An Ghaeltacht (Kerry) 0-12 Glenullin (Derry) 0-6
All Ireland champions Kerry may have dominated the inter-county scene with a clean sweep of available major titles last season; now its club teams are doing the same.
On Sunday, Ballymacelligott and An Ghaeltacht made it two out of two in the pursuit of national honors by beating Ulster rivals Clogher Eire Og (Tyrone) and Glenuilin (Derry) by six points respectively, leaving the way open for Dingle next Sunday to complete the clean sweep if they can account for Connacht champions St Brigid’s of Roscommon in the senior title final at Croke Park.
Even Kerry people thought that An Ghaeltacht faced the biggest task of the three, yet they were always in command and led by eight points at half-time 0-9 to 0-1 in a game where the Northern standard bearers largely failed to show up, scoring only six points over the hour.
Ballymacelligott looked second best in the first half but were largely dominant on the changeover while An Ghaeltacht boys hit the ground running and led from start to finish against an opponent which had no teeth in the bite of this final battle.
The brother of Kerry senior star Brian, Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich, was the linchpin of the Kingdom side, as he powered forward from defense to score half his side’s total in the course of the hour.
Ultimately, it was a victory for the tactic of holding onto the ball patiently and only pouncing when your team had worked its way into a genuine scoring chance. Hats off to the Ghaeltacht backroom team as they had the perfect blueprint to dominate and win this Croke Park final.
But it was more about An Ghaeltacht's patience and ability to keep hold of possession for long spells that won them this game.
Their opponents Glenullin arrived in Dublin with a reputation for scoring goals - they’d put five on the board against Roscommon’s Strokestown at the penultimate stage. The fact that they had one point only on the scoreboard nine minutes before the hour mark struck tells just how abject their challenge was on the day.
Their Manager Michael O'Kane spoke of holding their opponents to a total of less than 15 points - something he managed but unfortunately his own scoring lines were firing blanks until they found a vein of late form to shoot five points in the last nine minutes - a classic case of too little, too late.
An Ghaeltacht: S Ó Luing; C Ó Murchu, A MacAmhlaoibh, JJ MacLiam; P Ó Se, B Ó Beaglaoich, A Ó Beaglaoich; A Breathnach, C Ó Beaglaoich (0-2, tp); S Ó Cuinn (0-1), R Ó Beaglaoich (0-6, 1 tpf, 0-2f), PJ MacLaimh; C Ó Corrduibh (0-1), E Ó Conchuir (0-1), S Ó Gairbhi (0-1) Subs T Ó Se for Ó Gairbhi 54, G Ó Cinneide for Ó Cuinn 55, C Ó Riagain for Ó Corrduibh 62.
Glenullin: N O'Kane; E Boylan, D O'Kane, E O'Kane; C Rafferty (0-2), J O'Kane, D McNicholl; T Bradley, N McNicholl (0-2f); C Hasson, C Dempsey (0-1), C Bradley; C Mullen, E Bradley, R McNicholl Subs: WJ Bradley for Hasson 41, Fe Close (0-1) for Mullan 44, C Hasson for D McNicholl 49, J McNicholl for R McNicholl 49, D O'Kane for Dempsey 55.
Ref: F Kelly (Longford).
Dr McKenna Cup
Tyrone 0-18 Down 1-11
Monaghan 1-17 Fermanagh 3-8
Donegal 1-15 Antrim 0-7
Connacht FBD FL
Mayo 0-22 Roscommon 1-6
Munster Hurling League
Tipperary 1-16 Kerry 1-7
McGrath Cup
Kerry 1-27 Waterford 0-1
Cork 0-15 Limerick 3-11
Walsh Cup semi-finals
Dublin 3-24 Westmeath 2-14
Galway 2-22 Offaly 0-16
Walsh Cup Shield semi-finals
Kilkenny 2-17 Laois 0-10
Kildare 0-17 Antrim 2-10
All-Ireland club IFC final
An Ghaeltacht (Kerry) 0-12 Glenullin (Derry) 0-6
All-Ireland club JFC final
Ballymacelligott (Kerry) 1-16 Clogher Eire Og (Tyrone) 0-13
Saturday 10 January
Connacht FBD FL
Galway 2-19 Leitrim 0-14
O'Byrne Cup semi-finals
Kildare 1-22 Dublin 1-13
Westmeath 5-10 Offaly 2-8
O'Byrne Cup Shield semi-finals
Carlow 2-15 Laois 3-9
Wicklow 3-16 Longford 1-11
All-Ireland club IHC final
Upperchurch-Drombane (Tipperary) 4-20 Tooreen (Mayo) 2-24, Croke Park (AET)
All-Ireland club JHC final
Kilbrittain (Cork) 0-19 Easkey (Sligo) 0-18
