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2021 / 2022 AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Club Final – Kilmeena (Mayo) 0-11 Gneeveguilla (Kerry) 1-6

February 6, 2022 @ 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Kilmeena (Mayo) defeated Gneeveguilla (Kerry) by 0-11 to 1-6 after extra time in the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Club Championship Final on Sunday February 6th at in Croke Park.

Match Highlights

History for Kilmeena who bring All-Ireland title to Mayo as they overcome Gneeveguilla

Report by Therese O’Callaghan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Kilmeena (Mayo) 0-11 Gneeveguilla (Kerry) 1-6 (AET)

A historic day for Kilmeena in Croke Park today as they became the first Mayo team to be crowned All-Ireland junior football champions. They contested the final in 2003 but lost to Nobber.

Inspired by man-of-the-match Jack Carney, and a vital contribution from their bench, they were deserving winners. They were hit with a sucker-punch goal at the death to force extra-time but they weren’t prepared to let this one go.

Kilmeena settled quicker, but their dominance wasn’t transferred to the scoreboard – the swirling wind not helping as they missed a couple of early scoreable frees. They did however, open the scoring when Darragh Keaveney pointed from play in the second minute.

Shane O’Sullivan then registered from a mark for Gneeveguilla to get them up and running but Kilmeena were strong in defence and they had to wait another 10 minutes for their second score through Sean O’Keeffe.

Meanwhile, John McGlynn was at the end of a flowing move started by Sean Ryder and Niall Feehan to leave it 0-2 apiece after quarter of an hour.

Wing-back Pa Warren then drew a foul in the 20th minute, Cornelius Buckley tapping over the free to push the Kerry representatives into the lead for the first time.

Jack Carney made an incisive run down the centre as the Mayo outfit put it up to their counterparts and he was dragged down – Conor Herlihy received a black card for his troubles five minutes from the break.

Darragh Keaveney levelled matters from the resultant placed ball.

Carney, their county senior, was impressing at midfield, and was clean through again but his finish let him down. His effort went straight across the face of the goal and wide.

Two minutes into the four of added time, Pa Warren set up John O’Leary to yield a 0-4 to 0-3 interval advantage for Gneeveguilla.

Gneeveguilla in front by one, but they too rued goal chances – Conor Herlihy after just 17 seconds and Warren was brought down on his route near to goal.

Darragh Keaveny kicked the opening score of the second-half, a free off the ground following a foul on captain Sean Ryder. Ryder nailed their fifth point in the 36th minute.

Kilmeena lost their veteran full-forward Niall Ryan to a leg injury, and at the same time Herlihy resumed his midfield place on the Gneeveguilla team.

The westerners moved seven points to five ahead at the three-quarter mark.

The wind and rain came down in GAA headquarters, but it didn’t knock Kilmeena off their stride.

Goalkeeper Paul Groden repelled a shot from Shane O’Sullivan as Kilmeena sensed victory five minutes from time. A Nealie Duffy point stretched the lead, 0-8 to 0-5.

Groden again, and his staunch defence came to rescue, Gneeveguilla desperately seeking a goal.

The goal, however, did arrive, and in dramatic fashion. Shane O’Sullivan found John O’Leary who parted to Padraig Doyle and he blasted high to the roof of the net in the 62nd minute, 1-5 to 0-8.

Credit too must go to the Gneeveguilla full-back of Eoin Fitzgerald, Padraig O’Connor and Pat Brosnan as extra-time followed.

Deadlock after the first period, 1-6 to 0-9 – Warren and Keaveney swapping points.

Kilmeena came good once more, Joey Smyth and Keaveney supplied the all-important scores in the second period of added time to spark wild Kilmeena celebrations.

Scorers for Kilmeena: D Keaveney (0-6, 0-4 frees), J Smyth (0-2), S Ryder, J McGlynn and N Duffy (0-1 each)

Scorers for Gneeveguilla: P Doyle (1-0), J O’Leary (0-2, 0-1 free), S O’Sullivan (mark), C Buckley (free), S O’Keeffe and P Warren (0-1 each).

KILMEENA: P Groden; C McGlynn, J Keane, J Ryan; N Feehan, S Staunton, R O’Donnell; J Carney, N Duffy; K Joyce, S Ryder (Capt), C Madden; J McGlynn, N Ryan, D Keaveney.
Subs: P Keane for C McGlynn (26), J Smyth for N Ryan (35 inj), K Sheridan for R O’Donnell (53), S Moore for N Duffy (4 ET), C McGlynn for S Staunton (9 ET), T Gill for J Keane (11 ET).

GNEEVEGUILLA: P O’Riordan (Capt); E Fitzgerald, P O’Connor, P Brosnan; M Murphy, D Brosnan, P Warren; P O’Leary, R Collins; P Doyle, C Herlihy, S O’Keeffe; J O’Leary, S O’Sullivan, C Buckley.
Subs: D Cronin for M Murphy (half-time), J Cremin for C Buckley (37), S Crowley for P O’Leary (47), P O’Leary for S O’Keeffe (55), C O’Connor for J O’Leary (55), M Murphy for R Collins (1 ET), S O’Keeffe for M Murphy (11 ET), P O’Leary for P Brosnan (17 ET).

Referee: Séamus Mulhare (Laois).

Match Coverage

Details

Date:
February 6, 2022
Time:
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Venue

Croke Park

GAA Units

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