– Fintan O’Toole reports from Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi
A DUBLIN AND Tipperary goalscoring spree enabled the 2016 GAA-GPA All-Star team selection to see off their 2015 counterparts in an exhibition game played this afternoon at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
The Opel All-Star touring party are staying in Dubai as part of this year’s trip and travelled to the Abu Dhabi for today’s game.
With a sizeable Irish population in the United Arab Emirates, those that were present today were treated to 24 goals in a match that was played by 13-a-side teams.
Dublin duo Ciaran Kilkenny and Dean Rock both bagged hat-tricks for the winners while Tipperary pair Michael Quinlivan and Conor Sweeney notched a brace apiece.
Another Tipperary man also raised a green flag, midfielder Peter Acheson who is now living and working in Dubai.
But the goal of the game came from Kerry’s Paul Geaney, when he hammered a 30-yard drive to the roof of the net in the second-half past his Kingdom colleague Brendan Kealy.
There were several replacements on the trip to make up the two selections, due to the presence of back-to-back All-Star winners and the fact that some players were unavailable to travel.
One of those was Donegal’s Michael Murphy, who hit a hat-trick for the 2015 side. He was supported in the scoring stakes by Monaghan’s Conor McManus and Dublin’s Bernard Brogan, who weighed in with 2-3 and 1-3 respectively.
Tipperary boss Liam Kearns was the manager of the winning team while Tyrone’s Mickey Harte was in charge of the 2015 selection.
The first nine scores of the game were all goals with the 2016 team in front 9-6 to 5-6 at the interval and they held that 12-point advantage until the final whistle.
Afterwards GAA President Aogan O Fearghail presented the Joe McDonagh memorial cup to the winning captain, Dublin’s Dean Rock.
Scorers for 2016 All-Stars: Ciaran Kilkenny 3-2, Dean Rock 3-0, Michael Quinlivan 2-2, Conor Sweeney 2-1, Peter Acheson 1-2, Matthew Donnelly, Paul Geaney 1-1 each, Kieran Martin 1-0, Peter Harte 0-2.
Scorers for 2015 All-Stars: Michael Murphy 3-2, Conor McManus 2-3, Bernard Brogan 1-3, Brian Fenton, Neil Gallagher 1-1 each, Donnchadh Walsh, Colm Cavanagh 1-0 each, Philly McMahon 0-1.
2016 All-Stars
David Clarke (Mayo)
Declan Kyne (Galway)
Robbie Kiely (Tipperary)
Peter Harte (Tyrone)
Kieran Martin (Westmeath)
Ryan McHugh (Donegal)
Peter Acheson (Tipperary)
Matthew Donnelly (Tyrone)
Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)
Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin)
Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary)
Dean Rock (Dublin)
Paul Geaney (Kerry)
Sub:
Jonny Cooper (Dublin) for McHugh (half-time)
2015 All-Stars
Brendan Kealy (Kerry)
Philly McMahon (Dublin)
Cathal McCarron (Tyrone)
Karl O’Connell (Monaghan)
Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin)
Shane Enright (Kerry)
Brian Fenton (Dublin)
Colm Cavanagh (Tyrone)
Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)
Neil Gallagher (Donegal)
Michael Murphy (Donegal)
Conor McManus (Monaghan)
Bernard Brogan (Dublin)
Referees: Conor Lane (Cork) and Maurice Deegan (Laois)
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Take your points! Just the 24 goals in today's All-Star match in Abu Dhabi
2016 All-Stars 14-11
2015 All-Stars 10-11
– Fintan O’Toole reports from Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi
A DUBLIN AND Tipperary goalscoring spree enabled the 2016 GAA-GPA All-Star team selection to see off their 2015 counterparts in an exhibition game played this afternoon at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
The Opel All-Star touring party are staying in Dubai as part of this year’s trip and travelled to the Abu Dhabi for today’s game.
With a sizeable Irish population in the United Arab Emirates, those that were present today were treated to 24 goals in a match that was played by 13-a-side teams.
Dublin duo Ciaran Kilkenny and Dean Rock both bagged hat-tricks for the winners while Tipperary pair Michael Quinlivan and Conor Sweeney notched a brace apiece.
Another Tipperary man also raised a green flag, midfielder Peter Acheson who is now living and working in Dubai.
But the goal of the game came from Kerry’s Paul Geaney, when he hammered a 30-yard drive to the roof of the net in the second-half past his Kingdom colleague Brendan Kealy.
There were several replacements on the trip to make up the two selections, due to the presence of back-to-back All-Star winners and the fact that some players were unavailable to travel.
One of those was Donegal’s Michael Murphy, who hit a hat-trick for the 2015 side. He was supported in the scoring stakes by Monaghan’s Conor McManus and Dublin’s Bernard Brogan, who weighed in with 2-3 and 1-3 respectively.
Tipperary boss Liam Kearns was the manager of the winning team while Tyrone’s Mickey Harte was in charge of the 2015 selection.
The first nine scores of the game were all goals with the 2016 team in front 9-6 to 5-6 at the interval and they held that 12-point advantage until the final whistle.
Afterwards GAA President Aogan O Fearghail presented the Joe McDonagh memorial cup to the winning captain, Dublin’s Dean Rock.
Scorers for 2016 All-Stars: Ciaran Kilkenny 3-2, Dean Rock 3-0, Michael Quinlivan 2-2, Conor Sweeney 2-1, Peter Acheson 1-2, Matthew Donnelly, Paul Geaney 1-1 each, Kieran Martin 1-0, Peter Harte 0-2.
Scorers for 2015 All-Stars: Michael Murphy 3-2, Conor McManus 2-3, Bernard Brogan 1-3, Brian Fenton, Neil Gallagher 1-1 each, Donnchadh Walsh, Colm Cavanagh 1-0 each, Philly McMahon 0-1.
2016 All-Stars
David Clarke (Mayo)
Declan Kyne (Galway)
Robbie Kiely (Tipperary)
Peter Harte (Tyrone)
Kieran Martin (Westmeath)
Ryan McHugh (Donegal)
Peter Acheson (Tipperary)
Matthew Donnelly (Tyrone)
Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)
Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin)
Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary)
Dean Rock (Dublin)
Paul Geaney (Kerry)
Sub:
Jonny Cooper (Dublin) for McHugh (half-time)
2015 All-Stars
Brendan Kealy (Kerry)
Philly McMahon (Dublin)
Cathal McCarron (Tyrone)
Karl O’Connell (Monaghan)
Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin)
Shane Enright (Kerry)
Brian Fenton (Dublin)
Colm Cavanagh (Tyrone)
Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)
Neil Gallagher (Donegal)
Michael Murphy (Donegal)
Conor McManus (Monaghan)
Bernard Brogan (Dublin)
Referees: Conor Lane (Cork) and Maurice Deegan (Laois)
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Abu Dhabi All-Star Match GAA Who's In Nets?