Gorry superb for clinical Reds

Coralstown/Kinnegad 0-13

Athlone 1-9

The evergreen Aidan Gorry kicked six crucial points for Coralstown/Kinnegad, as they emerged as winners in Saturday evening’s ACFL Division 5 football final at TEG Cusack Park.

Athlone, slight favourites on the back of a 100 percent record, had plenty of possession throughout but – John Connellan aside – left their shooting boots at home. They weren’t helped by a 16th minute injury to Josh Beaumont, but over the course of the hour were victims of their own profligacy.

Meanwhile, Coralstown/Kinnegad, who led by the minimum at the break, probably saw less of the ball but were more clinical, and a late winner from Gorry saw them over the line after Athlone looked to have forced extra time.

Athlone opened with a decent spell of possession, but as was the pattern for much of the first half, the Shannonsiders struggled to turn it into end product. Coralstown/Kinnegad went on the attack, and the two Ronans, Foley and Doyle, combined for the latter to kick the opening score.

On the counter, Athlone’s Mark Egan teed up Ryan Gaffey for the equaliser, and in the fourth minute, John Connellan kicked a fine score off his right to edge the Southerners in front.

Within 40 seconds, Kinnegad were level, when Anto Johnson’s attempt to carry the ball out of the Athlone defence was foiled John Kiernan. Although he looked to have fouled Johnson, Kiernan set up Neill Carthy for the leveller.

The tit-for-tat pattern continued when Josh Beaumont kicked a left-footed score, and Carthy missed for Kinnegad before Aidan Gorry levelled matters with a superb point.

The Reds then got their noses decisively in front when Carthy and Gorry (a free) added to their tally, before Beaumont hobbled off for Athlone.

The Shannonsiders continued to enjoy plenty of possession but struggled to trouble the scoreboard, and with 20 minutes gone, Gorry converted another free for the Reds to extend their lead to three (0-6 to 0-3).

However, Athlone regained some momentum, and Matt Scally – who replaced the injured Beaumont – found his range with a great score off his right, before John Connellan converted a free to leave the minimum between the sides.

Kinnegad came back with a vengeance, with Gorry firing over after a thrilling passing move. John Kiernan and Gorry then had sniffs at goal, but the latter’s 28th minute shot was fairly tame.

It was Athlone, however, who finished the half strongly, with John Connellan calling on his oft-demonstrated class to sell his marker a dummy before powering over the bar. At the short whistle, Kinnegad led 0-7 to 0-6.

The Southerners picked up where they left off after the restart, with Matt Scally kicking accurately into the evening sun for his second point. Mark Giles nudged Coralstown/Kinnegad ahead moments later after some good build-up play, but in the 41st minute, Connellan equalised with a free.

For the next ten minutes, Athlone bossed possession but were wasteful in the extreme, and again, went behind when they should have been comfortably ahead. In the 44th minute, Ryan Gaffey cut through the Kinnegad defence and smashed the frame of the goal.

Another gilt-edged chance broke down for Athlone, and much to their frustration, Kinnegad then strung together their first decent moves in about 15 minutes, scoring twice from as many attempts. Neill Carthy converted off his left before Aidan Gorry fired a free, and in the 52nd minute, Niall Leydon’s charges went three ahead when Carthy set up Michael Leonard for a score.

However, moments later, the Reds were caught out badly at the back, allowing John Connellan to strike a low drive to the net to restore parity for Athlone. The Shannonsiders should have rallied from there, but their wastefulness cropped up again, and it took a late, late leveller from Mark Egan to cancel out a score from Kinnegad’s Fergal Dardis.

Extra-time then looked inevitable, but Coralstown/Kinnegad weren’t finished, and a last-gasp attack saw an unmarked Gorry coolly slot over the winner.

At full time, former Kilbeggan Shamrocks star Gorry, an inspirational skipper on the day, collected the Division 5 shield from Westmeath GAA chairman Frank Mescall.

Scorers – Coralstown/Kinnegad: A Gorry 0-6 (3f), N Carthy 0-3, R Doyle, M Giles, M Leonard and F Dardis 0-1 each. Athlone: J Connellan 1-4 (0-2f), M Scally 0-2, R Gaffey, J Beaumont and M Egan 0-1 each.

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Damien Molloy; Jack Quinn, Brian McGrath, Michael Leonard; Cillian Curran, Ronan Doyle, Alexander Ajeigbe; Patrick Leydon, Fergal Dardis; Ciaran Daly Jnr, Ronan Foley, Neill Carthy; John Kiernan, Aidan Gorry, Mark Giles. Sub used: Cian Wilson for Kiernan (58).

Athlone: Shaun Fox; Anto Johnson, Tom Egan, Fergal Murray; Conor Murray, Matty Darling, Luke O’Connell; Darren Magee, Mark Egan; Colin O’Leary, Dermot Bannon, Pierce Edmundson; Josh Beaumont, Ryan Gaffey, John Connellan. Subs used: Luke Whelan for Edmundson (13), Matt Scally for Beaumont (inj., 16), Emmet Collins for Darling (h-t), Conor Rushe for O’Leary (52), Paul Bannon for Gaffey (52).

Ref: Michael Gordon (Shandonagh).