Tir Conaill Harps came out victorious against city rivals Glasgow Gaels in a game where they knew a win would all but seal their place in the Junior League Final. With this in mind Harps started the game in a determined manner and managed to get off the mark with a fine point from Aaron Taggart in the fourth minute. The boys in green had started the match brightly and had a few good chances in front of the posts but couldn’t convert and Glasgow Gaels took full advantage by kicking a score to level the game in the eighth minute. Less than a minute later however Harps where in front again with a score from youngster Ethan Friel and as it turned out Tir Conaill would never surrender that lead for the remainder of the match.
Half way through the first half Aaron Taggart was in front of the posts again looking to pop the ball over the bar when he was dragged to the ground. Taggart managed to find his feet quickly to convert the score, however the referee had already blown the whistle for the free. Consequently Glasgow Gaels number 7 was black carded for the illegal foul and Harps Paul Molloy dually converted the resulting free edging the team further in front.
On the half hour mark Glasgow Gaels had a free awarded to them allowing them a route back into the game, but the high ball into the square was calmly fisted away by keeper Dara Cahill. On 30 minutes the ball landed into the hands of Kieran Turner who went on a mazy run in from the right had side of the pitch and carried it all the way in front of the goal where he kicked a delightful ball over to add another score to the scoreboard.
As half time was approaching Paul Molly found himself fighting for a high ball in the square, but was unfortunate not to get a connection onto it which would have almost certainly led to a goal. Seconds later though he would covert a free to end the scoring in the first half. Tir Conaill led by a score of 0-7 to 0-01 at half time.
Glasgow Gaels looked to start the second half brightly by finding a way back into the match and that’s just what they did. No more than a minute after the restart Glasgow Gaels found themselves in front of goal, and with the Gaels forward having rounded the keeper only had to slot the ball in to the back of the net, but the Harps defence leapt into action and managed to clear the ball of the line. However less than 3 minutes later a long ball floated in from the Glasgow Gaels player crept over Dara Cahill and found its way into the back of the net.
After a good start from Glasgow Gaels in the second half, Tir Conaill fought their way back into the game and points from Aaron Taggart, Paul Molloy and another excellent point from Kieran Turner all but cemented the points for the Harps. Shaun Callaghan popped up with his first point of the match, and Ethan Friel added to his tally with two late points to add a glossy finish to the scoreline. In the final minute Glasgow Gaels where awarded another free which was converted to give a full time score of Glasgow Gaels 1-03 Tir Conaill Harps 0-13. The man of the match was Rory McIntyre who worked tirelessly in the middle of the field to help setup some beautiful scores. However every single player to a man can be exceptionally proud in what was an excellent team performance.
On another note Tir Conaill Harps would like to send their thanks and best wishes to Eamonn Cookie who will heading home for pastures new. Eamonn has been a vital part of the success for the Harps in the last few years both on the pitch and behind the scenes. From taking charge at training sessions to his calm and confident presence in the green and gold on the pitch, he will be a huge miss to Tir Conaill Harps. Everyone at the club wishes Eamonn every success for the future.
Scorers:
E Friel (0-04), P Molloy (0-03), A Taggert (0-02), K Turner (0-02), S Callaghan (0-01), R Bergin (0-01)