Gweedore best in bruising decider
Gweedore were raging favourites after steam-rolling all before them over the weekend, but the Mayo side proved to be no pushover and in a game where the sides were level on five occasions, deserved to get something from it.
Backed by two current county seniors, Kevin Cassidy and Niall McGee, Gweedore were forced to play second fiddle for long periods, but they put in a storming finish, scoring three unanswered points to take their seventh title, the first since 2004.
Showing scant regard for the reputation of their opponents, Tourmakeady threw down the gauntlet early and stormed into an 0-5 to 0-2 lead inside the opening 10 minutes, the hugely impressive Brian Naughton scoring three of those points, two of them superb long-range efforts.
Gweedore’s James Gallagher found his scoring touch when it mattered most and kicked two superb long- range points which saw his side home.
Gweedore struggled to contain the lively Achill attack, but they got the tonic of a goal just before the break which was to make all the difference. Niall Kelly rose highest to knock the ball into the path of James Carroll who gave the Tourmakeady ‘keeper no chance from close range and they must have felt confident turning just a point down and the wind to their backs for the second half.
The Donegal side, coached by former county star and manager Declan Bonnar, were level inside the opening minute of the restart, and when substitute Sean Diver gave them the lead for the first time a minute later, they looked to be on their way.
However the Mayo side hadn’t read the script. With John Heenan winning his dual with Kevin Cassidy at midfield, they laid siege to the Gweedore goal and were denied a goal by a wonder save by ‘keeper Christopher Sweeney.
As the tension mounted, so too did the tempo and the sides were level four more times before James Gallagher eventually found the target from long range to edge his side in front.
It was a score that finally broke the Mayo challenge and Gweedore tacked on two further points to take the spoils in a hugely entertaining final which brought a tremendous weekend of football to a fitting climax.
Gweedore: J Carroll 1-3; J Gallagher 0-4 (0-1 free, 0-1 45); S Diver 0-3 (0-1 free). Tourmakeady: B Naughton 0-4; A Dolan 0-3 (frees); B Prendergast, J Heenan, C Breannach 0-1 each.
C Sweeney; S McGarvey, N McGee, C McFadden; M Curran, J Duffy, K Ferry; K Cassidy, M McCarthy; B McGee, T Diver, J Carroll; N Kelly, P. McGarvey, J Gallagher.
S Diver for P McGarvey; S Gallagher for M Curran.
R Heenan; D Lydon, D Prendergast, M Walsh; M Ronan, A. O’Neill, B Prendergast; M O’Neill, John Heenan; A Dolan, T Naughton, Joe Heenan; K Dolan, S. O’Neill, B Naughton.
C Brennach for K Dlolan.
N Barrett (Cork).
