Gaeil Colmcille stay strong to claim vital victory

Gaeil Colmcille...2-11

Curraha...1-7

This was a classic do-or-die SFC contest at Pairc Tailteann this evening because as far as both teams were concerned there was no room for slip-ups or sad stories. The vanquished moved out, the defeated were out. It was a simple as that.

First round setbacks suffered by both sides ensured a victory was an imperative and spurred on by that reality Gaeil Colmcille chalked up the win to provide themselves with some badly needed oxygen as they seek to scale in the heights in the championship.

There was no doubt they were, by some distance, the better team. They trailed in the opening minutes despite having the strong breeze behind them but by the interval they led 1-8 to 0-3 and were on their way.

Of course they had that formidable breeze to face into in the second-half but they manned up that challenge too with the kind of organisation and sense of purpose that ensured an under-performing, lacklustre Curraha never looked like serious contenders to claim the win they also so badly needed.

The team guided by manager Brendan Murphy and coach Eoin Carroll along with selectors Martin Barrett and Stephen Reddy, will gain great confidence from this victory.

They moved the ball from defence to attacking with lightning speed at times, ransacking the Curraha defence with the way they both created and took their scores. Their cause was particularly boosted by the two goals they bagged.

The first arrived just before the break with Jonny Quigley finishing a sweeping, multi-player move to the net with composure and considerable finesse. That score represented a real knock-out blow to their under-performing opponents because it left them with a near mission impossible in the second-half to overturn the deficit.

Curraha badly needed a bright start to the second-half. Instead Gaeil Colmcille struck with another goal. Again a fine pitch-length move was constructed. It started with a Barry Farrelly kick-out. Conor Ferguson won the ball with a mighty catch in midfield. He off-loaded to Quigley who picked out Oisin Reilly. He, however, was upended in the Curraha goalmouth. From the subsequent penalty Brian Hanlon, swept the ball to the net with a textbook spot-kick.

Hanlon - who didn't start in the first round defeat to Wolfe Tones - was included from the beginning for this game.

He produced an enterprising display, adding two points, one free, to his goal. Both Seamus Mattimoe and Andrew Gormley also marked busy appearances with two points apiece while Farrelly, Ryan Farnham, Oisin Reilly, Ruairi O'Sullivan and Ajay Tormey were others to tag on scores for the winners. A decent spread of scores in anyone's book.

Curraha fashioned the opening two points of the game from Niall McLarnon and Niall Murphy but then lost their way. Murphy also grabbed his team's goal, making the most of a rare mistake in the Gaeil Colmcille defence to find the net on 44 minutes. That left it 1-4 to 2-9 but the team in green and gold lacked the intensity to sustain any potential revival.

With players such as Rian Early, Mattimoe, Gormley, Hanlon, Ferguson and Quigley strong and assured Gaeil Colmcille powered on to secure a welcome win. A deserved win too and one that gives them hope going into the last round of group matches.

Gaeil Colmcille - Barry Farrelly (0-2 frees); Adam Donnelly, Rian Early, James Reilly; Adam Muldoon, Jonny Quigley (1-0), John Gormley; Evan Sheridan, Liam Ferguson; Seamus Mattimoe (0-2 one mark), Barry Tormay, Oisin Reilly (0-1); Andrew Gormley (0-2 one mark), Brian Hanlon (1-2 one penalty, one free), Ryan Farnham (0-1). Subs - Ajay Tormey (0-1) for Mattimoe 38m, Aaron Browne for Farnham 50m, Oisin Walsh for Tormay 55m, Bruno Griffin for J Gormley 59m, Fionn Smith for Quigley 62m.

Curraha - Luke McCarthy; Oisin Fay, Matthew Webb, Seamus Hogan (0-1); Podge O'Hanrahan, Michael John Lavin, Niall Murphy (1-1); Diarmuid Moriarty, Niall McLarnon (0-1); Conor Joyce, Jack O'Connor (0-1), Brian Joyce; David Coyle, James McEntee, Ronan Flynn (0-2 one free). Subs - Ruairi O'Sullivan for Joyce 43m, Gavin Coyle for D Coyle, Mark Jackson for Joyce both 53m, Jared Roche for Flynn 55m.

Referee - David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels).