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2021 / 2022 AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Semi-Final – Steelstown Brian Óg’s (Derry) 2-6 Na Gaeil (Kerry) 0-7

January 29, 2022 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Steelstown Brian Óg’s (Derry) defeated Na Gaeil (Kerry) by 2-6 to 0-7 in the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Semi-Final on Saturday January 29th at Connacht CoE, Bekan.

Stefan Okunbor suffers nasty injury as Na Gaeil beaten in intermediate semi

Report by Murt Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Na Gaeil (Kerry) 0-7 Steelstown Brian Ógs (Derry) 2-6

Ulster champions Steelstown Brian Ógs caused a mild surprise by beating a very wasteful Na Gaeil with a first-half goal scored Ben McCarron being the decisive score.

These two relatively young clubs faced off in this All-Ireland intermediate club semi-final at the Connacht Centre of Excellence at Bekan and as expected it turned out to be a tough low-scoring affair.

But not only did the Kerry champions lose out on a chance of making Croke Park again but they lost Stefan Okunbor in the third minute of added time when Na Gaeil were caught short at the back as they pressed forward looking for a goal that would have snatched the game out of the fire.

But instead they turned the ball over and in a rapid counter attack and as Cahir McMonagle broke through and as Okunbor tried to get across to tackle him, keeper Devon Burns advanced and tripped McMonagle, conceding a penalty. Okunbor then fell over his keeper on the deck and lay on the deck and required a 20-minute delay before being stretched off the pitch into a waiting ambulance with a suspected serious shoulder injury.

But while Steelstown were full value for their win, Na Gaeil were guilty of some bad shooting throughout the hour missing five first half frees and turning over the ball with alarming regularity.

The Kerry side opened the scoring from the throw-in, caught by Diarmuid O’Connor and Andrew Barry playing at wing forward, fired over the bar. But Steelstown responded with a pointed free from Ben McCarron after Mark Foley was fouled.

While Na Gaeil continued to miss the target, Steelstown were trouble the Kerry sides’ defence with pacey runs and good support play and McCarron gave them an eighth-minute lead, they would never lose as he added a quick point, as Steelstown Brian Óg’s led 0-3 to 0-1 mid-way through the first half.

Diarmuid O’Connor and Jack Barry were trying to rally their side and the two combined to close the gap in the 16th minute when he floated a sideline ball across to Jack Barry who fired over.

But the crucial score came in the 20th minute when Na Gaeil were turned over coming out of defence and Cahir McMonagle fed Ben McCarron and he gave Devon Burns no chance as he blasted the ball to the net. Na Gaeil just could not get their radar working and continued to miss scoreable frees though Carmody eventually found the target as Steelstown led 1-3 to 0-3 at half-time.

Na Gaeil again scored straight away from the throw-in when O’Connor powered through and that was quickly followed by a Jack Barry point and suddenly it was a one-point game. But misses by from frees proved costly as the Kerry side’s wide count reached 13 midway through the second half.

In the 39th minute, Diarmuid Baker received a second yellow but even with 14 men, the Derry champions assumed control and added two points from Morgan Murphy to move to five points in front. Na Gaeil responded with a punched effort from O’Connor and Jason Bourke closed the gap to the minimum.

But Brian Óg’s were playing like men inspired with Kevin Lindsay Donnacha Gilmore, Jason McAleer and McMonagle immense and Na Gaeil could not find the scores to force extra time.

Then in that final breakaway when McMonagle was tripped for the penalty, he eventually got to take it and have substitute keeper Shawn Duggan (on when Burns was black carded) and Steelstown Brian Ógs celebrated a famous win.

Scorers for Steelstown Brian Ógs: B McCarron (1-4, 3f); C McMonagle (1-1, 1-0 pen); M Murray (0-1).

Scorers for Na Gaeil: J Barry, D O’Connor (0-2 each), D Carmody (1f), J Bourke, A Barry (0-1 each).

STEELSTOWN BRIAN ÓGS: E Heraghty; O Fox, K Lindsay, D Baker; D Gilmore, J McAleer, E Concannon; O McMenamin, R Devine; S O’Connor, N Forester, B McCarron; M Foley, C McMonagle, E Bradley.
Subs: M Murray for M Foley (40); G Logue for O McMenamin (43); E Deane for E Bradley (55); O McMenamin for S O’Connor (57).

NA GAEIL: D Burns; E O’Connor, N O’Mahony, D Bourke; F Barry, E Doody, A Barry; J Barry, S Okunbor; J O’Connor, D Goggin, J Sheehan; D Carmody, Diarmuid O’Connor, Eoin O’Neill.
Subs: J Bourke for E O’Neill (26); T Ó hAiniféin for D Goggin (40); K O’Donovan for A Barry (47); D Reen for J O’Connor (51); S Duggan for S Okunbor (63 inj).

Referee: J Gilmartin (Sligo).

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Details

Date:
January 29, 2022
Time:
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Venue

Connacht GAA Centre Ballyhaunis

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA