Four Masters convincing winners over Aodh Ruadh in U-21A championship

Four Masters were full value for their six point win over Aodh Ruadh in the U-21A championship with the game switched to Fr Tierney Park on Saturday morning.

Aodh Ruadh 1-4    Four Masters 2-7

The margin of victory probably doesn’t reflect the difference between the sides with Aodh Ruadh’s goal their only score from play. 

The young Four Masters side were stronger than in their first two games with Joe Leape home from a weekend from his studies in Lisbon, while Evan Gallagher also returned for his first game. They also had the talented Kevin Muldoon on board with Alex McCalmont also returning after injury.

Aodh Ruadh didn’t have any great amount of penetration and their sideways and backways movement of the ball was never going to work.

Four Masters were always more hungry and the fact that they needed to win the game to stay in the competition was a factor.

Scores were at a premium despite the perfect conditions in Fr Tierney Park. Aodh Ruadh were wide with two frees before Seanan Carr eventually opened the scoring on eight minutes for the visitors.

Five minutes later Joe Leape hit the point of the half with a snappy effort from fully 35 yards with minimum back lift.

It got better for Four Masters three minutes later when an effort for a point by Ultan O’Grady dropped short and Seanan Carr won the contest, beating Aaron Cullen and Kyle Murray to the punch and it ended in the net.

Damian Weber got Aodh Ruadh on the board a minute later after Cian Rooney was fouled off the ball. The shooting was poor from both sides with Four Masters then amassing six wides by the break.

Eventually a second Aodh Ruadh point arrived on 27 minutes with Weber converting another free. Kevin Muldoon replied with a very good score from play while in added time Jack Gallagher availed of another free after a Four Masters player touched the ball on the ground to leave just a goal between the sides at the break - Four Masters 1-3, Aodh Ruadh 0-3.


Caolan Sweeney gets his shot away despite two Aodh Ruadh players closing in Picture; Thomas Gallagher

The pattern of play was much similar in the second half with Four Masters having a great third quarter to go seven points clear.

Kevin Muldoon, so slick on the ball, fired over their first score from the throw-in and it could have been a goal.

Evan Gallagher and David Monaghan, both up joining the attack, put six between the sides after 39 minutes.

They could have added two goals with Daire Gallagher making a great block on Seanan Carr after Four Masters decided to go short with a 20m free and Carr then found Joe Leape free in front of goals but Aaron Cullen made a great block at the expense of a ‘45’.

Conor Meehan added Four Masters first point from a free on 50 minutes to leave it 1-7 to 0-3.

Naomh Conaill U-21s much too slick for hosts MacCumhaills

By the midpoint, and even though they’d held the obvious upper hand, the visitors still only exited 1-6 to 0-7 in front. But Naomh Conaill found their shooting boots following the restart and actually led by 12 approaching the hour mark

Aodh Ruadh did try a few more high balls to no avail while Aaron Cullen denied Conor Reid at point blank range at the other end.

Then a minute into added time Seanan Carr found Kevin Muldoon free in front of goal and he made no mistake to put the game to bed.

Aodh Ruadh scorers: Cian Rooney 1-0; Damian Weber, Jack Gallagher 0-2 each, all frees.

Four Masters scorers: Kevin Muldoon 1-2; Seanan Carr 1-1; Joe Leape, Evan Gallagher, David Monaghan, Conor Meehan (f) 0-1 each.

Four Masters: Ethan McNulty; Terence McGovern, Ross O’Keeney, David Monaghan; Evan Gallagher, Callum McCrea, Caolan Sweeney; Richard O’Rourke, Conor Reid; Ultan O’Grady, Joe Leape, Kevin Muldoon; Conor Meehan, Seanan Carr, Alex McCalmont.

Subs: Leo McGovern for Sweeney (47); Shay Travers for McCalmont (51); Theo Colhoun for E Gallagher (60); Callum Dunnion for C Meehan (60+2)

Aodh Ruadh: Aaron Cullen; Ryan Keenaghan, Kyle Murray, Aidan Sweeny; James Gallagher, Mark McGlynn, Daire Gallagher; Colm McGloin, Matt Gillespie; Eoghan Kelly, Jack Gallagher, Darragh Dolan; Damian Weber, Cian Rooney, Harry Howarth.

Subs: Cian McKenna for Howarth (38).

Referee: Mark Dorrian (St Naul’s)