Rea Clarke Hennessy West Senior Football Championship Final
Aherlow Gaels 2-12(18) Galtee Rovers 1-6(9)
Aherlow Gaels are Rea Clarke Hennessy West Senior Football champions for the first time in six years after they overcame the challenge of Galtee Rovers in Dundrum on Sunday last. For Aherlow it was a case of must win after failing to qualify from the County group stages while Galtee Rovers had the safety net of having already qualified. The seeds of Aherlow’s victory were sown in a very strong first half performance.
Aherlow Gaels West Senior Football Champions 2016 pic.twitter.com/woFNr8PEhc
— West Tipperary GAA (@Westtippgaa) September 25, 2016
Aherlow Gaels played with the advantage of the breeze in the first half. Colin Morrissey opened the scoring with a pointed free after three minutes of play. Aherlow Gaels were slow to get going but when they did they hit a purple patch. In a three minute spell they hit 1-3 from play. First Sean Kiely goaled and this was followed by points from Kevin Franks, Barry Grogan and Mark Russell. Shane Egan responded with a free for Galtee Rovers but Aherlow Gaels continued to dominate on the scoreboard. Bernard O’Brien pointed from a free before Barry Grogan added another from play. Grogan’s point could easily have been a goal chance as he now played at full forward while Mark Russell moved out the field. Sean Mullins got in for a point and this was quickly followed by Grogan’s third of the game. Denis Peters saw his goal chance cleared off the line by John Moloney at the other end as everything was going right for the Gaels. At this stage Colin Morrissey moved out to half forward and Kevin Power got Galtee’s first score from play after twenty five minutes of play. Bernard O’Brien responded at the other end with his second of the game. Aherlow Gaels lost Eoin O’Connell to a black card just before the break and he was replaced by Cathal Dillon. Aherlow Gaels leading at the interval 1-8 to 0-3 with 1-7 of their scores coming from play.
The second half was slow to get moving on the scoreboard, though Gordon Peters was called into action when he made a very good save from Bernard Fitzgerald. Sean Kiely and Kevin Franks pointed in the opening ten minutes of the half to extend the Gaels advantage. Both sides were now guilty of missing chances. With almost twenty minutes of the half elapsed Sean Daly pointed Galtee Rovers first of the half while at the other end Bernard O’Brien responded with Aherlow Gaels first point in twelve minutes. Galtee Rovers continued to try and work goal chances but were struggling to find a finish. Shane Egan and Bernard O’Brien swapped points from frees before Bernard Fitzgerald eventually got in for a goal for Galtee’s. Colin Morrissey added a point from a free to reduce the deficit to six points. Gordon Peters again saved excellently from Shane Egan to deny Galtee Rovers again. Sean Kiely though put the icing on the cake at the other end when he goaled to round off a great day for Aherlow Gaels.
Aherlow Gaels: Gordon Peters, Sean Mullins (0-1), Ciaran McDonald, John Moloney, Tom O’Donoghue, John Hennessy, Lar Coskeran, Tom Hanly, Seamus Grogan, Eoin O’Connell, Barry Grogan (0-3), Sean Kiely (2-1), Kevin Franks (0-2), Mark Russell (0-1), Bernard O’Brien (0-4,(0-2f))
Subs Used: Cathal Dillon, Ed O’Meara, Shane Neville
Galtee Rovers: Patrick Ryan, Eamon O’Connell, Pa Morrissey, Robert Doyle, Tony O’Brien, Conor O’Sullivan, Andrew Morrissey, Eric Grogan, Bernard Fitzgerald (1-0), Shane Power, Shane Egan (0-2f), Sean Daly (0-1), Kevin Power (0-1), Colin Morrissey (0-2f), Denis Peters
Subs Used: Adrian Grace, Darren McGrath
Referee: Johnny Butler
West Senior Football Final Presentation – Barry Grogan (Aherlow Gaels Capatain) and John O’Shea West Board Chairman.
By Jonathan Cullen Sun 25th Sep
