Moycullen (Galway) 0-13
Tourlestrane (Sligo) 0-6
GALWAY CHAMPIONS MOYCULLEN collected their first Connacht SFC title when they had far too much firepower for Tourlestrane at Pearse Stadium.
It completed a great weekend for the Moycullen club, who captured the Galway minor title on Saturday and who won their first senior crown two years ago
It was Tourlestrane’s first appearance in the final in 40 years and an added subplot was that their manager Fergal O’Donnell and Moycullen boss Don Connellan were former Roscommon team-mates.
Moycullen failed to score from play in the opening half, playing against the breeze, but still did enough to lead by 0-4 to 0-3 at the interval.
Both teams played possession football on a sunny winter’s afternoon in Salthill, but the Galway kingpins looked more threatening before the break and would have been much further ahead if they had taken a couple of good goal chances.
However, Tourlestrane goalkeeper Adam Broe did well to deny a fisted effort from Paul Kelly in the opening minute while Ger Davoren saw his shot after a good build-up 11 minutes from the break come crashing back off the crossbar.
Three times, Tourlestrane — hoping to become only the second Sligo team to win the Connacht title — edged in front in the opening 16 minutes with John Kelly kicking two excellent points and Liam Gaughan also landing a fine effort, but each time Moycullen hauled them back with Conneely frees.
Tourlestrane failed to score in the second quarter and built up five wides by the interval, with the Galway champions going in front three minutes from the break when Conneely tapped over a 20 metre free.
Moycullen’s Owen Gallagher and Gary Gaughan exchanged points in the opening six minutes of the second-half but then Moycullen struck three in just over two minutes from Peter Cooke, Michéal O’Reilly and Paul Kelly to lead by 0-8 to 0-4 after 39 minutes.
Oisin Kennedy pulled back a point for Tourlestrane before Tom Clarke became Moycullen’s fifth scorer of the second half when he pointed to lead by 0-9 to 0-5 with 12 minutes remaining.
Cooke landed a massive effort from 50 metres on the left for his second point of the game to leave them ahead by double scores in front of a crowd of almost 3,000 which was largely made up of Moycullen fans.
Paul Kelly and Liam Gaughan exchanged points, while in between Tourestrane goalkeeper Broe denied Neil Mulcahy and at the other end his opposite number Andrew Power did well to save from Liam Gaughan as Moycullen ran out convincing winners.
Scorers for Moycullen: Dessie Conneely 0-4 (0-4f), Peter Cooke 0-3, Paul Kelly 0-2, Aidan Claffey 0-1, Tom Clarke 0-1, Owen Gallagher 0-1, Michéal O’Reilly 0-1.
Scorers for Torulestrane: Liam Gaughan 0-2, John Kelly 0-2, Gary Gaughan 0-1, Oisin Kennedy 0-1.
Moycullen
1. Andrew Power
17. Conor Corcoran, 5. Eoghan Kelly, 4. Neil Mulcahy
7. Aidan Claffey, 6. David Wynne, 9. Tom Clarke
10. Ger Davoren, 12. Paul Kelly
3 Seán Kelly, 14 Niall Walsh, 8 Peter Cooke
13. Michéal O’Reilly, 11. Owen Gallagher, 15. Dessie Conneely
Substitutes:
21. Daniel Cox for Walsh (57)
23. Evan Kenny for O’Reilly (61)
18. Michael Moughan for Davoren (62)
Tourlestrane
1. Adam Broe
2. JP Lang, 3. John Francis Carr, 4 Barry Walsh
5. Oisin Kennedy, 6. Adrian McIntyre, 7. Noel Gaughan
8. Feidhlim O’Donnell, 9. Conor Marren
12. James Leonard, 14. John Kelly, 10. Kenny Gavigan
13. Gary Gaughan, 11. Cathal Henry, 15. Liam Gaughan
Substitutes:
21. Niall Egan for Gavigan (44)
20. Stephen Henry for O’Donnell (52)
22. Rian Kennedy for Leonard (54)
17. Kevin O’Hara for N Gaughan (56)
23. Aidan Marren for Kennedy (58)
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).
