‘Keeper Breathnach goes into local folklore with stunning score to force extra time
An Spidéal 1-13
Micheál Breathnach 1-11
(After extra time)
MAGHNUS Breathnach saved the day for An Spidéal, who return to senior for the first time in 18 years after beating neighbours CLG Micheál Breathnach in the County Intermediate Football Final replay at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.
The Galway goalkeeper stopped a penalty in the eighth minute of the first-half and scored two vital points – including a long-range free with the last kick of normal time, which he earned and subsequently converted, to draw the game and force extra-time.
An Spidéal, who played the entire second half with just 14 men after Ciaráin Ó Droighneáin was dismissed for a high challenge on Seán Denvir in time-added-on in the first-half, were much livelier when restored to a full complement of players in the two 10-minute periods of extra-time, when they outscored their opponents by three points to one.
Fittingly, the only one of those four scores that came from play was from the boot of official man-of-the-match, An Spidéal midfielder Dara Mac An Rí, who worked his socks off throughout the 80-plus minutes and bagged a crucial first-half goal.
Full-forward Cormac Ó Laoi was another player who stepped up to the plate and delivered for An Spidéal on the big occasion. A constant threat on the edge of the square, he scored two invaluable points in each half of normal time, and kept the Micheál Breathnach’s defence honest.
An Spidéal deservedly carried the day and advance to meet Mayo champions Belmullet in the Connacht semi-final but their rivals from Indreabhán, who contributed immensely to such enjoyable tussles over two days, will have nightmares about the scoring opportunities they spurned.
Rónán MacDonnchadha scored an absolute screamer of a goal in the 23rd minute of the first-half, which made-up for his earlier spot-kick miss – ‘keeper Breathnach will get the kudos for stopping it but the attacker will concede his shot lacked both power and precision.
Even aside from the penalty miss, Micheál Breathnach had ample opportunity to kill the game off and their inaccuracy came back to haunt them.
Frank Doherty’s well-drilled charges were wasteful, kicking 11 wides in total, including five in the second-half when they had numerical advantage and could have put the squeeze on their rivals. Three of those wides were recorded in extra-time, and they also had a few shots dropping short into the goalkeeper’s hands. In a game of such tight margins, those missed chances really hurt.
An Spidéal were guilty of profligacy, too, in particular in the first half when their rate of conversion of chances to scores dipped below 50% – as well as four wides, they also dropped short three efforts, which if even half of them were converted would have put them in a commanding position.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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