An Spidéal men make history in claiming first Connacht title

An Spidéal 1-14

Fuerty 0-16

THERE will be no post mortems in An Spidéal this winter. That is for sure. Not after a season in which they claimed a first-ever county intermediate football championship and then followed it up by annexing the Connacht IFC club title at Tuam Stadium last Sunday.

Indeed, the Connemara Gaels showed real character and guile to hold off a determined second half rally from Roscommon champions Fuerty in a pulsating provincial decider – and, by doing so, An Spidéal became the sixth Galway side to win the Connacht intermediate title.

Having built up a 1-9 to 0-7 half-time lead against a Fuerty outfit that was reduced to 14 men late on in the opening period, An Spidéal were left scrambling when they were hit with five unanswered points in the 12 minutes after the interval.

Indeed, Fuerty would draw level three times in the second half but on each occasion An Spidéal found it within themselves to respond and hit the front again. All this was achieved through lightning precision on the counter-attack which, time after time, inevitably yielded a score.

Ultimately, it was Finnian Ó Laoi’s goal in the opening 90 seconds that proved to be the difference and, even at that early stage, Fuerty will kick themselves as they had kicked two wides through Niall Kilroy and Eamon Bannon.

On the resulting restart from the latter miss, Padraig Eoin Ó Curraoin took possession around the middle of the park. He distributed to Ó Laoi, who set off like a March hare – albeit in November – and raced uncontested through the Fuerty rearguard. Surprised or not that it had opened up for him in such a manner, Ó Laoi made the most of if and rifled his shot beyond Fuerty keeper Luke Byrne.

The helter skelter start did not stop there either as forward Sean Ó Curraoin then kicked a monster effort on five minutes before further points from goalkeeper Maghus Breathnach – a long range free – and Cormac Ó Laoi saw the Galway champions take a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after just 11 minutes. An Spidéal were humming.

For Fuerty’s part, Kilroy almost put in Aengus Lyons for an early goal – An Spidéal intercepted – before the roles were reversed with Lyons almost guiding Kilroy in, only for the latter to be fouled in the square.

However, Sligo referee Barry Judge gave the free on the whitewash of the square – why he did not see fit to give a penalty is a mystery – but, then again, it was one of a plethora of inaccuracies and inconsistencies to be found in Judge’s officiating of the contest. At any rate, Gearoid Ennis, who would finish with nine points on the day, converted the free.

For more,  read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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