Ó Conghaile in top form as Micheál Breathnach coast home

Naomh Eoin (Sligo)0-8

Tomás Keating in Bekan

MÍCHEÁL BREATHNACH are the 2019 Connacht junior hurling champions after they thoroughly outclassed Sligo’s Naomh Eoin in a bitterly cold Connacht GAA Centre in Bekan on Sunday afternoon.

Despite losing the intermediate football decider on penalties to Oughterard a few weeks back, the village of Inverin will be looking forward to an All-Ireland semi-final in the coming weeks. Breandán Ó Conghaile was in scintillating form as he rattled in 1-4, all coming from play. Although, they ran out comfortable winners, the Gaeltacht men registered 11 wides, seven of which came in the opening half, so there is still things to work on before their semi-final.

In an interesting backdrop to this tie, it was being played side-by-side at the same venue with Kilkerrin/Clonberne’s All-Ireland semi-final against Foxrock/Cabinteely . . . and every roar in the distance signalled a net being rattled by the Galway champions.

Both sides were scoreless in the opening seven minutes as they struggled to break each other down. Na Breathnaigh had a defensively solid structure, as Dinny hÉallaithe dropped into a deep-lying role, allowing the dynamic Maidhc Ó Conghaile to play as a sweeper. However, on the seventh minute, Cárthach Breathnach’s charges got their decisive goal. Breandán Ó Conghaile received the ball on the edge of the square and buried it into the roof of the net.

Naomh Eoin replied with two scores of their own as Tony O’Kelly-Lynch (free) and Matthew Davey both raised white flags. Not long after, Maidhc Ó Conghaile pointed another free and Breandán Ó Conghaile swung one over, as the Connemara men led 1-2 to 0-2 after 20 minutes of play.

Paul Kilcoyne drove over a brilliant point from distance, before Mícheál Breathnach opened up some daylight as they finished the half strongly. Maidhc (free), and Einne Ó Conghaile, and Seán Denvir all struck scores as they hit three unanswered points to lead by 1-5 to 0-3 at the interval.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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