Galtee goals enough to blitz Cashel and reach another divisional final

By John O’Shea at Leahy Park Cashel.

Galtee Rovers are through to the Final of the McGrath Oil West U21A Football Championship following their victory over Cashel King Cormacs at Leahy Park Cashel on Saturday afternoon.

Played before a sparse attendance on a heavy surface, both sides served an entertaining game of attacking football. The final scoreline didn’t do justice to the home-side as they matched their opponents in most facets of the game except on the scoreboard.

Cashel will rue the missed chances, especially during the opening half when they kicked some terrible wides both from open play and placed balls.

Galtee Rovers had the ability to get players back behind the ball when Cashel were in possession and this posed problems for the home-side.

It took Cashel twenty five minutes to register their opening score, a point from Oisin O’Donoghue. By this stage Galtee had 1.5 on the board. Galtee’s two goals could also be classed as being a little fortuitous, in so far as the opening one after ninety seconds went in off the post, while the second, five minutes from time, dipped under the crossbar at the angle with the upright, giving Ross Minogue no chance.

Overall Galtee will be happy enough with this outing, as they will have something to work on before the final.

Galtee were first to get the scoreboard moving when Eamon Quirke ran at the Cashel defence and his resulting kick found the net having gone in off the post. This was an early boost for the Bansha side as they sought to dictate the terms of engagement.

Emmet Boner doubled their advantage by the third minute before Galtee attacked from the back and Sean Gubbins got on the end of the move to slot over. Cashel had as possession as the visitors but wayward shooting led to the wides beginning to build up.

Two points from Conal Grogan, one from a free, had Galtee 1.5 to 0.0 by the eighteenth minute. Cashel continued to play attacking football and Oisin O’Donoghue kicked their sole opening half score as they trailed by seven at the break.

Cashel attacked from the off after the break and a Dylan O’Grady low shot was outside the post with the keeper beaten. Five minutes later a further Cashel move involving Cathal Quinn and David McGrath ended with a Robbie McGrath save.

Seven minutes after the restart, a Galtee move involving interchanging between Callum McCarthy, Emmet Bonner and Ciaran McCarthy ended when Eamon Quirke pointed to stretch the visitors lead.

Galtee were then reduced to fourteen, when full back David Harold Barry was sent off on a second yellow card. Dan Moloney and Dylan O’Grady kicked two points, either side of a converted free from Conal Grogan.

The visitors wrapped up the game, five minutes from time, when Callum McCarthy’s attempted kick for a point dipped under the bar.

As the game headed into added time Pauric Brosnan was black carded and Conal Grogan converted the resulting free to close out the scoring.

Galtee Rovers now meet Cappawhite in the final

Teams:
Galtee Rovers: Robbie McGrath, Tadhg Gubbins, David Harold Barry, Ciaran McCarthy, Sean Gubbins (0.1), Robbie Byron, Eoghan Byrnes, Bill Quirke (0.1), Liam Finnane, Dan O’Dwyer, Eamon Quirke (Captain 1.1), Cian O’Dwyer, Callum McCarthy (1.0), Conal Grogan (0.4, 3 frees), Emmet Boner (0.1)
Subs used: Joe O’Callaghan for Tadhg Gubbins (48), Robert Bailey-Moloney for Dan O’Dwyer (48)

Cashel K.C.: Ross Minogue, Conor O’Dwyer, Andrew Irwin, Cian McGrath, Fabian Ryan, Paraic Brosnan, Kieran O’Dwyer, Oisin O’Donoghue (0.1), Ronan Connolly. Anthony Walsh, Oisin Dwan, Dan Moloney (Captain 0.2), David McGrath, Dylan O’Grady (0.1), Cathal Quinn
Subs used: Aiden Skeffington for Oisin O'Donoghue (54), Mikey Gayson for David McGrath (54)

Referee: Paddy Russel (Emly)