Connacht U-12 Cup Semi-final
Strand Celtic(Sligo) 3-2 Killoe Celtic(Longford)
Having given themselves a mountain to climb when conceding two first-half goals in last Saturday's Connacht U-12 Cup semi-final, Strand Celtic U-12s countered with three goals of their own to register a famous victory.
Longford club Killoe Celtic, the visitors to Strand Celtic's windswept facilities in scenic Strandhill, with the imposing Knocknarea as a backdrop, would have justifiably thought that a two-goals advantage would have wilted most opponents.
But this is a decent Strand Celtic side, whose resilience and cohesive play always had a creative outlet in skilful strikers Cormac Doherty and Adam Hynes.
This attacking duo supplied all three goals; Hynes' cool 12th minute strike revived the home side, Doherty's early second-half finish levelled matters and Hynes' second, a sublime shot, gave Strand, who go through to next weekend's provincial final in Castlebar's Milebush Park, a deserved win.
Killoe were frustrated in their efforts to equalise, while the winners could have extended their lead with further chances falling to the goalscorers and midfield playmaker Barry O'Mahony, back in the side after an enforced absence through injury.
Team manager John Barry (the team's other mentor, Mickey Cox, is presently on vacation in America) will be rightly chuffed with the contribution of his redoubtable strikeforce, but defender Graham Kelly also stood out, winger Niall Murphy was busy and O'Mahony, although rusty, showed glimpses of his obvious prowess.
But Strand's entire starting 11 played a part, and they had to, as Killoe took a firm advantage during a breeze-assisted first period. This half (each period was of 30-minutes duration) was also beset by hail showers.
Adam Hynes had already warned the Killoe defence with a run and shot before the visitors went 1-0 up. David Lennon's eighth minute cross from the left wasn't dealt with at all by Strand's defenders and the ball squirmed past a bemused Errol Flanagan, the Strand Celtic goalkeeper.
Within two minutes Flanagan was beaten again, this time in a more conventional manner, when Killoe centre-back Aidan Ward rammed a 30-yards free-kick straight into the top corner.
Trailing 2-0, and playing into a stiff breeze, Strand halved the deficit almost immediately. Adam Hynes raced onto Cathal Burke's pass on the right side of the area and, after twisting inside the challenge of Ward, the No. 10 slid the ball precisely past Paddy Thompson.
It stayed 2-1 for the remainder of the first period but Strand did everything possible to score a second. Niall Murphy and Cormac Doherty each had shots blocked and when Doherty's pass released Hynes, for what seemed a second goal, Ward made a telling tackle.
A third Killoe goal would have severely dented Strand's comeback and this almost transpired, but Dara Bennett headed over from Padraig McCormack's fine cross.
It took Strand just five minutes of the second-half to find a deserved equaliser. Hynes crossed from the left and Doherty flicked home from close-range.
Five minutes later they went ahead. Hynes' nifty footwork afforded him room to turn inside the area and he unleashed a rocket, right-footed, into the Killoe net.
Boosted by this splendid goal, Strand attacked incessantly until the finish.
O'Mahony shot narrowly wide and saw a header cleared off the line, Murphy landed a firm effort straight at Thompson and Hynes, with what was the game's last opportunity, swivelled neatly but drove a volley into the side-netting.
Had Killoe converted their best chance of the second-half, Strand would have required a fourth goal, but David Lennon, Killoe's first-half goalscorer, headed wide only minutes after Hynes had put the home side in front.
Player of the Match: Adam Hynes
Strand Celtic: Errol Flanagan, Cathal O'Hara, Eoin Comerford, Conor McDonagh, Graham Kelly, Anthony Kelly, Niall Murphy, Barry O'Mahony, Cormac Doherty, Adam Hynes, Cathal Burke
Subs not used: Pat Gillen, Gary Cadden, Shane Grey, James Fallon.
Killoe Celtic (Longford): Paddy Thompson, Michael Brady, Fiona Fox, Padraig McCormack, Ryan Murray, Aidan Ward, David Lennon, Dara Bennett, Mark Hughes, David Mimnagh, Ronan Keogh.
Referee: Paul Deering (Sligo)
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