February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Ronan Garvey led the way for the Saints as he has all season long with another Herculean performance from his midfield position.
Garvey got it started with a second minute free that was quickly matched by a Paul O’Connor point for Armagh after a full field passing movement. Jack Ferriter pointed a long free for the Saints and again Armagh came right back, this time via Noel Partland’s point.
Ronan Garvey brought the crowd to their feet with a 55-yard point over the black spot after 10 minutes, but then Armagh took control and Barnabas would not score again until Terrence Flynn’s point in the 29th minute.
Armagh dominated the rest of the opening stanza, shutting down the Saints with very good play in the full back line. Peter McKeon, Niall Reed and Collie Fearon stymied the Barnabas attack and high fielding midfielder Declan Sheerin was providing the Armagh attack with plenty of possession.
Armagh really should have gotten a better return than the 0-4 that they registered during that dominant 20-minute period, but they could only muster 0-3 from Aiden Dolan frees and one point from McPartland and they went the half leading 0-6 to 0-4.
Both teams used their deep benches throughout the second half and the overtime periods, but the first key move was made when Barnabas switched Bryan Kelly back to mark Noel McPartland. Kelly limited the dangerous corner forward’s effectiveness although a hamstring injury also played its part.
Jack Ferriter, former Kerry minor captain and U-21 player, was showing his pedigree in a fine performance and he pointed twice as the second half got underway. Both scores came after good hustle from Barnabas sub Ciaran Moyles kept the Saints in possession.
Armagh got untracked and as in the first half began to take over. Three Dolan points and a Sheerin point after a poor Barnabas clearance eased the Orchard County out to a 0-10 to 0-6 lead as the match entered the fourth quarter.
Paddy Reddington had made a difference for St. Barnabas when he moved to the edge of the square and now the burly full forward won a free that Garvey pointed to start the Saint’s revival. Garvey added another point, this time after his brother Dave broke the ball to him from a throw in.
The momentum had swung in Barnabas’ direction with Ronan Garvey and center back Eddie Greenan leading the way. Armagh were struggling when Kieran Traynor turned to his left foot for a badly needed point with just nine minutes to play. Could Armagh hang on? It looked like they might when the Orchard’s keeper Donal Hearty robbed Ciaran Moyles and Jonathan Daly in a bang, bang sequence.
But Barnabas have been chasing this title for too long to throw in the towel and they clawed back within a point on 50-and 48-yard frees from Ferriter. Of course Armagh, beaten in last year’s final, wanted this just as badly and Niall Reel, Francie Sheridan, and Sheerin each made big defensive plays as Armagh clung to that one point lead as the clock ticked down.
Finally Barnabas pressure yielded a 50. Ferriter’s shot fell short and Pat Flynn was fouled as he picked up the break in heavy traffic. Ferriter calmly equalized and we were headed for overtime.
Both teams were tiring as the first of two ten-minute periods got underway. Each and every possession was crucial now as Kelly and Brian Montgomery made key defensive plays for Barnabas and Sheerin did likewise for Armagh.
Neither side registered a score until the veteran Montgomery hustled to win possession and earn a free just before the buzzer sounded.
Ronan Garvey stepped up and drove the ball off the ground from 40 yards for a huge Barnabas point. Armagh scored first in the second overtime period, equalizing when McPartland intelligently fisted over the lathe when Dolan’s long free broke in the Barnabas square.
But Barnabas seemed the fresher side and poked their noses back in front on a Ferriter point after good work from Moyles and Reddington. Barnabas minor star Tomas McGovern earned two frees as the Saints were winning the possession battle. Then the youngster added two fine points to secure the JFA Championship and send St. Barnabas into the Senior Football B division in 2006.
Man of the Match: Ronan Garvey.
St. Barnabas: Barry Lynch, Brian Montgomery, Pat Lyons, Pat Flynn, Bryan Kelly, Eddie Greenan, Andrew Donoghue, Dave Garvey, Ronan Garvey (0-5, 3 fr), Terence Flynn (0-1), Paddy Reddington, Jack Ferriter (0-7, 4 fr), Jonathan Daly, Gary Rocks, Sean Carbin Subs: Tomas McGovern (0-2), Ciaran Moyles, Tomas Flynn, Darren Meaney.
Armagh: Donal Harty, Peter McKeon, Niall Reel, Collie Fearon, Eoghan McPartland, Francie Sheridan, John Mason, Gareth Kelly, Declan Sheerin(0-1), Shane Lyons, Paul O’Connor (0-1), Aiden Dolan (0-6, all fr), Noel McPartland (0-3), Kieran Traynor (0-1), Paul McGuinness Subs: Paddy McGuire, Tony McCaul, Ronan Rogers, Barry Annette.
Referee: John Fitzpatrick.
Wet and wild
GMIT 0-13 NUIG 2-4
FBD League Final
With the weekend’s deluge rendering Gaelic Park unplayable, the Connaght GAA Council were faced with the choice of postponing or canceling Saturday afternoon’s FBD League Final or finding another, drier venue.
Having flown the two finalists, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) also known as UCG and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), out for the weekend, the Council really had no choice and so the match was relocated to the Rockland GAA pitch.
Approximately 200 fans made the trip north; ringing the field as the match got underway in a steady rain. Neither team seemed too put out by the weather or the change in venue, and the crowd were treated to positive and free flowing football right from the start.
The two teams earned this New York trip after three matches failed to produce a winner. The Council decided to reward both teams for their efforts with the victor taking on New York the following day.
The parity that produced this unusual situation was not in evidence in the early going Saturday as GMIT raced out to a 0-6 to 0-0 lead. Each of these line-ups was peppered with senior inter-county players and it was Alan Kilcoyne, the Mayo panelist who led the way for Tech on Saturday. The dangerous wing forward scored from frees and from play in a fine all around display.
GMIT were threatening to blow their neighbors right off the windy Rockland pitch when a cleverly taken goal by NUIG’s big full forward Eoin Curtin narrowed the gap. The Clare senior county man used the conditions to his advantage skimming a grass cutter along the slick turf and past Brian O’Donoghue in the GMIT goal.
Curtin’s goal made it a match again but on the re-start Tech quickly re-asserted their dominance.
By now the skies had really opened up and the standard of play began to suffer for it. Scores were hard to come by, but GMIT made to add a few points as they kept their rivals pinned deep in their own end for most of the second half.
A second NUIG goal, this time from Richard Feeney, pumped some life back in to the match and left just a goal between the sides, setting up a frantic finish.
GMIT managed to hang on for a deserved victory and were presented with the Cup after the match as the FBD League Home Champions. They also earned the right to challenge defending champions New York in the Final proper on Sunday.
Preview for Gaelic Park
Oct. 16 — This coming Sunday at Gaelic Park is turned over to the youngsters in a seven a side competition for the U-10s that begins at 10:30 a.m. St. Barnabas, Rockland, the Long Island Gaels, the Shannon Gaels, St. Raymonds, Celtics, and a team from Philadelphia will compete for the John Brady Cup.
John Brady was one of the very best Irish American Gaelic footballers to come through the New York Minor Board and he starred for New York, Cavan, and Good Sheppard for many years. His sudden death shocked New York Gaels and perhaps tournaments like this one can play a part in passing on John’s love of Gaelic Football to another generation of Irish Americans.
Sign up to The Irish Echo Newsletter