Galtee Rovers hit six to cruise into the West Intermediate football championship final

Shane Hennessy Agri-Advisor West Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Final: Galtee Rovers 6.17(35) Cashel King Cormacs 0.11(11)

Report by John O’Shea at Pairc Ciocaim Dundrum

The old adage that goals win games certainly held true as Galtee Rovers advanced to the final of the Shane Hennessy Agri Advisor West Intermediate Football Championship, when they accounted for Cashel King Cormacs at Pairc Ciocaim Dundrum on Tuesday evening.

The Bansha side hit three goals in each half and that was the big difference between the sides. They had a lethal full forward line with Eamon Quirke kicking 2.9 and Darren McGrath chipping in with 2.5. Of their total, Galtee scored 5.14 from open play.

Cashel matched them in most parts of the field and shared as much possession, but were unable to convert possession into scores. They created three or four clear goal chances during the course of the game, but were unable to deliver the killer blow.

Galtee were quickly out of the traps and Eamon Quirke had one goal and two points on the scoreboard by the three minute mark, the goal coming after a good move involving four players before Quirke dispatched to the bottom corner of the net at the Railway end.

Cashel’s most impressive forward, Mickey Coleman, opened the town side’s account after seven minutes when he converted a close in free. Prior to this Cashel had created a goal chance, when they opened up the Galtee defence, but the final shot was saved by Calum Fanning.  

Cian O’Dwyer and Eamon Quirke kept the Bansha side ticking over on the score board with two points, Mickey Coleman pointed for Cashel, but again Galtee quickly responded with two points, a converted 45 from Darren McGrath and Quirke’s fourth point from open play.

 Try as the might, Cashel were unable to penetrate the tight marking Galtee defence, despite putting creating some good attacking play. Galtee effectively sealed their fate with two goals inside the final five minutes of the half, the first from Darren McGrath and the second from Shane Power when he finished a move that started in their defence. Galtee led at the break by 3.7 to 0.5.

After the break, Cashel took the game to Galtee and Ross Bonnar and Mickey Coleman pointed inside the opening three minutes. However, Darren McGrath replied with two points to maintain the status quo. Coleman and Cathal Quinn kicked two points to leave nine between the sides.

Adrian Cummins kicked a good effort but overall Cashel failed to make inroads into the Galtee lead. Cashel were dealt a killer blow at the three-quarter mark. Anthony Walsh was black carded for a pull down on Darren McGrath and Eamon Quirke slotted home the resulting penalty.

The final quarter was all Galtee as Cashel failed to score. Darren McGrath and Eamon Quirke goaled late on running out easy winners in the end. Cashel, to their credit never gave up, but on the day the superior fire power of the Galtee attack won the day.

Scorers:
Galtee Rovers; Eamon Quirke (2.9, 1.3 frees), Darren McGrath (2.5, 1 free), Shane Power (1.0), Daire Egan (1.1), Jack Crowe (0.1), Cian O’Dwyer (0.1)

Cashel K.C.; Mickey Coleman (0.6, 5 frees), Ross Bonnar (0.2) Adrian Cummins (0.1), Cathal Quinn (0.1). Kieran O’Dwyer (0.1)

Teams:
Galtee Rovers: Calum Fanning, Peter O’Carroll (Captain), Sean Gubbins, Liam Finnane, Robbie Byron, David Harold Barry, Evan Kennedy, Bill Quirke, Shane Power, Jack Crowe, Daire Egan, Cian O’Dwyer, Eamon Quirke, Jim Quirke, Darren McGrath
Subs: Robbie McGrath for Callum Fanning (H.T.), Joe O’Callaghan for Jack Crowe (50 mins.), Tony O’Brien for David Harold Barry (50 mins.)

Cashel King Cormacs; David Brennan, Pauric Brosnan, Nathan Ryan, Ciaran Quinn (Captain), Kieran O’Dwyer, Ronan Connolly, Anthony Walsh, Paddy Fahy, Cathal Quinn, Johnny Walsh, Adrian Cummins, Cian McGrath, Ross Bonnar, Mickey Coleman, David McGrath
Subs used; Andrew Irwin for Johnny Walsh (45 mins.), Conor O’Dwyer for David Brennan (inj. 50 mins.), Michael Morrissey for Pauric Brosnan (55 mins.), Jack Browne for Cian McGrath (55 mins.)

Referee: Johnny Butler (Upperchurch Drombane)