Shrewdness and late goals win the day for Gaeltacht

An Ghaeltacht 2-10 Castlehaven 0-9

Outplayed by the Cork champions for 40 minutes, a couple of shrewd sideline switches which saw Darragh Ó Sé moved to centre back and brother Tomás come to midfield succeeded in breaking the Castlehaven dominance and the MacGearailt goals, the second one in the last seconds of the game, gave the Kerry champions a flattering win.

Once again the evergreen Niall Cahalane defied the medics by lining out from the start despite a heavily strapped thigh and not having trained since the week before the Cork county final.

Cahalane who is in his 40th year, proceeded to dictate matters at midfield where he succeeded in confining a player of Darragh Ó Sé's class to that of a virtual passenger in the first half.

Castlehaven were full of running in that opening period. Limpet-like in defence where Liam Collins and Ray Cahalane gave nothing away, the Cork champions forwards thrived on the plentiful supply of ball that Cahalane and Dermot Hurley gave in from midfield.

The Gaeltacht defence struggled alarmingly to cope with the pace and skill of Colin Crowley and Stephen Connolly, but faulty finishing particular from frees by the usually reliable Paudie Hurley, cost them at least three extra points.

The strategy of playing corner forward Cathal Ó Dubhda at an extra defender didn't work for Gaeltacht, particularly in the first half as it left them a man short in attack, and with Dara Ó Cinnéide clearly uncomfortable after a head injury sustained when he was shouldered into the sideline fencing by Liam Collins, the Kerry champions struggled to contain a highly motivated 'Haven side.

For all their dominance, however, 10 minutes had elapsed before the opening score of the game came when Colin Crowley kicked a long range point.

Crowley was to be hugely influential for his side throughout the match giving his marker Marc Ó Sé a most uncomfortable afternoon. He finished with six points from play and his overall performance won him the AIB Man of the Match award.

Tomás Ó Sé came forward to kick the equalising score in the 11th minute, and the sides were still level at 0-3 apiece at the interval.

However, using the long ball to great effect on the change over, Castlehaven stormed into an 0-6 to 0-3 lead, Colin Crowley kicking two of their three scores, one of them a marvellous effort after Niall Cahalane had picked him out with an inch perfect 50 metre pass.

It appeared to be all going the Haven's way after Dara Ó Cinnéide kicked a 13 metre free wide, and An Ghaeltacht were in need of inspiration from somewhere if they were to stay in the title race.

It came in the form of those sideline switches, particularly the placing of Tomás Ó Sé out on Cahalane at midfield. Using his pace and strength to great effect, Ó Sé succeeded in breaking Cahalane's dominance and with his brother Darragh far happier at centre back, there was a steady improvement in An Ghaeltacht's play.

Ó Cinnéide finally found the target from a long-range free before Castlehaven had a huge left off when Darragh Ó Sé came thundering forward before parting to Conal Ó Cruadhlaoich, but his effort came back of the butt of the upright.

As the tempo of An Ghaeltacht's game continued to rise, Dara Ó Cinnéide drove his shot across the face of the Haven goal and wide after a great run; Aodán MacGearailt failed to rise a 20 metre free in front of the posts sufficiently high enough to clear the defence before Tomás Ó Conchúir finally tied the game for the third time with a point in the 50th minute.

Back came the Haven for the lead score again, a magnificent effort by Colin Crowley, but with Niall Cahalane finally running out of steam at midfield, Ó Cinnéide levelled it for the fourth and final time from a free with eight minutes to go.

With Darragh Ó Sé finally motoring, and brother Tomás powering forward from midfield at every opportunity, Riobaird MacGearailt struck for the first of his side's two goals a minute later.

It came following a great build up involving Darragh Ó Sé and Tomás Ó Conchúir he also made a major contribution in attack who put Riobeard in for a powerful shot to the roof of the Castlehaven net.

It was all An Ghaeltacht from there on and despite Colin Crowley getting a point back, the Kerry champions were not going to be beaten.

Finally free of the tension which clearly inhibited them in the first half, they finished with two excellent points, before Aodán MacGearailt ran on to Tomás Ó Sé's long delivery to out-jump the advancing Haven keeper Lee Miles to fist the ball to the empty net just on the call of full time.

Scorers for An Ghaeltacht: A. MacGearailt 1-1; R. MacGearailt 1-0; T. Ó Conchúir 0-3; T. Ó Sé, D. Ó Cinnéide (frees) 0-2 each; D. MacGEarailt, C. Ó Cruadhlaoich 0-1 each. Castlehaven: C. Crowley 0-6; P. Hurley 0-2 (0-1 free); F. Cahalane 0-1.

AN GHAELTACHT: P. Ó hÉalaithe; F. Ó Sé, M. Ó Sé, S. MacSithigh; D. MacGearailt, T. Ó Sé, B. Breathnach; D. Ó Sé, P. Ó Cuinn; T. Ó Conchúir, R. MacGearailt, A. MacGearailt; C. Ó Cruadhlaoich, D. Ó Cinnéide, C. Ó Dubhda.

Substitute: R. Ó Flatharta ionad P. Ó Cuinn.

CASTLEHAVEN: L. Miles; T. O'Leary, L. Collins, P. Loughnane; A. Sheehy, R. Cahalane, D. Cahalane; D. Hurley, N. Cahalane; F. Cahalane, S. Connolly, A. Crowley; C. Crowley, B. Collins, P. Hurley.

Subs. D. Burns for F. Cahalane; B. Deasy for A. Crowley; S. Hurley for P. Hurley.

Referee: P. Russell (Tipperary).