Defiant Carna-Caiseal take first county title since 2013

WILLIAMSTOWN 1-15

(After extra-time)

By OISÍN NOONE AT PEARSE STADIUM

TIME was well and truly up when Dara Ó Conchubhair struck one of the finest two-pointers seen to date. With 65:33 on the clock, his booming effort from the corner sailed over the bar to force extra-time – as sixty minutes proved insufficient to decide who would lift the Oldums Irish Purity Cup. In extra-time, Cárna-Caiseal dug deepest to defeat Williamstown and claim the County Primary 1 Junior title last Saturday in Salthill.

Serving as a thrilling curtain-raiser to the senior final, which had been pushed back by half an hour, the match offered everything a fan could hope for: goals, two-pointers, wonder scores, strikes off the post, penalties, and even a black card. Williamstown held the lead briefly in extra-time, however Seán Ó Cathasaigh’s charges rallied for a strong finish.

It was heartbreak for Williamstown, who fell narrowly short in their promotion bid in their first Junior campaign since 2005, following their relegation defeat by Kilkerrin-Clonberne last year. Sean Keaveney was also their manager in their 2017 Intermediate final against Claregalway, from which David Lyons, Thomas Comer, Raymond Nee, Michael Smyth, David Keegan, Sean Smyth, and their top scorer Garry Kelly, remain on the starting team.

For Cárna-Caiseal, it was their first county football final in 13 years, since they beat Athenry in the 2012 Intermediate decider. They had the form on Williamstown approaching this final, having beaten them 2-14 to 1-14 at home in the Division 4A league back in March.

The ever-reliable Garry Kelly was amongst the successful penalty takers in their dramatic North Board final against Headford, where he top scored with 1-7. Cárna-Caiseal experienced their own shootout against Naomh Pádraig, An Fháirche enroute to their West Board final with Fr Griffin’s Éire Og, where they prevailed 2-15 to 2-14. Dara Ó Cualáin top scored with 0-7, including two crucial two-pointers.

As the evening light faded and the new floodlights kept the pitch lit, it looked increasingly likely that the teams would have to put that penalty-taking experience to use. However over the course of 80-plus minutes, Cárna-Caiseal appeared to have a bit more in the legs as Mikey Coleman Ó Flatharta’s two pointer along with singles from top scorer Ó Cualáin and sub Cathal Ó Loideáin proved decisive.

Kelly opened the scoring with a fisted effort, playing into the Árus Bóthar na Trá end. Tom Flynn kicked another early score for the east Galway club, however Cárna-Caiseal took a 1-3 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes, with Dara Ó Cualáin providing all the scores. Seán Ó Cuirrín’s invasive run set the motion of events for this goal, as Mikey Breathnach’s shot was deemed to have been foot blocked by Michael Lyons. Ó Cualáin slotted home coolly.

Williamstown responded with six unanswered scores in eight minutes. Along with efforts from Michael Lyons and captain Steven Raftery, Kelly kicked three of these, the last of which could have easily ended up in the net as the shot blazed over the bar.

Pictured: Williamstown's Raymond Nee is in a race for possession with Seán Ó Cuirrín and Dylan Seoighe of Cárna-Caiseal during Saturday's Primary Junior 1 Football Final at Pearse Stadium. Photo: Joe O'Shaughnessy.