Below par Cappincur survive Walsh Island scare to make semi-finals

DESPITE being short of their best and where they will need to be to win the Senior “B” Football Championship, Cappincur had just enough gas in the tank to book their place in the semi-finals in Geashill on Friday evening.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior “B” Football Championship quarter-final

Cappincur 0-14

Walsh Island 0-9

They were pushed the whole way by a Walsh Island side who produced their best game of the year but just ran out of steam in the closing ten minutes. Cappincur could have had the win secured earlier and will be mystified as to how they didn't score a goal but Walsh Island also had a couple of good chances and this game was tighter than the five point winning margin suggests.

Cappincur did deserve to win. They were marginally the better team and there was never any stage where you really thought Walsh Island were going to get a shock win but that possibility remained live for a long time. It was only in the last few minutes that Cappincur got more than a score clear and they won't be particularly happy at their overall display.

They won thanks to two very significant factors: A brilliant second half from Bill Carroll who really stepped up to the plate after his older brother Eoin went off injured in the 33^rd minute. And a superb, age defying display from the veteran Ger Treacy, who kicked four points from play and was so efficient and composed on the ball.

Cappiuncur were particularly ragged in the opening quarter, making a lot of elementary mistakes and kicking four wides before Bill Carroll got them off the mark in the sixth minute – most of their six first half wides should have been points. Walsh Island played very well early on with wing back Tommy Brereton and midfielder Oisin Murphy doing great work.

They were full value for their 0-4 to 0-2 lead after fifteen minutes but Cappincur improved in the second quarter. They reduced their volume of errors and began to use the ball better. They led by 0-7 to 0-4 after 25 minutes, 0-8 to 0-5 at half time and really should have got a goal to open daylight. John Colgan had a shot blocked while Brian Norris blasted wide with their best chance in the 21^st minute and his brother Peter hit the post with another a few minutes later.

Walsh Island continued to compete very well in the second half. They showed a heart warming appetite for battle and two Willie Mulhall frees got the gap back to a point 0-8 to 0-7 after 40 minutes. Full back Adam Galvin got a black card in the 42^nd minute and there was an opportunity for Walsh Island. Galvin's battle with Alan Mulhall was one of the highlights of the first half as Walsh Island, predictably, arrowed in high ball on top of the former Offaly goalkeeper – Mulhall almost put one in the net with an astute flick near half time but overall Galvin did what he was asked to do, winning or breaking the ball. He also made frequent excursions up the field, with Mulhall not following as he conserved energy.

Cappincur did well to steady the ship when down the man. Ciaran Farrell settled them with a 44^th minute point and Bill Carroll began to play a very sweet tune at midfield – Ger Treacy hit the post with a great goal chance early in the second half and that would have killed Walsh Island off. By the time, Galvin came back on, Cappincur were 0-11 to 0-9 ahead and even though two points was very retrievable, Walsh Island didn't score again or look like winning again.

Bill Carroll got three late frees to get Cappincur across the finish line and while they have plenty of room for improvement, the result is always the bottom line in knockout football.

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MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ger Treacy (Cappincur): Ger Treacy gets the nod ahead of Bill Carroll, who oozed class in the second half in particular. Some early misses damaged Carroll's confidence but he came good in the second half when needed and his movement was superb. He really ran the show in the second half but Treacy was superb throughout. His finishing was super, though he missed a goal chance and had a couple of wides. He showed his vast experience in a variety of ways, giving a nudge at the right time to allow one second half ball go over the sideline and showing great footballing intelligence.

Adam Galvin and John Colgan also did very well for Cappincur – Colgan always provides value for money with his all out approach, though he does need to supplement this with a bit more vision and not carry the ball into trouble as often. Brion Carroll, Sean Graham and Sean Courtney had good spells for Cappincur while Enda Daly deserves a special mention. He played the full game and that is a big ask at this stage of his life, but he kept putting in the hard yards, working and closing down as well as making one inspirational second half catch back in front of his own posts.

Walsh Island bow out with their heads held high. They played close to potential on the day and couldn't have done much more. Evin Galvin, Tommy Brereton, Oisin Murphy, who was blocked with a great late goal chance, Colm Gavin, Willie Mulhall and Jack Haverty were among the players who impressed but scoring was a problem for them – seven of their nine points came from Willie Mulhall, six of them frees, the other two came from a defender and midfielder and as the game wore on, they really began to struggle to create chances.

THE SCORERS

Cappincur: Bill Carroll 0-6 (4f), Ger Treacy 0-4, Brian Norris, Enda Daly, Peter Norris and Ciaran Farrell 0-1 each.

Walsh Island: Willie Mulhall 0-7 (6f), Tommy Brereton and Oisin Murphy 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

CAPPINCUR: Lauran Ryan; Ollie Hayes, Adam Galvin, Brion Carroll; Hubert Healion, John Colgan, Sean Graham; Eoin Carroll, Ciaran Farrell; Brian Norris, Ger Treacy, Enda Daly; Sean Courtney, Bill Carroll, Peter Norris. Subs – Jason Gethings for Eoin Carroll, inj. (33m), Diarmuid Carroll for Healion (40m).

WALSH ISLAND: Ian Duffy; Ryan McKenna, Evin Galvin, Daniel O'Keeffe; Tommy Brereton, Emmet McKenna, Reece Cuddihy; Oisin Murphy, Colm Gavin; Sean McCloskey, Willie Mulhall, Killian Duffy; Jack Haverty, Alan Mulhall, James Dunne.

Referee – Ger Keyes (Shamrocks).

REFEREE WATCH

Ger Keyes had a very steady game. While both sides would have debated some frees given and not given, there were no big debating points and he was not a factor in the result.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Ciaran Farrell's 44^th minute point was a very important score for Cappincur. It came just after Adam Galvin got his black card and Walsh Island had the gap back to a point. Cappincur nerves were getting a bit frayed but they always looked like getting home after that score.

VENUE WATCH

Floodlight venues will be important for the remainder of the season and Raheen hosted this well in Geashill. Their pitch was good and they managed the surprisingly small crowd crowd professionally.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cappincur go into the semi-finals while Walsh Island go into the relegation play offs.

STATISTICS

Wides: Cappincur – 8 (6 in first half); Walsh Island – 8 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Cappincur – 2 (Sean Graham and Enda Daly); Walsh Island – 0.

Black cards: Cappincur – 1 (Adam Galvin); Walsh Island 0.

Red cards: 0.