(After extra-time)
IN A GAME that was defined for so long by the scoring magic of Errigal Ciarán’s Canavan brothers, it was a swing of the right boot of Joe Oguz that proved pivotal to the Tyrone side reaching the All-Ireland senior club final for the first time.
Substitutes Eoin Kelly and Mark Kavanagh created the space to transfer possession to Oguz in the 72nd minute and he rifled a shot to the roof of the net. It broke the game open in extra-time, sending Errigal 2-15 to 0-18 clear.
They tacked on three further points courtesey of Ruairi Canavan, Ben McDonnell, and Mark Kavanagh, leaving them with an advantage sufficiently great to withstand a late burst of Dr Crokes pressure that yielded a goal from Charlie Keating in a frantic finale.
Extra-time was required due to a heroic intervention from Peter Óg McCartan, replicating his stunning kicks in the Ulster final, as he lofted over a 65th minute shot that left the teams deadlocked.
Dr Crokes had been in the ascendancy after the brilliant Micheál Burns looked to have hit the match-winner in the 63rd minute with his fifth point of the game, but they coughed up possession through Gavin White from a free and Errigal countered to rescue their challenge.
The Tyrone champions were inspired by the Canavan brothers all day, Ruairí arrowing in a 40th minute free, that was won thanks to the hard yards made by Niall Kelly, for Darragh to race clear and he fired a wonderful shot to the top corner of the net.
That placed Errigal in front 1-9 to 0-10, but it was a game where neither side enjoyed much daylight on the scoreboard and Dr Crokes hung tight to their opponents all day despite the concession of that goal.
The Canavan brothers gave an exhibition of classy score-taking in the first half, illuminating the Newbridge venue. Ruairí finished the half with five points to his name, Darragh was two further break with three. Both weighed in with a trio of scores from play, Ruairí’s two pointed frees both stemming from fouls on him.
Crokes began with White detailed to watch Darragh, while Maidhci Lynch shadowed Ruairí. By half-time, Evan Looney was marking Ruairí and had drawn a yellow card.
The 0-8 to 0-7 scoreline gave Errigal a slender advantage, Burns showing up brightly for the Kerry champions with three points to demonstrate his opportunism and accuracy. Towering midfielder Mark O’Shea rounded off the opening half scoring, a thumping shot with the outside of his right boot to leave Dr Crokes only one adrift.
More to follow…
Scorers for Errigal Ciarán: Darragh Canavan 1-6, Ruairí Canavan 0-7 (0-3f), Joe Oguz 1-1, Peter Óg McCartan 0-1, Pádraig McGirr 0-1, Ben McDonnell 0-1, Mark Kavanagh 0-1.
Scorers for Dr Crokes: Tony Brosnan 0-8 (0-7f), Micheál Burns 0-5 (0-1f), Charlie Keating 1-0, Brian Looney 0-2, Mark O’Shea 0-1, Cian McMahon 0-1, David Shaw 0-1.
1. Darragh McAnenly
4. Ciarán Quinn, 3. Aidan McCrory, 2. Cormac Quinn
6. Niall Kelly, 5. Peter Óg McCartan, 7. Tiarnán Colhoun
8. Ben McDonnell, 9. Joe Oguz
12. Ciarán McGinley, 13. Ruairí Canavan, 10. Thomas Canavan
14. Darragh Canavan, 11. Peter Harte, 15. Odhran Robinson
Subs
1. Shane Murphy
18. Maidhci Lynch, 3. Fionn Fitzgerald, 6. Gavin White
9. Michael Potts, 2. Evan Looney, 7. Brian Looney
8. Mark O’Shea, 5. Charlie Keating
10. Micheál Burns, 11. Gavin O’Shea, 12. Tom Doyle
13. Tony Brosnan, 14. David Shaw, 15. Cian McMahon
Subs
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)
Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say