St Croans Win Under 14 B Championship
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
St. Croans captain Gerard Connaughton recieves the U14 Division 2 Championship title from County Minor Secretary Majella Smyth after St. Croans defeated Castlerea, St. Kevins in the final on Sunday last.Sr2833
St Croans 4-15 Castlerea St Kevin's 1-6.
AN excellent individual performance from Aiden Brogan was the cornerstone for St Croans' victory in the county under 14 B final played in Tulsk on Sunday evening last.
Their win over Castlerea St Kevin's was emphatic but credit must also go to Castlerea for never giving up throughout and the performance of goalkeeper Gary Mannion was one of the finest seen in quite sometime with the Castlerea keeper pulling off several excellent saves throughout the game including two that will certainly be remembered for a long time to come.
Conditions were near perfect when Noel O'Grady threw in the ball and from the start St Croans meant business. Castlerea had gone ahead with a point from Sean Connaughton in the first minute but from there, they Ballymoe/Ballintubber players were in control. The tactic of using corner forwards Darragh Gunning and Kevin Smyth as runners tore the Castlerea backs apart and this gave time for Aiden Brogan and Daniel Malone to break through the cover. Gunning opened his side's account with a well taken point and this was followed by points from Brogan and Smyth. Indeed, Brogan could have added a goal were it not for an outstanding one-handed save by Gary Mannion who somehow turned Brogan's shot on to the post with the Croans supporters already celebrating the goal. Cormac Guthrie pulled the gap back to a point with a point but the goal would come and did when Brogan crashed through the cover and slammed the ball past Mannion who had no chance.
From there St Croans controlled the game and points from Brogan, Malone and Shane Gunning had them seven points clear with five minutes remaining in the half. Following Richard Thompson's point that extended Croan's lead even more, Castlerea scored a point through Connaughton but already it looked dire for the Castlerea team, something that was compounded even more a minute later when Gunning fed Malone for Croans' second goal. With the wind at their backs St Croans took full advantage with points from Brogan, who was now having an outstanding game and Kevin Smyth leaving St Croans leading by fourteen points at half time.
To their credit Castlerea never gave up and when they came out for the second half they were determined to get back into the game. Thirty eight seconds into the half, they did exactly that with a brilliant goal from Guthrie. A minute later they nearly had another with Guthrie again the man with the ball. However, David Ward was equal to the task and his save was an important moment in the game.
Castlerea had closed the gap slightly with a point from Thomas Callaghan but Croans would hit back once more with another goal, this time after Gunning was taken down in the penalty area. Daniel Malone kept his cool and slotted past Mannion who actually got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.
The lovely conditions had now changed to driving rain and the game itself was over as a contest when Brogan's free looped over the head of everyone and into the net. There was little more for anyone to do and while Castlerea fought valiantly to the very end, further points from Thompson, Brogan and Mark Tarmey killed the game off and the final whistle lead to scenes of celebration among the Croans support.
Following the game, Majella Smyth of the Roscommon County Board and herself a Croans woman, presented the cup to winning captain Gerard Connaughton.
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