Gaels three in a row / Gaels make it a treble 

By Damian Dolan 

JP O’Donnell’s late strike ensured Tir Chonaill Gaels retained the Reserve Football Championship for a third success year at Greenford last Sunday.

But while it was the Gaels that came out on top, both sides must first be congratulated for serving up a thoroughly entertaining reserve final, played in appalling underfoot conditions and persistent showers.

Kevin McElroy gave Fulham the early lead, but that was soon wiped out when O’Donnell’s effort cannoned back of a post, only for Jerome Lawson to react quickest to the loose ball and calmly pick his spot past the stranded Martin Burke in the Fulham goal.

McElroy added a free as the Gaels were then dealt a blow when they lost keeper Kieran Nash with injury, forcing Paul Coggins to take his place between the posts. A brace of frees McElroy then edged Fulham ahead but it was short-lived as scores from Barry McDonagh and Niall Quinn restored parity.

O’Donnell saw his strike brush a post, after nice approach play by Quinn and Stephen McLoughlin, but then a flowing move from Fulham ended with Eamonn Scanlon finding the top corner of Coggins’ goal with an innocuous effort that had the Gaels keeper rooted to the spot.

It was a strong finish to the half by Fulham and there was still time for Henry Ahern to add a free after McElroy was fouled, as Irish took a slender one point lead into the break. The second half would be a different affair, as the Gaels would take a strangle hold on the match, displaying some neat keep ball football.

Points from O’Donnell and Damien Gillespie (2) saw the Gaels take a deserved lead with Fulham struggling to get into the second half. Quinn’s ball across the square was punched goalwards by Lawson, with only the feet of Burke preventing a second goal for the Gaels man.

For all their second half dominance, however, the Gaels still only led by two, and when they switched Maurice Carr to keeper, bringing Coggins outfield, he would soon be beaten as Fulham snatched the lead back against the run of play.

Niall Haughey’s well struck ball in finding its way through the bodies and into the back of the Gaels net. Even though there was less than ten minutes to play, there was no hint of panic from the Gaels though and Michael Kelly fired over after Coggins’ strong run.

As the game lapsed into injury time, O’Donnell then delivered the knockout blow as he found the centre of the uprights, but there was still time for Kelly to see a straight red as he stopped Sean Casey’s dangerous run and for Fulham’s Peter Burke to hit the post with the last kick of the match. 

Teams & Scorers: 

Tir Chonaill Gaels:

K Nash; S Keane, N Burke, S Carr; L Mullan, M Kelly (0-1), D Cannon; B McDonagh (0-1), B O’Mahony; D Gillespie (0-3, 1f), N Quinn (0-1), J Lawson (1-0); M Carr, S McLoughlin, JP O’Donnell (0-2).  

Fulham Irish:

M Burke; W Fogarty, D Canavan, McVey; S Casey, C Finn, D Flanagan; P Burke, N Haughey (1-0); K McElroy (0-3, 2f), E Scanlon (1-0), E Lanagan; B Dolan, H Ahern (0-1f), L Barry.