‘Gudgie’ delivers in spectacular style

Clondegad 1-11   Ennistymon 2-7

NOBODY in the Clondegad dressing room had Gearóid ‘Gudgie’ O’Connell down as a goal scorer. The Clondegad centre-forward wouldn’t even have backed himself to plant a historic U-21A Football Championship-winning goal in the back of the Ennistymon net, two minutes into injury time.

 

Clondegad 1-11   Ennistymon 2-7

NOBODY in the Clondegad dressing room had Gearóid ‘Gudgie’ O’Connell down as a goal scorer. The Clondegad centre-forward wouldn’t even have backed himself to plant a historic U-21A Football Championship-winning goal in the back of the Ennistymon net, two minutes into injury time.

“Definitely not,” O’Connell laughed, when asked if he is regularly this dangerous in front of goal. “I’m just a thumper. That’s all I’m up there for – to stop the backs coming out.”

Before O’Connell struck and secured a first U-21A title for the Ballynacally club, Ennistymon had been clinging on to a 2-7 to 0-11 lead. The manner and timing with which they secured that advantage would normally have been enough to take the title back to Ennistymon for the second time in three seasons. Barry Keating netted their second goal with a mere one minute and 40 seconds left to tick, in normal time, on Rory Hickey’s stopwatch. Joey Rouine’s run and cross to the unmarked Keating made the goal and convinced the Ennistymon supporters there was no way back for their opponents.

However, rather than hang their heads, Clondegad dug very deep, didn’t give up and ran at Ennistymon with everything they could muster. The North Clare team had Gerry Coote red-carded a minute into injury time for a tackle on Tadhg Lynch and although they only had to play with 14 men for two more minutes of added time, panic set in. While Ennistymon had plenty of players well behind the ball, many of them were marking space and not picking up Clondegad runners.

Impressive substitute David Brassil took the line ball, from the village side of the field, which led to the dramatic goal. The ball was aimed at Shane Brennan, who was surrounded by a cluster of Ennistymon defenders. It broke for O’Connell and he stroked his name into Clondegad folklore.

“I just kicked it and luckily it went into the back of the net,” Gudgie explained, not keen to complicate his role.

He was one of several Clondegad men to add an U-21A football medal to the hurling equivalent they won with Ballyea earlier this year.

“It’s some achievement. Thanks to Donal Kelly for winning us the hurling. We trained hard for that and we’re awful fit because of it. It stood to us today. There’s players out there like Paul Flanagan and Tony Kelly, who showed they’re just as good footballers,” he surmised.

Ironically, Ennistymon dominated the opening minutes of Saturday’s final, with Ciarán Devitt particularly energetic in the middle of the field during the early exchanges.

Barry Keating, from a free, and Kevin Falvey, from play, helped Ennistymon to establish a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after just five minutes. However, Clondegad began to settle and Shane Brennan’s magnificent, left-footed point from 45 yards showed the new champions the way. Brennan’s point owed plenty to Paul Flanagan’s lung-bursting run from corner-back, which has been a feature of his displays in the championship.

Clondegad won the subsequent Ennistymon kick-out, which allowed Tadhg Lynch and Kevin Whyte to combine before firing a ball towards Brennan. It broke off the Clondegad captain, with Gearóid O’Connell reacting first and pointing his side level.

Just two frantic minutes later, Ennistymon’s Ciarán Monaghan goaled after he picked up the break from a Brian Houlihan-blocked shot on goal. Houlihan had been attempting to barrel his way through the Clondegad defence and it was this determination that created the opening for the goal. However, they didn’t push on from there and, in fact, Ennistymon didn’t score again until the first minute of the second half.

An immediate Declan Keane point and a superb Eoghan Donnellan free from distance, won by Shane Brennan, pulled Clondegad to within a point of the leaders, 1-2 to 0-4. In first-half injury time Brennan was fouled yet again, allowing Donnellan to tie the teams at half-time.

Cathal Malone’s bravery in competing for a break with Paul Flanagan set up the first score of the second half for Cathal McConigley. Five minutes later, Donnellan pointed his third free after another foul on Brennan.

The game was now there for either team to win and both missed some chances, with Eoghan Donnellan kicking a couple of wides, while Ciarán Monaghan was off target for Ennistymon.

Monaghan pointed his side two points up, however, in the 15th minute, minutes after Barry Keating put Ennistymon ahead.

Now two points adrift, in conditions that were dry but difficult to keep the feet in, Clondegad responded with three successive points. David Brassil and Shane Brennan, twice from frees, did the damage, firing the winners into a 0-9 to 1-5 lead, 11 minutes from full-time.

Barry Keating pointed Ennistymon level, with a soccer-style point, before Eoghan Donnellan (free) and Tony Kelly, with a left-footed point, established a 0-11 to 1-6 lead for their side. It looked as if it was Clondegad’s to lose at this stage but this intriguing final had plenty of twists in the thrilling closing minutes.

First off, Ennistymon full-back Seán O’Driscoll pointed an excellent left-footed score, 20 seconds prior to Keating’s goal. Now leading 2-7 to 0-11, Ennistymon looked almost certain to hold on and clinch a memorable championship.

But it wasn’t to be. However, Ennistymon did win possession immediately after Gearóid O’Connell’s winning goal and drove down field. While it was a tight call, Ronan Linnane could have been awarded a free about 45 yards from goal but instead possession was turned over and Clondegad rolled around the sodden Corofin field in riotous celebration.

This was an epic final, with both teams playing constructive football at different stages. Ennistymon weren’t helped by the absence of the suspended Oisín Vaughan, while their ploy of playing Brian Houlihan deep and not at full-forward, for much of the first half, often left them without a discernible target man inside.

Ryan Doyle had an outstanding game at corner-back for Ennistymon, while Ciarán Devitt, early in the game, and Cathal Malone, in the second half, had good moments at midfield. Ronan Linnane drove forward regularly from centre-back, while Ciarán Monaghan and Barry Keating were Ennistymon’s most dangerous forwards. Cathal McDonagh was flawless under several dropping balls in goals.

Paul Flanagan’s reading of the game at corner-back was flawless. His support play inspired Clondegad, while Tadhg Lynch played some excellent football at wing-back. Shane Brennan was the game’s most influential player at midfield or he would have been had Gearóid O’Connell not struck that championship-winning goal. Aside from the goal, O’Connell battled fervently at centre-forward, while Eoghan Donnellan and substitute David Brassil both contributed significantly.

The last word, though, must go to the man of the moment. “A week maybe,” Gearóid O’Connell predicted, when asked how long he expected the celebrations to last.

Clondegad: Darren Cleary; Cormac Ryan, Brian Murphy, Paul Flanagan; Tadhg Lynch, Conor Gavin, Conor McNeilis; Tony Kelly, Shane Brennan (captain); Kevin Donnelly, Gearóid O’Connell, Joe Neylon; Kevin Whyte, Eoghan Donnellan, Declan Keane.
Subs: Niall Lynch for Kevin Donnelly (half-time), David Brassil for Declan Keane (45) and Emmet Smithwick (check) for Kevin Whyte (54).
Scorers: Gearóid O’Connell (1-1), Eoghan Donnellan (0-4f), Shane Brennan (0-3, 2f), Declan Keane, David Brassil and Tony Kelly (0-1 each).
Wides: 6; frees won: 31; 45s: 0.
Yellow cards: Gearóid O’Connell and Tony Kelly.

Ennistymon: Cathal McDonagh; Gerry Coote, Seán O’Driscoll, Ryan Doyle; Daire Ralph, Ronan Linnane, Enda Ralph; Ciarán Devitt, Cathal Malone; Kevin Falvey, Cathal McConigley, Ciarán Monaghan; Joey Rouine, Brian Houlihan (captain), Barry Keating.
Subs: David McCarthy for Kevin Falvey (35) and Jamesie McConigley for Cathal McConigley (58).
Scorers: Barry Keating (1-3, 1f), Ciarán Monaghan (1-1), Kevin Falvey, Cathal McConigley and Seán O’Driscoll (0-1 each).
Wides: 6; frees won: 17; 45s: 0.
Yellow cards: 0. Red card: Gerry Coote.

Referee: Rory Hickey (Éire Óg).