IT’S THE BIGGEST day on the club football calendar with Dublin’s St Vincent’s up against Mayo’s Castlebar Mitchels in Croke Park.
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Result: St Vincent’s 4-12 Castlebar Mitchels 2-11
It’s time for the 2014 AIB All-Ireland senior club football final. St Vincent’s of Dublin take on Castlebar Mitchels of Mayo.
Here’s the teams:
CASTLEBAR MITCHELS: Ciaran Naughton; Alan Feeney, Eoghan O’Reilly, Ray O’Malley; Donal Newcombe, Tom Cunniffe, Patrick Durcan; Gerard McDonagh, Barry Moran; Neil Lydon, Aidan Walsh, Richie Feeney; Danny Kirby, Neil Douglas, Tom King.
ST VINCENT’S: Michael Savage; Kevin Bonnie, Jarlath Curley, Hugh Gill; Cameron Diamond, Brendan Egan, Michael Concarr; Daithi Murphy, Eamon Fennell; Gavin Burke, Diarmuid Connolly, Shane Carthy; Tiernan Diamond, Ciaran Dorney, Tomas Quinn.
St Vincent’s 0-1 Castlebar Mitchels 0-0: 1 min – Shane Carthy with the opening point of the game for St Vincent’s.
Two late changes for St Vincent’s see Ger Brennan and Ruairi Trainor in for them.
Early wides for Castlbebar Mitchels from an Aidan Walsh free and then Danny Kirby from play.
St Vincent’s 0-1 Castlebar Mitchels 0-1: 6 mins – The Mayo champions draw level courtesy of Patrick Durcan.
St Vincent’s 0-2 Castlebar Mitchels 0-2: 7 mins – Diarmuid Connolly sends St Vincent’s back in front but then Tom King ties the game with a pointed free.
St Vincent’s 1-2 Castlebar Mitchels 0-2: 9 mins – Fine goal for St Vincent’s as Diarmuid Connolly splits the defence with a pass for wing-back Michael Concarr to rush onto and finish calmly to the net.
Goal chance for Castlebar but cracking save by Michael Savage to deny Danny Kirby.
St Vincent’s 1-2 Castlebar Mitchels 0-3: 11 mins – Beautiful crossfield pass by Tom King for Aidan Walsh who pops over a neat point.
How big a loss will Richie Feeney be for Castlebar after going off due to a black card offence?
Cameron and Tiernan Diamond are the two St Vincent’s players who made way after the introduction of Ger Brennan and Ruairi Trainor to the starting line-up.
St Vincent’s 1-2 Castlebar Mitchels 0-4: 14 mins – Another fine point from a Castlebar forward, this time Neil Lydon is on target.
Bad miss by Tom King there from 20-yard free as the ball is gathered by Michael Savage.
St Vincent’s 1-2 Castlebar Mitchels 0-5: 16 mins – Great marksmanship as Neil Douglas sweeps over a point.
Another goal chance for St Vincent’s but Ciaran Dorney’s effort is blocked by Ciaran Naughton.
And again Naughton is called into action, this time he tips away a goal bound shot by Ruairi Trainor after the ball came back down off the upright from a Mossy Quinn point attempt.
Castlebar Mitchels 0-6 St Vincent’s 1-2: 21 mins – Fine point by Neil Lydon puts Castlebar ahead after quick thinking by Tom King saw him tap a free into his teammate.
Castlebar Mitchels 0-8 St Vincent’s 1-2: 23 mins – Barry Moran shines as a target man and offloads to Fergal Durcan for a point before Patrick Durcan comes forward to hook over another off his left.
Castlebar Mitchels 0-8 St Vincent’s 2-2: 26 mins – And there is St Vincent’s second goal with Dorney finding the net on this occasion. Neat interplay set it up with Ruairi Trainor offloading to Diarmuid Connolly who unselfishly fisted the ball across for Dorney to palm to an empty net. Level game now.
St Vincent’s 2-3 Castlebar Mitchels 0-8: 30 mins – Ruairi Trainor blasts the ball over the bar. There was a goal on there it seemed after Mossy Quinn spun away from Tom Cunniffe and sent the ball across to Trainor.
St Vincent’s 2-3 Castlebar Mitchels 0-9: 31 mins – Barry Moran points for Castlebar.
All square at the interval in Croke Park. We’ll be back shortly with the second-half action.
Castlebar Mitchels 0-10 St Vincent’s 2-3: 31 mins – First blood in this half to Castlebar with Tom King firing over a free.
Castlebar Mitchels 0-10 St Vincent’s 2-4: 33 mins – Shane Carthy ties the teams with another point for St Vincent’s.
St Vincent’s 2-5 Castlebar Mitchels 0-10: 35 mins – Mossy Quinn smashes over a point after a pass from Diarmuid Connolly.
St Vincent’s 2-6 Castlebar Mitchels 0-10: 37 mins – St Vincent’s extend their lead as Quinn taps over a free when Daithi Murphy is fouled.
St Vincent’s 2-7 Castlebar Mitchels 0-10: 38 mins – The Dublin champions have certainly started the second-half better. Their fourth point in a row comes courtesy of Diarmuid Connolly as he strokes the ball over from play.
St Vincent’s 2-7 Castlebar Mitchels 0-11: 41 mins – Cracking point for Castlebar by wing-forward Neil Lydon into Hill 16.
St Vincent’s 3-7 Castlebar Mitchels 1-11: 44 mins – Dramatic passage of play. Firstly Neil Douglas sees his point attempt hit the post, fall into the arms of the waiting Danny Kirby and he rifles it into the corner of the net. Then at the other end St Vincent’s attack and Diarmuid Connolly rises highest in the goal mouth to flick the ball to the corner for their third goal of the match.
Substitute: Cameron Diamond is on for St Vincent’s for the injured Eamonn Fennell.
Goal chance for St Vincent’s when Cameron Diamond’s point attempt hits the bar and Michael Concarr tries to net from the rebound but Ciaran Naughton parries and clears.
St Vincent’s 3-8 Castlebar Mitchels 1-11: 49 mins – Diarmuid Connolly points to push St Vincent’s clear by three.
Substitute: James Durcan is on for Castlebar for Neil Douglas while Kevin Golden replaces Ruairi Trainor in the St Vincent’s side.
St Vincent’s 3-9 Castlebar Mitchels 1-11: 51 mins – Connolly with another classy point for St Vincent’s.
St Vincent’s 4-9 Castlebar Mitchels 1-11: 53 mins – That should be the decisive score. Connolly slaloms through the defence, loses the ball briefly before picking it up and walloping a left-foot shot to the net.
St Vincent’s 4-10 Castlebar Mitchels 1-11: 55 mins – That’s 2-5 now for Diarmuid Connolly as he points from play.
St Vincent’s 4-10 Castlebar Mitchels 2-11: 55 mins – Danny Kirby’s second goal of the game for Castlebar cuts the gap to five points.
Substitute: Castlebar bring on David Joyce for Ray O’Malley while St Vincent’s bring on Adam Baxter for Ciaran Dorney. Castlebar replace Ger McDonagh with Shane Hopkins.
St Vincent’s 4-11 Castlebar Mitchels 2-11: 60 mins – That looks like the insurance point as Shane Carthy raises a white flag.
He’s rather good isn’t he? Probably one of the first Irish names onto the Lions squad for the summer along with Furlong.
Always has a point to prove against his home province. Big game for him.
@thesaltyurchin: That must be why Robbie Henshaw and Caelan Doris play so well against Connacht.
@Finbarr Ryan: We’re talking about ‘Finals’ pal
@Finbarr Ryan: Also Henshaw is from Athlone, which is in Leinster no?
Creating a bit of false “us v the world” stuff. There’s hardly a pundit out there writing Munster off. Listened to podcasts on OTB, RTE and the42 this week. If anything, it is 50/50.
@Ricky Wright: indeed. Leinster have never ever won Munster more than 5 times consecutively, we’re at 5 times now, there’s probably a good reason for that. Things change and records are broken however sooner or later Leinster will once again lose to Munster and that could be Saturday. I hope for a Leinster win, but it really is a 50/50 in my eyes too.
@SPQH: Yep. I don’t even believe Europe is a distraction. I have a feeling Munster will win, and win more comfortably than any one expects. 10 points. I’ll be a bit sick if it happens but at least the season won’t be over, for whoever loses.
@SPQH: we’d be going for 11 in a row only for the red card.
@Chris Mc: Well I hope we don’t get a red card tomorrow! Come on Leinster!
He is Irelands Jamie Vardy
@Cranesofdublin: who’s that?
@Rudiger McMonihan: he’s a mate of your dad Antonio obvs
I think the pundits for the first time in a long while have Munster favourites, more probably in a desire to see another Province win for a change.
The battle of the backrows will be fascinating.Johnny v Joey ,the scrums,so much to look forward to ,you can’t over hype this game enough
@rugbyanbeer: funny it’s more likely Ross v joey
@rugbyanbeer: Munster are not favourites.