15-7-16 Gaelic Football super 8s
GAELIC FOOTBALL
CHAMPIONHSHIP SUPER 8S
KERRY 1-10 1-13 GALWAYN
SUPER SWEENY
Both sides struggled to control the greasy ball and deal
with the difficult surface, mistakes and poor shooting punctuated the opening quarter.
It wasn’t until the 13th minute that Shane Walsh opened
Galway’s account, from a free awarded for a foul on Ian Burke, but they were
unable to make serious inroads into a defence that had Killian Young quickly
rediscovering his form following a lengthy lay-off, and David Moran dropping
back in support.
Gareth Bradshaw and Sean Andy O Ceallaigh were solid at the
back for the Tribesmen, but could do nothing to curb the class of teenager
David Clifford as he swung over a classy point after Young had pressed into a
pocket of space.
The Tribesmen pushed ahead for the first time in the 17th
minute when Paul Conroy added to Ian Burke’s score, with wing back Johnny Heaney
pressing with positivity ion both cases.
A game that had lacked intensity and excitement only opened
up in stoppage time, when Galway struck three points, Damien Comer finally
getting on the score-sheet, with Ian Burke pushing the Connacht champions into
a 0-6 to 0-5 lead, after the sides had been level on five occasions.
They continued to go point for point, deadlocked eight times
before excellent outstanding defender Declan Kyle finished off one of his many
forays forward with a fine point to push the westerners into a two points lead
on 55 minutes.
Pressing the Kerry kick-out, Galway were turning the screw,
and the outlook became even more bleak for Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s side when the
experienced Young received a straight red card with 59 minutes played.
Adrian Varley came off the bench to shoot a couple of
brilliant Galway points, and Kerry were depending heavily on youngster Clifford
to keep them in the game.
Walsh converted his fourth free to make it a for points
game, and despite losing Eoghan Kerin to a second booking, Galway put the game
beyond the Munster champions’ reach with a breakaway goal. Walsh made the
running to set up substitute Patrick Sweeney, who netted at the second attempt
after Shane Murphy had brilliantly saved his initial effort.
It was all over for Kerry, with Clifford’s stoppage time
goal making no difference to the outcome as Kevin Walsh and his men secured a
massively significant result.
MY
OPINION
This result has opened up this
group as I would not have been that sure who to back to go with Kerry to the
quarters now they are not sure of that place at all. I think that if there is
someone who put their money on Galway to win this years All Ireland at the
start of the Championship they would be very happy as their odds should have
shortened again.
KILDARE 1-10 0-15
MONAGHAN
ON FIRE O CONNELL
Kildare got the
better start here too with a sixth minute Daniel Flynn goal putting them 1-01
to 0-02 ahead.
The former Aussie Rules professional showed real
determination to hit the net as Keith Cribbin was unmarked on his right but
Flynn powered on himself before firing home.
The score should have kick-started Kildare but they only
added another two points from open play in the half
Rather it was Monaghan who grabbed the impetus and finished
the half with 10 points to their credit.
Monaghan led 0-10 to 1-05 at the break though had goalkeeper
Beggan to thank for a fine save to deny Flynn a second goal in the 16th minute.
O'Connell added a third point in the 49th minute but it was
Monaghan's only score between the 31st and 57th minutes minutes.
Kildare weren't exactly prolific in the meantime but they
did twice bring the game back to level terms with points from Fergal Conway,
Neil Flynn and Johnny Byrne.
They were deadlocked for a third time at 1-9 to 0-12 with 65
minutes played when Vinny Corey put Monaghan ahead with a fine point from
distance.
It was a lead that Monaghan would this time retain and
McManus doubled their advantage with an excellent point in the 70th minute.
Kildare sub Eamonn Callaghan cut the gap to the minimum
again but a 75th minute Beggan point from a free proved the insurance score for
Monaghan.
MY OPINION
This was a real battle and Monaghan
have got the fight to beat anyone but I do think the next couple of weeks will
define their season especially against Kerry as that result might be the
difference between them going through and out.
DUBLIN 2-15 0-16
DONEGAL
SCILLIOUS SCULLY
After just three minutes it looked as though Dublin were
going to be overrun as the Boys in Blue hit them in waves.
Dublin could have been three up only for HawkEye denying
Ciarán Kilkenny on a marginal call. Donegal were being starved of possession,
as they were strangled at source from the kick-out.
But, showing admirable clam and application, they eventually
worked their way back into the match and after quarter of an hour they led 0-04
to 0-03.
A big momentum shifter came after 26 minutes when Jamie
Brennan got a full sight of goal after two Dublin defenders jumped for the one
ball and failed to make contact. The Bundoran man’s chances of becoming a local
hero in front of the Hill went as he blazed high and wide.
From the subsequent kick-out Dublin went up the field and
space opened up for Niall Scully, who cut inside two defenders with a solo off
his left and then finished low past keeper Patton with his right.
That made the score 1-06 to 0-06 and over the next ten
minutes the Dubs moved into a four-point lead, 1-09 to 0-08 at the break.
At the other end, a Patton kick-out went badly array and
straight to Con O’Callaghan, who got caught in two minds between shooting and
passing and ended up doing neither.
Dublin moved seven ahead when Scully got his second goal
almost straight after the restart, but the expected procession never followed
and they were made work all the way down the finishing straight.
MY
OPINION
This shows how deadly Dublin can
be and how even from the bench they have the players that can kill of the game
if need be. It is going to take a lot to beat the dubs and I only think a few
teams have it. Donegal must learn from this and beat Roscommon.
TYRONE 4-24 2-12
ROSCOMMON
HAPPY HARTE
Roscommon were just a point down with 22 minutes on the
clock at 1-04 to 0-06 and matched the Red Hands virtually score for score.
The difference between the teams at that stage was Sludden's
12th minute goal when Tyrone capitalised on a stray pass from Enda Smith to set
up a goalscoring move.
But Tyrone upped their game considerably for the last 15
minutes or so of the half and hit six points without reply.
There's been plenty of commentary about Tyrone's lack of a
marquee forward but they're racking up the wins by spreading the scoring burden
around.
They had eight different scores in the first-half with three
points coming from defenders Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee and Tiarnan
McCann.
Connor McAliskey has been their one consistent scoring
threat up front and he was on the mark during that burst of six points.
Peter Harte stretched the gap to seven with a converted free
after the restart before Roscommon suddenly came alive again.
Enda Smith powered down the right and blasted a low shot
across Niall Morgan in the Tyrone goals.
Ciaran Murtagh tapped over a Roscommon free shortly after
and the seven-point deficit was now down to just three.
But it was all Tyrone from there and last year's Ulster
champions opened up with some excellent play.
Boss Mickey Harte rolled in his full allocation of
substitutes and second-half goals from Meyler, Harte and a late, late Donnelly
strike left a wide gap between them.
Harte's goal came from a penalty and Donnelly's was the pick
of the bunch as he palmed in after an excellent passing move.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2018/0714/978703-relentless-tyrone-hammer-roscommon-at-croke-park/
MY
OPINION
I think that this result might
be the one that knocks Roscommon out of the Championship on its own as they
have to go back to Croker to play Dublin. Little can be learned from a Tyrone perspective
but a good score difference will help.
.
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