Final.
A solid defence is imperative for all teams and Castlerea are
proficient in this department. Michael Finneran and David
Scahill are two solid midfielders and will not be overcome by
any future challenge. Ger Heneghan is the fulcrum of an young
and talented attack that will cause huge problems for either
Pearses or Brigid's. Who knows, if Castlerea can repeat this
dogged and determined performance in the County Final, a
30-year gap may be bridged.
CASTLEREA ST. KEVIN'S: Geoffrey Claffey; Ronan O'Reilly, Daire
Silke, Paddy Duignan; Garry Tiernan, Niall Finnegan, Martin
Raftery (0-1); Michael Finneran, David Scahill; Dermot Lyons
(0-2), Nigel Dineen, Seamus Heneghan; Giles McDonagh (0-1),
Noel Curran, Ger Heneghan (0-8, 6 fs, 1 45). Subs used: Barry
O'Regan (0-1) for McDonagh (39 mins), Ken Duggan for O'Regan
(63 mins).
STROKESTOWN: Donal Hanly, Damien Cassidy, Niall Owens, Kenny
Bosquette; Morgan Beirne, Ronan Owens, Emmet Collins; Leo
Shiels, Derek Hagan; Pearse McGinley (0-1), Ronan Shiel, John
Rogers (1-2, 0-1 f); Kevin J. Dolan, Luke Dolan (0-4, all fs),
Conor Silke. Subs used: Shane Flaherty for Silke (26 mins);
Mattie Colum for Hagan (half time); David Parker for Leo Shiel
(half time); Michael Donlon for R. Shiel (43 mins); Conor
Silke for McGinley (62 mins).
Referee: Gerry Kinneavey
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