Mayo JFC: Eastern Gaels win blockbuster quarterfinal in Newport
Eastern Gaels left Newport on a sunny but blustery Sunday afternoon having booked their place in the semi-finals of the Mayo GAA Treanlaur Catering Exclusive Junior Football Championship thanks to a 5-13 to 1-24 victory over Burrishoole, writes Nathan Keane.
Both teams played out an incredibly entertaining spectacle. The game eventually went to extra time, with only a single point separating the sides in the end.
It was a game filled with twists and turns, and both teams displayed a never-say-die attitude when they needed it most.
Burrishoole flew out of the blocks in the first few minutes, Patrick Chambers curling over a two-pointer to open the scoring, but by half-time they had added just two more points while conceding 3-8, their cause not helped by two black cards during the half, leaving them playing with just 13 men for a period.
The Gaels goals were scored by Michael McGarry (two, one penalty) and Dara Flanagan.
Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for the hosts as they trailed by 13 points (0-4 to 3-8), having not scored for over 15 minutes.
The visitors appeared to be in control early in the second half also, but they soon lost their attacking spark. A point from Jason Jennings five minutes in was one of just two scores over the whole 30 minutes.
On the other hand, Burrishoole began to slowly chip away at Gaels’ lead. Points started to flow and a goal by Fintan McManamon left them behind by eight with 10 to go.
The momentum was with them and another flurry of points, including two incredible two-pointers by McManamon, saw they edge ahead before Gaels’ Connor Grogan scored a last-gasp point to send the quarterfinal to extra time (1-16 to 3-10).
Eastern Gaels had a clinical first period in extra time, scoring two goals through Grogan and Tom Hession, and while Burrishoole fought gallantly, narrowing the gap to a single point after scores from James McManamon and another Fintan McManamon two-pointer, the visitors held on to win a most dramatic game.
*See Tuesday's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph for more on the game