Micheal Breathnach too strong in West Board U-21 final

Mícheál Breathnach 1-11

Clifden 1-5

MICHEÁL Breathnach’s footballers are the West Board U21 B champions for 2016 after they produced a strong second half performance to see off Naomh Fheichín of Clifden in last Saturday’s final. The eventual winners outscored their opponents 1-7 to 0-2 in that final 30 minutes as they turned a two point arrears at half time into a six point victory.

That Clifden were kept to such a low second half total was in large part to the superb performance of Rónán Ó Beoláin in the Micheál Breathnach’s goal. With Clifden searching for a route back into the game in the final ten minutes, Ó Beoláin pulled off four quality saves, including from an Emmet Moran penalty, to deny his opponents the goal they desperately needed.

It was Clifden who opened the scoring early in the first half when Feichín Mitchell pointed a free with two minutes on the clock. A Ruadhán Ó Curraoin free got Micheál Breathnach off the mark a couple of minutes later before the defining score of the first half came in the 15th minute.

Clifden’s Colm Coneys found himself unmarked in acres of space in front of the Micheál Breathnach’s goal. When the ball was eventually played into him, the wing-forward made no mistake with his finish, firing powerfully past Ó Beolain at the near post.

That left Clifden 1-1 to 0-1 ahead but Micheál Breathnach responded positively to the concession of the goal and were soon back to within a point after two well-worked scores. Ciaráin Ó Tuathail first pointed after the ball was worked in from the left wing before the Cois Fharraige side’s other wing-forward, Brian Ó Maoileoin, fired over after Jordan Folan and Pádraig Ó Féinneadha were involved in the build up.

Two Feichín Mitchell frees brought Clifden’s lead back out to three towards the end of the opening period but Ruaidhrí Óg Ó Béarra’s point with virtually the last kick of the half meant Micheál Breathnach only trailed by two, 1-3 to 0-4, at the interval.

While Clifden were yet to score a point from play, alarm bells would not quite have been ringing at this stage as their build-up play was still positive. That was to change drastically in the 15 minutes after the restart, however.

Micheál Breathnach signalled their intent when midfielder Jordan Folan pointed in the first minute of the second half and his side were ahead for the first time in the contest by the 37th minute. Micheál Breathnach full-forward Dara Mac Gearailt drew his side level with a free before full-back Caoimhín Ó Maoileoin launched a long ball forward from full back which was allowed bounce in front of goal and over the bar to put the Cois Fharraige side ahead, 0-7 to 1-3.

Full match report in this week’s Connacht Tribune