Oughterard boys power to glory

Date Published: {J}

Oughterard 4-10

Salthill 2-8

Dara Bradley

in Spiddal

OUGHTERARD justified their favourites tag and were crowned the West Board U21 A champions after a comprehensive eight points win over Salthill in a goal fest at An Spidéal on Saturday evening.

Oughterard had the upper hand in every facet of this game – they were more clinical in front of goal when it mattered, dominated midfield, tackled ferociously and pressurised Salthill into making uncharacteristic mistakes – and the scoreboard probably doesn’t reflect just how superior they were.

In fairness to Salthill, they fought hard to the end and finished that little bit stronger outscoring their opponents 1-4 to 0-1 in the final few minutes – the city team restored a bit of pride but the damage was done and the late surge was like the sting of a dying wasp and can probably be put down to Oughterard taking the foot off the pedal, with the cup secure, rather than anything else.

Four goals to two tells its own story but Oughterard’s first half majors sucked the life out of Salthill’s challenge and the Connemara men always maintained at least a six points cushion.

Martin Coady landed the first on 11 minutes after plucking a Paul Mulkearns pass from the sky and burying the ball low past ‘keeper Greg Sheedy in the bottom right-hand corner. They had started tentatively but Coady’s cracker breathed life into Oughterard’s challenge and they never really looked back thereafter.

Patrick Walsh’s goal just before half-time was as ugly a score as you’re likely to see – a messy goalmouth scramble that somehow made it over the line – but what it lacked in beauty, it made up for in importance and it was the wing forward’s strike that proved fatal, giving Oughterard a commanding 2-4 to 0-3 lead at the break.

Three points from Michael O’Donnell, Sean Gavin (free) and substitute Ronan Conlon, was a woeful return for 30 minutes of football from Salthill but they only have themselves to blame – the seasiders kicked seven wides in the opening half, and most of them were very scoreable.

Had they converted even three or four of those opportunities, Salthill would have given themselves a fighting chance but Gerry Hughes’ side’s confidence dropped with every wide and in truth Oughterard had the game wrapped up by the interval.

But if there was any doubt or slither of hope for Salthill, Oughterard stamped it out with a comprehensive and powerful third quarter display, particularly from potent attackers Conrad Clancy, Martin Coady and Ronan Molloy who did serious damage to Salthill’s defence.

Salthill struggled to get hold of the ball, were cleaned out of it between the two ‘40s and at times it looked like Oughterard were playing with an extra man, such was the level of their intensity.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.