Rockwell and Galtee set up West Minor B football final showdown

Bridge House Bar Golden West Minor B Football Championship Semi-Finals

Rockwell Rovers 2-11

Golden Kilfeacle 2-10

John O’Shea

Rockwell Rovers advanced to the final of the Bridge House Bar Golden West Minor Football Championship when they came from a point down in added time to get over the line by the minimum after a keenly contested semi-final at Golden on Wednesday evening. A Jack Donnelly minor on sixty minutes had given the hosts a one-point advantage until Rowan Barrett equalised and then Kieran Moloney slotted over the winner from a placed ball in the sixty-fourth minute.

Rockwell got a great start to this game when Kieran Moloney goaled after three minutes and then added a minor sixty seconds later. Charlie Hall opened Golden’s account with a major after seven minutes before Jack Donnelly kicked over a great two-pointer and Cillian Byrne stretched the advantage out to two in the eleventh minute.

Rockwell bounced back with three unanswered minors from Will Burke, Kieran Moloney and Olan O’Gorman to retain the lead, with ten minutes to go to the break. Golden finished out the half on a high, with David Flynn getting in for a goal on twenty-five minutes and Nick O’Toole stretching the lead out to three four minutes before the short whistle.

After the restart, Jack Donnelly added two further minors for the hosts, but Rockwell came powering back with three minors on the bounce from Ronan O’Carroll, Cameron Fitzpatrick and a converted placed ball from Olan O’Gorman. Charlie Hall added a minor at the end of the third quarter to keep three between the sides.

Louis O’Donoghue and Jack Donnelly traded minors before Adam Collins blasted past Eoin Ryan (P) for an equaliser, with five minutes of normal time remaining. Jack Donnelly and Ronan O’Carroll cancelled each other out before Donnelly landed a lead point on sixty minutes, before Rowan Barrett kicked an equaliser two minutes into added time, with the possibility of extra time looming.

However, Kieran Moloney kicked the winner from a free in the sixty-fourth minute to put Rockwell in the final, where they will play Galtee Rovers.

Scorers: Rockwell Rovers: Kieran Moloney (1-3, 0-1f), Adam Collins 1-0, Ronan O’Carroll 0-2, Olan O’Gorman (0-2, 0-1f), Louis O’Donoghue, Cameron Fitzpatrick, Will Burke, Rowan Barrett all 0-1 each.

Golden Kilfeacle: Jack Donnelly (0-7, 1x2pt, 0-3f), Charlie Hall 1-1, David Flynn 1-0, Nick O’Toole, Cillian Byrne 0-1 each.

Rockwell Rovers: Shane Cummins; Daniel O’Brien, Tadhg Lonergan, Conor Hally; Matthew McGrath, Jack McGonigle, Ronan O’Carroll (Captain); Gavin Ryan, Louis O’Donoghue; Will Burke, Rowan Barrett, Kieran Moloney; Olan O’Gorman, Cameron Fitzpatrick, Adam Collins.

Subs used: Charlie McGonigle for Gavin Ryan (44); Will Lonergan for Will Burke (54); Luke Fitzgerald for Olan O’Gorman (54).

Golden Kilfeacle: Eoin Ryan (P); Jerome Quinlan, Iobhar Ryan, Anthony Ryan; Seán White, Conor Marnane (Captain), Cillian Byrne; James Finn, Charlie Hall; Jack Donnelly, Jamie Hally, Nick O’Toole; David Flynn, Rian Moloney, Jamie Landers.

Subs used: Evan Ryan for Rian Moloney; Luke O’Donnell for Jerome Quinlan; Killian Prendergast for Jamie Landers.

Referee: Seanie Peters (Aherlow)

Galtee Rovers 4-10 (22)Éire Óg Emly 1-12 (15)

John O’Shea at Páirc Ciocaim, Dundrum

Galtee Rovers powered their way into the final of the Bridge House Bar Golden West Minor B Football Championship when they finally overcame the stern challenge of the Éire Óg Emly combination at Páirc Ciocaim, Dundrum, on Wednesday evening.

Three goals in a five-minute spell by the Bansha side late on proved to be the difference at the finish, as they advance to meet Rockwell Rovers in the final.

Reuben Grace got the scoreboard moving inside the opening minute from a free kick at the railway end as Galtee attacked from the throw-in. Oran Hayes doubled their advantage in the sixth minute when he ran onto a ball over the top and split the posts. Lewie Kavanagh, from a free, pulled one back for the combination at the other end as they came more into the game.

Reuben Grace and Kavanagh traded minors from placed balls as the game came to life entering the second quarter. Charlie Crowe opened up the Éire Óg Emly defence with a piercing run, but his shot was tipped over by Eanna Ryan. Lewie Kavanagh then slotted over two placed balls, the second after the ball was moved up for a technical infringement, either side of an Evan Lonergan minor from open play.

Brian Hayes tied the sides for the second time with six minutes remaining before the break. Reuben Grace punished the combo from a placed ball, awarded for over-carrying, before Callum Ryan, from a narrow angle, and Lewie Kavanagh, from a free, left the half-time score Éire Óg Emly 0-7, Galtee Rovers 0-6.

After the restart, Galtee got in for the opening major in what would be a second-half goal fest. Reuben Grace finished a move with a shot off the ground that curled into the top corner, giving Eanna Ryan no chance. Lewie Kavanagh pulled one back from a free, but Reuben Grace kicked two placed balls to put three between the sides coming up towards the end of the third quarter.

Kavanagh and Grace shared four points as the game moved up a gear during the final quarter. Kavanagh then landed a two-point free on fifty-three minutes to cut the deficit to the minimum.

Goals were the order during those final hectic minutes, with four in total, two from Reuben Grace and one from Koby Quinn for the Bansha side and one for the combo from DJ Leopold.

Galtee were reduced to fourteen in added time when Ryan Greenstein was black-carded by referee Paul Carew.

Scorers: Galtee Rovers: Reuben Grace (3-7, 1-0 pen, 0-5f), Koby Quinn 1-0, Brian Hayes, Charlie Crowe, Oran Hayes all 0-1 each.

Éire Óg Emly: Lewie Kavanagh (0-9, 1x2ptf, 0-6f), DJ Leopold (1-0), Charlie Kavanagh, Callum Ryan, Evan Lonergan all 0-1 each.

Galtee Rovers: Conal Healy; Mikey O’Gorman, Billy Magner, Darragh O’Dwyer; Brian Hayes, Charlie Crowe, Ryan Greenstein; John O’Callaghan (Captain), Koby Quinn; Odhran Hickey, Reuben Grace, Oran Hayes; Jack Hogan, Jack Murphy, James Dalton.

Subs used: Jack Marnane for Odhran Hickey (41); Paschal Nugent for Darragh O’Dwyer (60).

Éire Óg Emly: Eanna Ryan; Gerald O’Brien, Ryan Englishby (Captain), Oleg Burke; Aaron O’Dwyer, Alex Cummins, Michael Heffernan; Lewie Kavanagh, Callum Ryan; Charlie Kavanagh, Evan Lonergan, Mark Power; Shane Hartigan, DJ Leopold, Shane Hennessy.

Subs used: Odhran Ryan for Gerald O’Brien (HT); Jamie Bowler for Shane Hennessy (47); Ryan O’Dwyer for Shane Kavanagh (50).

Referee: Paul Carew (Lattin Cullen)