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CROSSMOLINA
1-11; STROKESTOWN 0-10
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IT was a case of the
vanquished team deserving almost as much credit
as the winners in this AIB Connacht club SFC
final at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon
yesterday.
Both sides courageously
defied the appalling conditions of gale-force
winds, driving rain and a pitch that resembled a
paddy field to serve up a richly entertaining
contest in which Crossmolina's experience proved
vital.
The Mayo champions now advance to face
British representatives St Brendan's in the
All-Ireland quarter-final at Ruislip next
Sunday. |
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The changing direction of
the wind made accurate kicking extremely
difficult yesterday and the approximate 4,000
crowd had to wait until the 13th minute to
witness the first score a Crossmolina point by
Paul McGuinness.
After that the players
gradually came to terms with the conditions, and
the game was frequently punctuated by a quality
of play that would have been entirely acceptable
on a benign afternoon in the summer.
With the tie producing the high level of
passion and intensity that the Club Championship
is renowned for, and with the issue remaining in
the balance until just before the final whistle,
the crowd certainly got value for their
money.
It is only three years
since Strokestown were battling it out at
intermediate grade level in Roscommon, but the
Connacht final rookies really put it up to their
battle-hardened adversaries.
In the end, that superior
experience of the 2001 All-Ireland champions,
who were collecting their third provincial title
in four years, proved the deciding factor in the
outcome.
After playing against the
wind blowing from the town-end goal in the first
half, the holders, who fielded 13 of that 2001
All-Ireland side, were in a favourable position
at the break, with the score 1-2 to
0-5.
On the restart, three
unanswered points in as many minutes seemed to
put Crossmolina firmly in the driving
seat.
But the Roscommon side
underlined their quality and resilience by
levelling, thanks to three pointed frees from
place-kicker, former county star Luke Dolan, to
leave the sides deadlocked at 0-8 to 1-5 with 14
minutes left.
In the space of just four
minutes, however, Crossmolina regained the
ascendancy, shooting four points on the trot,
two of them from man of the match, Kieran
McDonald. Subsequently, the
challengers failed to come any closer than three
points, but the holders' insurance point was
virtually the last kick of the match.
There was some controversy
about McDonald's first point of the four, with
many Strokestown players complaining to the
referee and team manager Pat Doorey describing
McDonald's kick as "about five yards
wide". Centre-forward
McDonald shot six points in all, four from
frees, and he proved the ideal playmaker, with
his weaving runs and deadly accurate
distribution being a major plus for his
side. His inch-perfect
passing was particularly illustrated in the
build-up to the final point, when the weight of
his delivery to left corner-forward Paul
McGuinness was exceptional in the
conditions.
"It is easy enough to
find lads with the ball, when their running
off-the-ball is so good," said McDonald
modestly afterwards. "Our hunger and desire
is every bit as strong as it was two years ago,
and our experience stood to us when Strokestown
levelled in the second half."
Crossmolina boss John
Maughan said: "Strokestown proved a very
gritty and determined side, but thankfully, our
lads responded favourably to the challenge when
Strokestown levelled in the second half. I
thought that our defence was really superb
today."
In that defence, Tom
Nallen, Peadar Gardiner and Gerard O'Malley
particularly caught the eye for the winners.
Skipper James Nallen was often to the fore at
midfield, and up front, Michael Moyles, Enda
Lavell and Liam Moffatt, who netted in 29
minutes after a superb cross from the left-wing
by Moyles, provided able assistance for
McDonald.
Luke Dolan, both at
full-forward and centre-forward, turned in a
tremendous hour for the losers, and defenders
Damien Donlon, Emmet Collins, midfielder Ronan
Owens and forwards Shane Flaherty and Conor
Silke, can also feel happy with the
contributions.
SCORERS
Crossmolina: K McDonald 0-6 (4f), L
Moffatt 0-2, P Gardiner, G Walsh, P McGuinness
0-1 each. Strokestown: L Dolan 0-7 (6f, 1 '45'),
E Collins, R Owens, C Silke 0-1 each. CROSSMOLINA B Heffernan; S
Rochford, T Nallen, C O'Reilly; P Gardiner, D
Mulligan, G O'Malley; G Walsh, J Nallen; M
Moyles, C McDonald, E Lavelle; L Moffatt, J
Keane, P McGuinness. Sub: N Convey for Moyles
(44).
STROKESTOWN D Hanly; D
Cassidy, R Dolan, A Cassidy; D Donlon, M Beirne,
E Collins; R Owens, D Hagan; S Flaherty, P
McGinley, J Rogers; KJ Dolan, L Dolan, C Silke.
Subs: L Shiel for McGinley (21), N Owens for R
Dolan (31), R Shiel for Hagan (40), K Bosquette
for KJ Dolan (45). REF E
Stenson (Leitrim).
Paddy Hickey
(Irish
independant)
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