FonaCAB St Pauls Ulster Minor Football Tournament
Clan na Gael 1-11 Castleblaney Faughs 1-12
Kevin Herron reports from An Sportlann
Castleblaney Faughs became the first side to reach the last four of the FonaCAB St Pauls Ulster Minor Championship with a hard fought 1-12 to 1-11 win over Clan na Gael at An Sportlann this afternoon.
The Monaghan and Armagh Champions braved Storm Elin to open up this year’s tournament and it was Castleblaney who drew first blood when Shea Broderick rifled low to the net inside of three minutes.
They extended their lead through a Max McGinnity free, with Ronan McAlindan replying from the same scenario to get the Clans up and running.
Castleblaney almost had their second goal inside the first quarter of an hour after a well worked move saw McGinnity bare down on goal, but his low effort crashed off the outside of the post.
They would further extend their lead through back-to-back Lorcan Mone scores, though Clan na Gael responded with Ross Marsden and Ronan McAlindan kicking successive frees.
The sides traded further scores before the break, Max McGinnity doubled his tally for the half before McAlindan kicked a terrific point from out by the side-line- his sides first from play to ensure that Broderick’s goal was the difference, giving Casteblaney and a 1-04-0-04 advantage at the midway point.
The Faughs began the second period brightly, extending their lead through a fisted point from Lorcan Mone that should have found the net and a Tristan Nugent angled shot.
That generated a response from the Armagh Champions and on 34 minutes Clan na Gael were back in business.
Ronan McAlindan stood over a free and opted to play it off the shoulder to Aodhan Henderson- who made and lined up a shot that was deflected into the net to make it 1-06-1-04.
Castleblaney didn’t panic and back-to-back points from Max McGinnity (free) and Harry McQuillan saw them regain the initiative.
Momentum returned to Clan na Gael, and they had reduced arrears to the bare minimum approaching the final quarter with three scores without reply.
Calvin McConville released Ross Marsden to pop over, McConville then swung over his first score of the afternoon before Ronan McAlindan dropped over another outstanding point to make it 1-08-1-07.
Successive points from McGinnity (free) and Lorcan Mone afforded their side some brief breathing space until Ronan McAlindan converted a free.
Tom Carey stretched Castleblaney’s lead back to three, after selling a couple of shimmy’s and producing a confident point.
That would prove to be the last point from play as a series of frees concluded the afternoons scoring.
McAlindan brought his tally to five from the placed ball, landing back-to-back frees to leave it a one-point game yet again (1-11-1-10).
Max McGinnity’s fourth converted free would prove the insurance score for Castleblaney as McAlindan could only respond with a further point from a free as the Monaghan natives held on for a narrow 1-12-1-11 win at the full-time whistle to book their place in the last four and a clash with Four Masters next Sunday afternoon.
Clan na Gael: Z McCaughley, T Maginn, S Reid, F Hegarty, A McGivern, N McParland, J McConville, C McCrory, R Marsden (0-02, 0-01f), A Henderson (1-00), R McAlindan (0-08, 0-06f), C McConville (0-01), J McCaugherty, L Murray, S McConville-Burke. Subs: D McConville for J McConville (36), D Morrow for J McCaugherty (49).
Castleblaney Faughs: J Flanagan, D Function, P Carville, A Higgins, H McQuillan (0-01), T Carey (0-01), T McGeough, S Hanratty, C Murphy, S Broderick (1-00), T Nugent (0-01), B Sherry, M McGinnity (0-05, 0-04f), L Mone (0-04), C Conlon. Subs: S Miller for B Sherry (38), C Hughes for C Conlon (55).
Referee: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)
