Fast start provides foundation for Galtee Rovers' victory in Tipperary Under 17 A football final

Galtee Rovers 2-9 Clonmel Commercials 2-7

A superb team performance from Galtee Rovers/St Pecaun's saw them overcome favourites Clonmel Commercials in a brilliant County Under 17 A Football Championship final at Golden on Saturday.

In a dramatic finish, Galtees held onto a lead that they held from the first minute to the delight of their supporters.

An improved second half performance from Commercials saw them close to within a point in the closing minutes but impressive game management saw Galtees hold out and an injury time point from substitute Dermot McCarthy gave them extra breathing space.

The west champions stunned Commercials with a blistering start, racing into a 1-5 to no score lead after seventeen minutes when playing with the strong breeze. Two goals in the space of two minutes from James Power brought the Clonmel side back into contention but they never showed the same flair that saw them progress to the final in impressive style.

Apart from Power’s brace of goals, they scored just another three points from play, and despite a purple patch midway through the second half, when they scored five points without reply, they never looked likely winners.

Instead, it was Bansha brilliance that won the day. Twelve of the players had already enjoyed county Under 19 B success, with victory over Fethard in the final, and they played like a team that knew how to win the big games.

It was very much a team victory but there were individual star performances in abundance. Corner forward Emmet Bonner was immense. Anytime he won possession, he didn’t turn left or right but headed in a direct line for the Commercials goal, causing panic in the defence.

At midfield, Bill Quirke was a colossus, fielding brilliantly and accurate in his distribution as he set his attack in motion. Conall Grogan’s contribution was huge, kicking five points from frees, many from distance, as well as chipping in with a super strike from play.

Both Cian Collins and Daniel O’Dwyer took their goals well while the defence as a unit was heroic, closing down a Commercials attack that had been scoring freely on their run to the final.

Galtee Rovers’ intentions were evident from the start, winning possession from the throw-in and Cian Collins scoring their opener before a Commercials player touched the ball. It got better in the fifth minute when Conall Grogan put Daniel O’Dwyer through the middle for a super goal.

The west side maintained the pressure, never allowing Commercials to settle on the ball, and two Grogan frees pushed the lead out to six points.

When Grogan then finished a flowing move from defence with a superb strike and Bill Quirke added another from play from a Grogan pass, it looked ominous for Commercials at 1-5 to no score after seventeen minutes.

But in a flash, they were back in the game. A quickly-taken free exposed the Rovers defence and James Power was put through to shoot to the net for their opening score in the 20th minute.

Within two minutes he had a second goal following a brilliant Commercials move. An eight points Rovers lead had been reduced to just two in the space of two minutes. But if they were unnerved, Rovers didn’t show it and Conall Grogan steadied the ship with the last two points of the half from frees to leave it 1-7 to 2-0 at the break.

One of the crucial scores of the game came just thirty seconds into the second half. Galtees won possession from the throw-in again, Emmet Bonner burst through the centre before offloading to Jack Crowe and his pass set up Cian Collins for a superb goal. That score put them seven points ahead, 2-7 to 2-0, and made a comeback more difficult for the Clonmel side.

But eventually Commercials got into a groove and tested the Bansha resolve.

Half-time substitute Danny Morris proved a real livewire, as he burst forward to create opportunities. And the chances eventually came. Darragh O’Connor from a free had their first point of the game three minutes into the half, and another from play from Billy Tierney and then from an Alex Creed free reduced the margin to four.

Then in the space of two minutes, Cillian McNamara kicked two great points from play – the first chance might have brought a goal – and the margin was down to just two midway through the half. Conall Grogan from a free had Galtees’ first point of the half in the 21st minute to break the Commercials’ flow, but the town side hit back with pointed frees from O’Connor and Creed to leave just a single point in it with four minutes left.

The game was in the melting pot now, with the title on the line, but it was Galtee Rovers who showed the greater composure and resolve in the closing minutes.

Despite causing heart flutters for their supporters, with too many backward passes, they managed the closing stages well and Dermot McCarthy’s injury time point finally eased the nerves and secured victory.

The win was celebrated wildly, with joint captains Eoghan Byrnes and Joe O’Callaghan accepting the cup, and completing a memorable county underage football double for the proud Bansha club.

Galtee Rovers/St Pecauns: Robbie McGrath, Eoghan Byrnes, Ciaran McCarthy, Tadhg Gubbins, Alex Harold-Barry, Evan Kennedy, Joe O’Callaghan, Bill Quirke 0-1; Liam Finnane, Cian Collins 1-1; Conall Grogan 0-6, 5 frees; Josh O’Dwyer, Jack Crowe, Daniel O’Dwyer 1-0; Emmet Bonner.

Subs: Dermot McCarthy 0-1 for Tadhg Gubbins, Lucas Bowles for Cian Collins.

Clonmel Commercials: Cian Corcoran, Jamie O’Keeffe, Billy Tierney 0-1; Max O’Dwyer, Niall Deely, Alex McSherry, Thomas Charles, Jack Lawlor, Mark Corcoran, Matthew Ó Ceallaigh, Alex Creed 0-2 frees; Darragh Landers, Cillian McNamara 0-2; James Power 2-0; Darragh O’Connor 0-2 frees.

Subs: Danny Morris for Max O’Dwyer, Harry Ryan for Jack Lawlor, Milo McNamara for Niall Deely, Cillian Fahey for Alex Creed.

Referee: Tom McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney).