First-half goals the difference as Allen Gaels exit Connacht Championship

Two first-half goals for Strokestown ended up being the difference as Allen Gaels will look back at this Connacht Intermediate Championship Semi-Final as a game that they could have won.

Experience stood to Strokestown, who only three years ago were top dogs in the county’s senior championship, as they kept their composure in the second half to see out the game despite a massive late surge from Allen Gaels on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Allen Gaels showed why they will fit right in on their return to senior level next year, winning the physical battle in the middle of the field and showing real attacking quality with huge two-pointers throughout the game.

However, this trip to King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park was uncharted territory for these Allen Gaels, as the club made their first trip into Connacht in 23 years.

They were up to the pace, and there was no deficit of quality between the sides, but they lacked a little composure at times in the second half and will rue missed chances and some soft scores from the game.

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Strokestown started the game strongly as they won the throw-in and set Colm Neary, who slotted over their first point after running through a startled Allen Gaels defence, which opened up.

But it was not long until they showed what they were about. The long kick-out was won by Radek Oberwan, who turned and set a tone by hammering over a massive two-pointer to put them ahead.

Allen Gaels took a few minutes to grow into the game early on as Caleb Duffy looked slightly in two minds as he snapped a two-point effort wide.

Kevin Finn hit a point from a free kick after a ball was touched on the ground 25 metres out from the Allen Gaels goal.

It was too often the case in the first half that Allen Gaels did the difficult things very well, kicking wonderful scores from range and showing impressive tackling, but then gave away frees and possession with simple errors like picking the ball directly off the ground.

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With both teams having real quality in their inside forward lines, the ball went inside early and often.

Some lovely movement from Ciaran McMorrow found the Allen Gaels corner forward in enough space to take a kick from midfield and curl it over on the turn from thirty metres out.

Allen Gaels conceded a free kick close to the goal after being turned over coming out with the ball. Strokestown’s Diarmuid McGinn, who would end up with 1-7, hit his first point of the match.

It was nip and tuck as McMorrow hit one to match down the other end a minute later to edge ahead again, before Strokestown wing forward Shane McGinley cut in to point and draw level again.

Early on, Strokestown’s full forwards were struggling to find their way into the game as Allen Gaels made life hard with an effective, if scrambling, defence, but a quarter of an hour in, it began to click.

Diarmuid McGann found some space in the Allen Gaels defence before slipping a pass across to the oncoming Micky Kavanagh on the edge of the square, who finished low and hard into the Allen Gaels goal.

Kavanagh won a free a minute later, which McGann slotted over to open the gap.

Strokestown looked to be ramping up when midfielder Fionn Cusack picked up a yellow for a heavy collision with Caleb Duffy, which left the Allen Gaels man down after the two went to pick up a ball.

The break while Duffy received treatment had a settling effect on Allen Gaels, who were reeling from the goal. The huge two-pointer Ciaran Walsh hit from all of 50 metres settled them again.

Kilcline hit a wide before Radek Oberwan led a massive counter attack from midfield, which saw them bearing down on goal with numbers as they so often did in Leitrim, but the chance amounted to very little as he was taken down by two Strokestown men on the edge of the square and McMorrow converted the resulting free.

Allen Gaels were in their pomp as Duffy, fully recovered, added another outrageous two-pointer from the right side of the arch to put the Leitrim men ahead again.

But Strokestown always threatened to come to life up front, and McGann responded with a point from a free before showing some real class to engineer a goal for the Roscommon men on a benign-looking attack. He jinked across, found an opening, went at the Allen Gaels defender, and rocketed it into Daniel Egan’s goal from range with a helpful deflection.

Drumshanbo responded again with Kilcline slotting over another two-point effort with a sweet strike from range.

Strokestown looked like they might score again just before the break, but a vital interception from Egan denied them a sure goal chance. Instead, a fisted point from McGann closed the half.

The match was truly in the balance, but a big performance was needed from Allen Gaels as they came out to play into the wind, yet things just did not seem to come together early on, as shots from Brian Mulvey and Kilcline went wide of the mark.

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Strokestown made another goal chance down the other end, and Egan was called on to make a big save with a flailing arm to deny Ciaran Regan, before Kevin Finn got on the scoreboard again with another free for Strokestown.

Despite a huge Strokestown press, Allen Gaels put some good moves together but just could not find the mark, with Radek Oberwan, Thomas Mulvey and Kilcline all hitting wides.

McGann showed his range shooting prowess with a two-pointer from a free kick won by McGinley to open the gap to five points.

Strokestown added another point when McGann volleyed over a rebounded shot on goal, but the Drumshanbo men showed their heart and launched a massive comeback with points from Shane Walsh, McMorrow and a pair of frees from Kilcline to close the gap to one.

But Strokestown showed why they are Roscommon champions as McGinley cut inside to score on his right foot from the edge of the arch. They then added a Luke Kelly point along with a two-pointer from fellow substitute Sean O’Donnell with five minutes to go.

Allen Gaels pressed hard but could not get their attacks to come together up front when they needed something, while Strokestown held onto the ball for the last four minutes before finishing with a point from McGinley.

Strokestown will march on to play Kilmeena in the Connacht Intermediate Club final next 

StrokesTown: Niall Curley; Dillion Casey; Dylan Owens; Timmy Gibbons; David Nearly; Sean Mullooly; Colin Compton; Fionn Cusack; Colm Nearly; Mickey Kavanagh; Kevin Finn; Shane McGinley; Dirmuid McGann; Keith Murphy; Ciaran Regan. Subs: Sean O’Donnell for Fionn Cusack (46); Cian Corcoran for Sean Mullooly (48); Luke Kelly for Kevin Finn (51); Andrew Jordan for Keith Murphy (57). Scorers: Colm Neary (0-1); Mickey Kavanagh (1-0); Kevin Finn (0-2, 2f); Shane McGinley (0-3); Diarmuid McGann (1-7, 1tp, 2f); Luke Kelly (0-1); Sean McDonnell (0-2,1tp).

Allen Gaels: Daniel Egan; Adrian Sorohan; Mark Gunning; Martin Raftery; Arek Oberwan; Kyle Flynn; Karl Foley; Brian Mulvey; Radek Oberwan; Thomas Mulvey; Caleb Duffy; Shane Walsh; Kieran Walsh; Ciaran McMorrow. Subs: Emmett Moran (56); Alan Wynne for Ciaran Walsh (56); Scorers: Radek Oberwan (0-2,1tp); Caleb Duffy (0-2,1tp); Shane Walsh (0-1); Kieran Kilcline (0-5,1tp, 2f); Ciaran Walsh (0-2,1tp); Ciaran McMorrow (0-4,1f).

Referee: Chris Ryan (Galway)