Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Semi-Final
Emyvale 2-12 Éire Óg 0-6 2/9/12
Emyvale cruised into the Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Final with this straightforward win over Éire Óg in Sunday’s first semi-final at Scotstown. Éire Óg weren’t helped by the fact that they had to play more than half of the game with 14 men after the sending-off of Kevin Skeath, but Emyvale were already looking the better team and they would have won by even more if it wasn’t for a wides tally of 13, nine of which came in the first half.
Emyvale had nine scorers, including all six starting forwards, while Éire Óg themselves had six players on the scoresheet, but nobody with more than a point to their name. Second-half goals by James Bellew and James McAlister capped a comfortable win for Emyvale, who had good performances from Bellew, Seán McMeel, Ryan McAnespie, Martin McAree and Greg Devlin. It was a day to forget for Éire Óg, despite the best efforts of Seán Flynn, Ronan Cassidy and Pádraig McKenna.
It took six minutes for the opening score to arrive, via a point from Emyvale wing-back John Thomas Treanor. Daniel McMahon doubled Emyvale’s lead when he converted a 25-metre free for a foul on Martin McAree, but Éire Óg finally got off the mark on 15 minutes when Ronan Cassidy tapped over a close-range free for a foul on Kevin Skeath. Paddy Skeath got on the end of a Christopher McGorman pass to bring Éire Óg level, but they needed a good save from goalkeeper Paul Hand to deny Ryan McAnespie, who had raced through after taking a pass from McMahon.
After Emyvale had wasted a number of chances, Martin McAree ended a ten-minute wait for either side to add to their tally when he sent over a good point to regain the lead for Declan Brennan’s men. Éire Óg had Kevin Skeath sent off on 27 minutes for a high tackle on Colin Hughes and Emyvale quickly tagged on points through McAree, after a pass from Greg Devlin, and McMahon from a 30-metre free to take a 0-5 to 0-2 lead in at half-time.
A fisted point by McAnespie gave Emyvale a good start to the second half and although Éire Óg replied when Paddy Croarkin got on the end of a long free from Alan McGorman to kick a point, a well-struck ’45 by Darren McKernan restored the four-point gap. A 35-metre free by Martin McAree, after a foul on James McAlister, kept Emyvale in control and they all but killed the game off 19 minutes from time when a fisted point-attempt from Michael Flannery hit the crossbar and fell kindly for James Bellew to slot home his fifth goal in four championship matches.
Bellew caught the following kick-out and set up a point for McMahon, before fisting a point at the end of a move involving Darren McKernan and McMahon. Gavin McKernan converted a 30-metre free for a foul on McAnespie, before Bellew and McAree combined to set up McAlister to punch the ball into an empty net. A point by Emyvale substitute Brendan Askin continued the one-way traffic, although Éire Óg finished with a belated run of three unanswered points to end their 26-minute scoreless spell.
Seán Flynn got the first after strong work by Cassidy, sub Ryan Sherlock tapped over a 20-metre free after Hughes was penalised for a throw and Pádraig McKenna kicked a well-taken score after good approach play by Flynn and Colin Casey. It was scant consolation, however, for the Smithborough men, whose season is now set to peter out as they are out of the running for a league semi-final place. Emyvale will play Drumhowan in the championship final on the weekend of September 30.
Emyvale: Matthew McAree; S McMeel, C Hughes,, C Connolly; JT Treanor (0-1), J Flannery, G Devlin; M Flannery, D McKernan (0-1, ’45); R McAnespie (0-1), J Bellew (Capt., 1-1), G McKernan (0-1f); Martin McAree (0-3, 1f), D McMahon (0-3, 2f), J McAlister (1-0).
Sub: E Colleran for J Flannery (inj., 10 mins), M Flood for Connolly (18), B Askin (0-1) for McAnespie (51), D McAreavey for G McKernan (54), C Bellew for Martin McAree (55).
Éire Óg: P Hand; C Toal, S Flynn (0-1), D McCluskey; N Cadden, M McBride, E Doran (Capt.); R Cassidy (0-1f), A McGorman; C McGorman, P McKenna (0-1), M McQuaid; P Skeath (0-1), K Skeath, P Croarkin (0-1).
Subs: Colin Casey for McQuaid (21), C Holohan for A McGorman (44), D Tierney for C McGorman, R Sherlock (0-1f) for P Skeath (both 46), S Kerr for Cadden (49).
Referee: B Walsh (Ballybay).
By michael Mon 3rd Sep
