NY GAA: O’Shea is Cork’s hero

This sometimes-sloppy match provided plenty of excitement, although early on it looked like Cork might have it all their own way.
Paul McGuiness opened the scoring with a Meath point, but soon it was Cork that was applying the pressure. The Rebels’ dangerous corner forward Eamon Collins barely missed a goal chance, hitting the side netting after a good solo run. Tadgh Healy was dominating midfield with some strong fielding and it wasn’t long before Eamon Collins got a second chance.
Collins didn’t miss again as he timed his jump perfectly to fist home Ed Cleary’s partially deflected shot. Consecutive points from Eamon Collins set Cork up at 1-2 to 0-1 and it looked like it might be easy for Cork.
Then Mark Dobbin and Brian Newman began to click for Meath. The New York county teammates began to stretch the Cork defense and third midfielder Dobbin was finding Newman in dangerous positions. Dobbin pointed twice after Tom Fields was fouled and Newman pointed after expertly turning his marker.
Cork came back with another Collins point and one from Cleary. Collins might have had a goal but Meath netminder Damien Fannon pulled off a fine save. Fannon was also jump-starting the Meath attack with his booming kick-out, which his teammates were beginning to break, to counter Cork’s fielding advantage at midfield with the Tadghs Collins and Healy.
Trailing 1-5 to 0-7, Meath got the big breakthrough when the dynamic duo of Dobbin and Newman combined to feed Fields on the edge of the square. The lanky corner forward picked his spot well and Meath were ahead. Newman and Cleary exchanged points and Meath led 1-8 to 1-6 at the half.
Meath only managed 0-3 in the final 30 minutes going scoreless from Dobbin’s 4th minute free until Seamus DeBruin’s 27th-minute point reclaimed the lead. Meath wasted numerous scoring chances during that stretch and will point to that as their undoing.
Eoin Coveney pointed a free to equalize for Cork after Tadgh Foley was fouled and that set up O’Shea to be Cork’s hero.
Man of the Match: Eamon Collins.
Cork: Sean Healy, Tom Gilvenane, Enda Lallym Con Breen, Robert Conlon, Liam Hanley, Colm Murphy, Tadgh Healy, Tadgh Collins (0-2), Barry Hanrahan, Tadgh Foley, Mike McCarthy (0-1), Ed Cleary (0-2, 2 fr), Eoin Coveney (0-3, 2 fr), Eamon Collins (1-3, 1 fr) Subs: Brian McGonigle, Stephen O’Shea (0-1).
Meath: Damien Fannon, Paddy Melligan, Michael Conroy, Sean Corrigan, Niall Tallon, Ed Greenan, Seamus DeBruin (0-1), Sam Yore, Cathal Loughnane, Seamus Harte (0-1), John Smyth, Paul McGuiness (0-1), Brian Newman (0-3), Mark Dobbin (0-5, 2 fr), Tom Fields (1-0).

Kerry handed first loss of the season

Senior Football Div. A
Clare 1-11 Kerry 0-10

Mike Keaveny’s goal 16 minutes into the second half gave Clare a two-point lead over Kerry 1-7 to 0-8, and some furious defending held off the Kingdom the rest of the way, handing them their first loss of the season.
Both teams were missing key players with Paul O’Connor out with a broken arm for Clare, while Kerry played on without Bingo O’Driscoll, Stephen Flynn, and Don Murphy. Kerry did however have All-Ireland hero Johnny Crowley out on a sanction, but he would not be enough against a determined Clare team.
There was very little of the free flowing football that we have come to expect from Kerry as the banner put the clamps on in a low scoring first half. Rory Sweeney drew the short straw and the challenge of keeping Crowley in check was his. The powerful corner forward looked dangerous at times, but Sweeney’s tenacious efforts limited Crowley to just 0-3.
Clare led 0-5 to 0-4 at the midway point and looked like adding to it in the opening seconds of the second stanza, until Pa Murphy pulled off a saving tackle on Michael Slowey. Kerry seemed inspired by Pa’s heroics and reeled off three points on the trot.
Crowley’s third and final point of the match started the Kerry revival preceding points from Donnacha Walsh and Paudie Mulvihill as Kerry nosed in front 0-7 to 0-6.
This was the perfect time for Clare to fall under the expected Kerry onslaught, but instead it was Clare that turned up the heat. Mike Keaveney pointed a free after Martin Slowey was fouled and Kerry keeper Finbarr Flood was forced off his line to stop a charging Eric Bradley.
After a long Kerry point from Walsh, an intricate Clare move ended with Keaveney boxing Bradley’s bouncing pass into the Kerry net giving the Banner the lead and waking up what had been a less than scintillating match.
Now Clare had their tails up, and with Slowey looking as lively as he has all season, the Banner scored three uninterrupted points. Slowey pointed twice and he set up Richie Hogan for a third as Clare pushed out to a 1-10 to 0-8 lead.
Clare keeper Evan Byrne did his part, denying Crowley with a diving save. Paul McCarthy (Kerry) and Paddy McNamee (Clare) traded points as the clock ticked down and Kerry ratcheted up the pressure.
Crowley was fouled with three minutes left and tried to force his shot through the Clare barricade amassed on the goal line. Crowley’s shot was repelled, as was a rebounded effort, which Sweeney gathered for Clare before being fouled.
Kerry midfielder Dave McSweeney had a half chance after catching in traffic near the Clare goal, but his left footed poke was cleared off the line. Paul McCarthy added a last Kerry point from a free, but Clare hung on for a deserved, and important, win.
Man of the Match: Rory Sweeney.
Clare: Evan Byrne, Rory Sweeney, Marty Meehan, Phil Wickham, Martin Slowey, Kevin Newell, Richie Kane, Jason Killeen, Gary Dowd, Ronan Garvey (0-1, fr), Eric Bradley (0-1), Riche Hogan (0-1), Paddy McNamee (0-3), Michael Slowey (0-2), Mike Keaveney (1-3, 2 fr).
Kerry: Finbarr Flood, Niall Corbett, Derek Riney, Paddy O’Connor, Eoghan Lawlor, Pa Murphy (0-1), Collie Fearon, Dave McSweeney, Mike Bishop, Paudie Mulvihill (0-1), Donnacha Walsh (0-2), Paul McCarthy (0-2, 2 fr), Dave McCarthy, Danny Downey (0-1), John Crowley (0-3).

Galway can’t get to State

Senior Hurling
Conn. State 3-18 Galway 1-14

Connecticut State turned in a workman-like display to defeat Galway in Sunday’s hurling feature, while Galway were hoping to hand Connecticut their second straight loss after NJ/Kilkenny upset the defending champions last Sunday.
The Tribesmen start smartly with a Eammon Jackman point in the opening seconds. That would be their only lead of the match. Bonny Kennedy was fouled twice and converted both frees for Connecticut in the opening five minutes. Niall Cahalane matched his fellow wing forward with two fine points from play on his way to a man-of-the-match performance.
Galway kept things close and trailed just 0-4 to 0-2 after Dave Simms’ 10th-minute free when disaster struck the Connaght men. It was an innocent looking ball from Connecticut wingback Brendan Dooley that signaled Galway’s doom when his long pass landed in the square and was scrambled across the Galway goal line.
Bonny appeared to get the last touch for the 11th minute goal, but there was no doubt on Connecticut’s second goal just one minute later. A 14-yard free, Bonny never considered the safe option of taking his point, and his bullet quickly shook the Galway twines.
Fortune hadn’t completely abandoned the underdogs and it shined on them in the 25th-minute when Dinny Ford’s long drive slipped from Connecticut goalkeeper Aidan Ryan’s grasp. That bit of luck kept the match alive as a contest as Connecticut went to the half with a 2-7 to 1-6 lead.
After a quiet first half, Cyrill Donnellan got untracked with two quick points for Connecticut. Fergus Flynn at center back and midfielder Mike Braderick were combining with Callinane and Kennedy to keep the pressure on Galway, but Galway slowly began to come back.
Dave Simms scored 0-5, four from frees, and substitute Niall Lysette also pointed in a 0-6 to 0-1 Galway run, and suddenly it was a game, 2-14 to 1-13.
Galway had one last chance to upset the form makers but Connecticut keeper Ryan was quick off his line, clearing before Simms could get the vital touch.
The issue was soon sealed when Connecticut veteran Keith Hennessey goaled after Donnellan’s shot was saved and wandered into Hennessey path by Galway’s unfortunate keeper Finbarr Flood. That was the end of the Connecticut short-lived losing streak.
Man of the Match: Niall Cullinane.
Conn. State: Aiden Ryan, Conor Crotty, Phil Wickham, Bernard Callaghan, Fergus Flynn (0-2), Brendan Dooley, Aiden Power, Mick Braderick (0-2), Bonny Kennedy (2-7, 1-6 fr), Ollie O’Neill (0-1), Niall Cullinane (0-3), Keith Hennessey (1-0), Cyrill Donnellan (0-3).
Galway: Finbarr Flood, Seamus Bender, Eammon Joyce, Gerry Greaney, Dennis Gibbons, Dinny Ford (1-0), Sean Greaney, Sean Spellman (0-1), Dave Simms (0-9, 8 fr), Damien Hynes (0-1), Cian Burke, Eammo Jackman (0-2), John Riordan Subs: Nial Lysette (0-1), John Kennedy, Shane Conway.
Referee: JoJo Sullivan.

Astoria holds off Armagh

Junior Football Div. A
Astoria Gaels 0-15 Armagh 1-9

The Astoria Gaels held off a late rally to emerge with two valuable points at the expense of Armagh in Sunday’s JFA curtain raiser at Gaelic Park.
Those two points secured a playoff spot for the Gaels in the highly competitive Junior A division, while Armagh are still battling with one match remaining.
End-to-end action and plenty of good football kept the early arrivals happy as Astoria started strong. The hardworking Gaels benefited from a good understanding developed at their well-attended training sessions out on Randall’s Island.
After Jack Golden shot into Donal Hearty’s chest in the Armagh goal, Sean Munnelly opened the scoring off a good pass from Michael Conroy. Munnelly was involved again when his pass placed midfielder Alan Foley. Munnelly was stretching the Armagh defense and the Orchard County never did figure out how to contain him. Late points from Munnelly and Conroy gave Astoria a 0-6 to 0-5 advantage at the break.
Astoria extended that advantage on the restart with points from Derek McKenna and Jack Golden. Armagh hung tough led by the strong play of their high fielding midfielder Declan Sheeran and points from Shane Lyons and Kieran Traynor reduced the arrears to 0-2. After Andy Murphy pointed for the Gaels, Lyons slipped inside the Astoria defense and his goal leveled the match with nine minutes gone in the second half.
Astoria fought back with Munnelly, Conroy, and Derek McKenna leading the way. The veteran McKenna was an excellent target man and his second half play at full forward gave the Queens crew a big lift.
Three points from Munnelly and one from McKenna gave Astoria a four-point cushion with the match heading to the final ten minutes. Points from Noel McPartland and Alan Dolan cut the deficit to two points but they would get no closer.
Fittingly, Man of the Match Munnelly tacked on one last point from a free as Astoria booked their place in the SFA quarter finals to be played on September 4th when all four of the division’s 1/4’s will be played at Gaelic Park.
Man of the Match: Sean Munnelly.
Astoria: Eugene Kyne, Mick McAnee, Tim Lynch, Gerry O’Brien, Gary Corwyn, Niall Sugrue, Michael Conroy (0-1), Alan Foley (0-1), Sam Yore, Andy Murphy (0-1), Derek McKenna (0-2), Jack Golden (0-1), Ultan Brown, John Rabbitte, Sean Munnelly (0-8, 6 fr) Sub: Damien Ward (0-1).
Armagh: Donal Hearty, Paul McGuiness, Lee Kelly, Peter McKeown, collie Fearon, Niall Real, Francie Sheridan, Declan Sheeran, Pat McGuire, Shane Lyons (1-2), Kieran Traynor (0-2), Eoin McPartland, Aiden Dolan (0-3, 1 fr), Noel McPartland (0-2), Paul O’Connor Subs: Tony McCaw, Gary Shannon, Red McGuiness.
Referee: Phil Sheridan.