Brilliant Bane is Caherlistrane’s key performer

Date Published: 02-Jun-2010

LED by a fantastic display from Cormac Bane, Caherlistrane were deserving winners of their Claregalway Hotel Galway Senior Football Championship backdoor match on Sunday despite having to save a penalty late in the second half to do so.

While An Cheathrú Rua held the majority of possession, they were unable to capitalise and give enough quality ball into a full forward line that looked dangerous anytime it was given a chance.

The match was won and lost in the contrasting fortunes of the team’s half forward lines.

For Caherlistrane, Bane put on master class display in linking defence and attack while taking scores himself when called upon.

An Cheathrú Rua’s half forward line on the other side were non-existent and it was left up to an industrious midfield and half back line to supply the final ball that, all too often, was lacking in precision.

The game began somewhat tentatively and despite an early score from Caherlistrane’s Shane Bohan after a 30 yard solo run, it took time to settle down as both teams played with the nerves natural to a knockout championship encounter.

Caherlistrane were quicker to breaking ball during the fractured first quarter of the match and found themselves leading 0-5 to 0-1, taking some opportunistic scores, the pick of which was a fine effort by J.J Greaney in the 12th minute.

An Cheathrú Rua continued to struggle to find that all important final ball despite winning their share of possession, epitomised best when Micheál Ó Briain soared above his man to field a kick out only to land the pass twenty metres into the terraces.

Not to be disheartened, they continued to work tirelessly, particularly when tackling defenders in possession with Shane Ó Súilleabháin at corner forward covering every blade of grass possible.

That effort paid off in the 22nd minute when Tomas Monahan lazily kicked a free back across his own 21 which was intercepted brilliantly by Ciarán de Paor who instantly found his brother Cillín in support. After a quick hand pass exchange between the two, which stranded Philip Skelly in the Caherlistrane goal, Cillín buried the ball in the back of an open net and the match suddenly jumped into life.

An Cheathrú Rua started to play much better after the goal and began to get some purchase out of the Caherlistrane defence whenever they could isolate them one on one. However, Bane and Greaney stepped up for the north Galway outfit and played patient football keeping possession well to stem the momentum building, helping their side to maintain their advantage and enter the break leading 0-7 to 1-2.

The pace of the contest increased significantly in the second half as An Cheathrú Rua threw everything into a last effort to stay in the championship. The de Paor brothers in particular sparkled into form and after a well worked point by Barry McCabe for Caherlistrane, Cillín and Ciarán de Paor combined for three points in the space of five minutes to level proceedings at 1-5 to 0-8 points ten minutes into the second half.

Despite Bane and Greaney once again combining to restore Caherlistrane’s two point lead, the men from the Gaeltacht were beginning to dominate possession. Ciarán Ó Cualáin was particularly impressive at midfield alongside his partner Micheál Ó Briain whose delivery into the full-forward line improved as the match progressed.

It was during this stretch of dominance that Gearóid Ó Conghaile was hauled down in the small rectangle after picking up a dropped ball by Brendan Murphy while attempting to come out of defence. Shane Ó Súilleabháín, who had been fantastic for An Cheathrú Rua all through, failed to connect as he would have wished, sending a weak shot to the bottom left corner which was easily stopped by Skelly in the Caherlistrane goal.

Shortly afterwards, Ó Cualáin missed another golden opportunity from five yards out after fielding a ball sent in by Ciarán de Paor. Despite the two misses, the momentum was with An Cheathrú Rua who levelled up the scoreline with two Ciarán de Paor points, the second coming with five minutes to play.

From there until the end, however, it was the Cormac Bane show. First he set up Eric Monahan for the lead point before kicking over two further points in the last three minutes to seal the win for Caherlistrane.

An Cheathrú Rua had calls for a foot block late into injury time in front of their goal, but it was waved away and they never came any closer than that to getting the second goal they needed