Annaghdown juniors come up trumps in trench warfare

Annaghdown 1-8

An Spidéal 0-7

THIS was trench warfare: a bruising December battle, in which Annaghdown just about had the better hurlers to edge out An Spidéal in hand-to-hand combat to secure intermediate status for 2015.

It really was a hard fought victory, slugged out in mucky underfoot conditions, and with a bitterly cold wind in Loughrea . . . far from ideal for hurling but given it is two weeks out from Christmas, the weather, and consequently quality of play, could have been far worse.

Annaghdown were the better team, that’s for sure, but their scoring conversion rate was poor, which meant An Spidéal hung in there and always had a chance, making for a tense finale to this county junior ‘A’ decider.

The quality of play was disappointing at times but it was good-spirited, and there was no shortage of commitment and endeavour from both sides in tough conditions.

It was an all-round team effort that carried Michael Geoghegan’s charges over the line but three men in particular stood out from the crowd.

Shane Collier was a rock at full-back, leading by example, he hurled out of his skin in the first half in particular. And though at times he was left exposed in one-on-one situations after the break, when there were huge swathes of space in the Annaghdown defence, captain Collier was probably the best player on show.

The half-forward line did damage, too, and the two protagonists that led the charge were Cathal Gaffney, who got through a mountain of work despite not making the score sheet and Damien Comer, who picked off two crucial points in a busy and productive hour of hurling.

The decisive score, the game’s only goal, came five minutes before the break. Annaghdown midfielder Fergal O’Doherty fed Mathias Coleman, who drove it past An Spidéal’s Michael Ó Duínn – his defenders complained that it hit the side-netting and went in, but the umpires confirmed it had squeaked inside the upright and the goalkeeper.

That left it 1-3 to 0-3 in favour of Annaghdown at half-time but really they should have been further ahead. In the opening half hour Annaghdown were dominating possession and winning puck-outs at a rate of three to one; they really were all over An Spidéal but failed to make it count on the scoreboard.

Full-forward Niall Kinneen opened the scoring with a white flag inside the first minute but wasteful Annaghdown hit five wides in the opening seven minutes, which dented confidence.

Incredibly, despite being on the back-foot, An Spidéal took the lead with two quick points from Fergal Ó Mainín (free) and Cillín Ó hEochaidh.

Annaghdown continued to waste opportunities but they regained the initiative with a pointed free from Jonathan Comer, and one from play from his younger brother Damien, despite a fine initial block down from centre-back Micheál Ó Curraoin.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.