2024 GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Championship Semi-Final – London 1-8 US GAA 0-10

London defeated US GAA by 1-8 to 0-10 in the GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Championship Semi-Final on Friday July 12th at Abbottstown – GAA Centre Of Excellence.

London edge out USGAA in All-Ireland JFC semi-final

LONDON 1-8 USGAA 0-10

By Paul Keane at the GAA National Games Development Centre

Matthew Joyce struck a terrific stoppage time winning point as London showed true grit to advance to the All-Ireland junior football final.

Leading by 1-3 to 0-1 with half-time approaching, it looked like a win for the All-Britain champions was as good as a done deal.

But a brilliant second-half performance from a USGAA side playing in the competition for the first time more than justified their inclusion and made for an exciting finale.

Drawing on players from San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit, USGAA dug deep to level the game in the 39th minute.

They were tied three more times and it looked as if extra-time might even be required to decide who advanced to Sunday’s Croke Park final against New York.

USGAA had their chances to win it but wasted a couple of decent opportunities, to the agony of their fans who chanted U-S-A, and London took full advantage.

A sweeping move up the left of the field ended with wing-forward Joyce taking up a great position and clipping over the winning score in the 62nd minute.

As impressive as the score was, it wasn’t the best of the game. Darragh Griffin took care of that one with a memorable 24th minute goal for London.

Soloing and slaloming, he managed to cut through the centre of the USGAA defence and with referee Niall Quinn sensibly playing an advantage following an earlier foul, Griffin eventually slotted the ball to the net.

That score helped London to lead by 1-3 to 0-2 at half-time with USGAA’s solitary score from play coming from Declan Kelly.

London’s preparations included five games in the All-Britain Championship, including a 2-10 to 0-10 final defeat of Warwickshire last month.

They were without Josh Obahor, Tighe Barry and Shay Rafter, all junior players in recent seasons who were upgraded to the senior panel, but still looked a slick and cohesive unit again in Abbottstown.

That was until the third quarter when USGAA came roaring into the game, reeling off four points in just nine minutes to suddenly tie things up at 1-3 to 0-6.

The introduction of Eoin Gormley, from the Aidan McAnespies club in Boston, late in the first-half was significant for USGAA.

He struck three second-half points, won two frees that Shane Bradley converted and won another free late on that should have been capitalised on.

But just as a famous win loomed and USGAA supporters began to think about an all-American All-Ireland final at Croke Park on Sunday (1.30pm), Joyce and London broke their hearts.

The All-Ireland junior championship was reconstituted in 2022 to cater for overseas teams, as well as Kilkenny, and London were desperate to avoid a third straight semi-final loss.

London scorers: Darragh Griffin 1-1, Noel Maher 0-2 (0-2f), Sean Hickey 0-2, Rhys Lennon 0-1, Ryan Forde 0-1, Matthew Joyce 0-1.

USGAA scorers: Shane Bradley 0-3 (0-2f), Eoin Gormley 0-3, Aaron Corr 0-2 (0-1f), Declan Kelly 0-2.

LONDON: Gavin McEvoy; Eoghan Reilly, Patrick O’Connor, Matthew Tierney; Donncha Byrne, Ryan McCready, Darragh Griffin; Noel Maher, Ryan Forde; Matthew Joyce, Ryan O’Connell, Rhys Lennon; Aidan McGarvey, Sean Hickey, Alfie McNulty.
Subs: Brendan Rice for Reilly 38, Connor Spinks for Griffin 41, Thomas Waters for Spins 45, Ciaran Houlihan for O’Connor 52, Darren Lynch for McNulty 55.

USGAA: Shane McCarthy; Sean Gavin, Owen Sheehan, Ronan Orford; Shane Bradley, John Lynch, Jude Morgan; Eoin Morrissey, Charlie Sheehan; Brian McDaid, Mark Dunphy, Conor Bradley; Declan Kelly, Aaron Corr, Michael Kerr.
Subs: Eoin Gormley for Dunphy 26, Jake Rispin for Kerr 35, Michael Moylan for Corr 41, Owen Ward for Orford 45, Dylan Murtagh for Lynch 51.

Referee: Niall Quinn (Clare).

Fixture Details

Friday 12 July 2024 at 7pm
GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Championship Semi-Final
Abbottstown – GAA Centre of Excellence
US GAA v London
Referee: Niall Quinn, An Clár
(E.T. & Winner on the Day)

Note – the winners will play New York or Warwickshire in the Final on Sunday July 14th at 1:30pm in Croke Park as the curtain-raiser to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final between Donegal and Galway.

Live Streaming Details

The game will be streamed live on Sport TG4.

US GAA Panel

Eoin Gormley (Aidan McAnespies Boston)
Owen Ward (Aidan McAnespies Boston)
Michael Kerr (Connemara Gaels Boston)
John (Jack) Lynch (Cork Boston)
Aaron Corr (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Brian McDaid (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Charlie Sheehan (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Conor Bradley (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Jude Morgan (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Kevin Hegarty (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Michael Hegarty (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Owen Sheehan (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Ronan Higgins (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Sean O’Connell (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Shane Bradley (Delco Gaels Philadelphia)
Mark Dunphy (Eire Óg San Francisco)
Oisin Fagan (Eire Óg San Francisco)
Eoin Morrissey (Galway Boston)
Michael Moylan (Galway Boston)
CJ McNally (Kevin Barrys Philadelphia)
Tristan Kelley (Patriots Chicago)
Shane McCarthy (Sean Treacys San Francisco)
Dylan Murtagh (Wolfe Tones Boston)
Declan Kelly (Wolfe Tones Chicago)
Jake Rispin (Wolfe Tones Chicago)
Ronan Orford (Wolfe Tones Chicago)
Sean Gavin (Wolfe Tones Chicago)
Patrick Newell (Wolfe Tones Detroit)

Team Management / Support Team

Aidan Corr (Manager)
James Staunton (Selector)
Martin Kerr (Selector)
Ollie McIlhone (Selector)
Louie Bradley (Trainer)

Eamonn Kelly (Steering Committee)
John Bridges (Steering Committee)
John Young (Steering Committee)
Pat Uniacke (Steering Committee)
Rob Tierney (Administrator)
Paul Keane (Chairperson)
Liam Moloney (Secretary)
Peter Murray (Vice-Chairperson)
Mary Redmond (PRO)
Tom Walsh (Treasurer)

Best Wishes

Munster GAA are proud to be twinned with USGAA for the last number of years to help them promote and grow Gaelic Games in North America. We wish them every success this weekend as they take part in the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship for the first time.

Welcome to the US GAA panel who arrived in Ireland yesterday and had a useful warm-up this evening against Monaleen.

The US team will play London in the All-Ireland Junior Football Semi-Final on Friday evening at 7pm in Abbottstown. pic.twitter.com/iRlDv9lSiP

— Munster GAA / Comhairle na Mumhan (@MunsterGAA) July 9, 2024