Killimordaly sunk in a mudbath as Gabriels advance

Date Published: 30-Jan-2013

St Gabriel’s (London) 2-12

Killimordaly 2-11

(After Extra-Time)

STEPHEN GLENNON AT ST BRENDAN’S PARK, BIRR

London champions St Gabriel’s – backboned by nine former Galway club players – recorded yet another famous win over Galway opposition when defeating Killimordaly in an exciting All-Ireland intermediate club semi-final played in biblical conditions at St Brendan’s Park in Birr on Sunday.

Having overturned Galway teams like Ardrahan and Kiltormer in previous All-Ireland campaigns in past decades, the London champions once again rolled back the years with a performance of true grit and courage to account for a Killimordaly side who will feel unlucky to have exited the competition in such a manner.

Quite simply, the conditions on the day were so atrocious, this contest became somewhat of a lottery. Two torrential downpours before the game were punctuated theatrically by a period of thunder and lightning and, as a result, it was not long before the luscious green sward in Birr was turned into a murky mud bath. Indeed, the scenes in extra-time were something akin to an old World War II movie.

In any event, it was St Gabriel’s who eventually emerged victorious from the trenches, with their heroics in almost sub-zero temperatures in extra-time finally breaking the shackles of a gutsy Killimordaly, who, reduced to 14 men at the beginning of the second half, did well to force extra-time.

It had looked as if two wonder points from Birr native Neil Rogers – free and play – along with an outstanding effort from Kevin Walsh in the first period of extra-time was going to be enough for the Exiles as they took a commanding three-point lead, 1-12 to 2-7, but then Tom Monaghan’s men –as they did on numerous occasions – came roaring back into the tie with four superb points of their own.

Indeed, the first from substitute and captain Iomar Creaven – returning from injury – could have found the net but his effort flew high above Aidan Ryan’s crossbar. Still, the score lifted Killimordaly and further points from the lively Eanna Ryan – play and free – and Andrew Daly nudged the Galway men into a 2-10 to 1-12 lead with the remaining 10 minutes of extra-time to play.

However, fortune favours the brave and when Gabriel’s Walsh was taken down 25 metres from goal, full-forward and freetaker Martin Finn called upon the wet conditions to be his ally and he smashed home a low effort to snatch the lead for the Londoners on 72 minutes.

With another downpour having just added to the chaos – and underfoot conditions worse than a pig sty – the closing eight minutes or so just became a war of attrition. So much so, the players spent more time rooting for the ball in the mud than executing the skills of the game and it was not a surprise that there would be only one more score.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.