Coolaney/Mullinabreena 2.18  Shamrock Gaels 1.14

Report: Brian Marren.

With both teams coming off defeats in the third round of fixtures, this league clash between Shamrock Gaels and Coolaney/Mullinabreena was seen as a must win for both sides.

In the opening exchanges of the game, it was  Coolaney/Mullinabreena who enjoyed a quick start with points from Cristeoir Davey and Kieran Finan pointing form play with well worked team moves.

Shamrock Gaels soon came alive however with fast paced play leading to a tap over free from David Quinn and, more significantly, a goal from midfielder Liam'O'Connor,who stormed down the left hand side and knocked a thunderous shot past goalkeeper Eoin McDonagh.

Gaels then gained some momentum for the next period of play, and stifled the home sides attack several times.

All that changed with one score, when corner forward Gavin Gorman plucked the ball from the air off of a high ball across the square, fought off multiple defenders, and shot the ball low into the net, leveling the match. This had a galvanizing effect on the South Sligo men, who pushed on with another two points from play.

Not to be out done, Shamrock Gaels looked to their talisman in Quinn, who knocked over a multitude of scores to keep them in touch. However they were dealt a huge blow when  Sean Gorman finished off an excellent team move by palming the ball over the head of the onrushing keeper into the net.
As referee Michael Duffy blew the whistle for half time, there was very little to separate the two teams, with the score at 2:08 to 1:10.

In the second half, the game became much more physical, with both teams feeling the game was there for the taking. Coolaney/Mullinabreena came out fighting, with four unanswered points to open the second half, and extending their lead to five points. From there, they were able to mange the game excellently, with midfielder Stephan Connolly performing Trojan work in defense. While Shamrock Gaels were knocking on the door, veteran Kieran Finan used his experience, and finished the day five points. 

As the referee blew for full time, Coolaney/Mullinabreena went away with a 2:18 to 1:14 win, and can look ahead to an outing against Coolera/Strandhill. As for Shamrock Gaels, they will be left pondering what might have been had scores have come at the right time, with their next game against Eastern Harps.