Parke KC Connacht Junior Club Champions

[From the Bunker]

From the Mayo News


Parke plough into final

Semi-final

Parke 2-11
Ballinasloe 2-7

Edwin McGreal
Ballinasloe

BACK in 1998, when Parke won the county Junior title, they went on to add the Connacht Junior championship the following spring. Now, they're sixty minutes away from another provincial crown.
Difficult though they might have made it for themselves at times, Parke were fully deserving winners in Duggan Park on Sunday. They did enough to keep the hosts at arm's length at the end, despite the Galway side having visions of a late comeback.
The end result was a four point victory and passage to next Sunday's Connacht final against Eslin of Leitrim in McHale Park (Parke won the toss for that game shortly after Sunday's final whistle).
They started in Ballinasloe as they meant to go on. From the throw-in Declan Neary palmed the ball down for Simon Cloherty, and he fed Niall Dunne who kicked over before the ten second mark.
Ballinasloe (whose litany of players not playing to their numbers could earn the club a fine)soon countered with a free from Paul Whelehan but Cloherty responded instantly with a point from play and Parke had their first goal after seven minutes.
Tom Walsh started the move before Niall Dunne fended off plenty of physical challenges, fed Chris Kerins, who popped a quick hand pass to Darren Durkan. The Mayo minor had an unimpeded run to goal and he slotted to the net.
Liam Lynch, who was a real threat with his storming runs from midfield, kicked points either side of a Cloherty free before two Dwayne Flynn frees, both from Chris Kerins' assists, had the visitors five to the good on 25 minutes.
Points from Darragh McCormack and Paul Whelehan had it back to three and, in between, Ballinasloe were denied a magical goal. Another mazy run by Lynch saw him slalom through the defence with some wonderful dummies before crashing a shot from 25 yards that had goal written all over it. Parke 'keeper Brendan Coyle had other ideas though and got a finger to it to tip the ball onto the bar.
Full-back John Cloherty then sallied forward to kick a point in injury-time and Parke led 1-6 to 0-5 at the break.
But, as if worried about Lynch, Parke pulled it back a notch in the second half as Richie O'Boyle came on, nominally at corner-forward, before sweeping back in defence.
His cousin Seanie McHale did push Parke five clear with a great point but then a score from Whelehan and a goal from substitute Mark Duffy — despite a half-block by Derek Hopkins — had Ballinasloe within one point.
It was time for Parke to show what they were made of. The next attack saw McHale fouled and Cloherty was calmness personified with the conversion from the left wing.
He followed that up with a fine point from play and Parke looked home and hosed with nine minutes to go when they got their second goal; Darren Durkan getting on the end of a smart move involving Hopkins, Flynn and McHale.
But Ballinasloe didn't fade away. Paul Whelehan pointed before Parke were punished for not clearing their lines; Mark Duffy poked the ball goalwards and Denis Glynn made sure from a matter of inches. There were two points in it, and it would be another eight minutes, including injury time, before the final whistle sounded.
To their credit, Parke once again showed their obduracy. Tom Walsh continued his faultless performance at centre-half back with a few key interceptions and he started the move which ended with Simon Cloherty somehow manufacturing space in a crowded zone to slot over. The insurance score came in the 62nd minute courtesy of the hardworking Chris Kerins and while midfielder Declan Neary received his second yellow seconds later, Parke had done enough.

Parke
B Coyle; P Moran, J Cloherty (0-1), S Duffy; P Dunne, T Walsh, D Hopkins; S Cloherty (0-5, 2fs), D Neary; D Durkan (2-0), N Dunne (0-1), P Lynch; D Flynn (0-2, 1f), S McHale (0-1), C Kerins (0-1).
Subs used: R O'Boyle for Lynch; J McHale for Duffy; F McHale for N Dunne.

Ballinasloe
N King Javaid; S Kelly, D Nevin, R Kelly; S Kelly, N Hynes, D Hayes; J Gallagher, L Lynch (0-2); D Hynes, J Twohig, P Whelehan (0-4, 3fs); D McCormack (0-1), M Colohan, D Gavin. Subs used: M Duffy (1-0), D Hope, D Glynn (1-0), B Cleary.

Referee: O Kelly (Roscommon)

[muppet]

Congrats to Parke, the new Connacht Junior Champions!

[From the Bunker]

Yeah, bit of an anti-climax of a game Eslin were out the door after 15 minutes of the game. Parke KC looked just to good and were (Really) scoring at ease. The Wind had a big bearing and if Eslin had it in the first half instead of Parke, the game would have been closer. Credit to the Leitrim side who never threw in the towel when all was going against them and to their superb support. Man of the Match went to Neary at Midfield, really hard to pick, as there were alot of stand out players for the Mayo Champions. For me Seanie McHale was Magic today. So now a bonus bonding away quarter final to the British Champions.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Congrats to the Parke biys. They were something else in that first half. They do have some set of forwards when they get going. Seanie McHale was on another level yesterday though. I hope they go all the way now.

[westmayo]

Great performance by Parke especially in the first half when their forwards ripped into Eslin. Two very well worked and taken goals, Seanie McHale was outstanding in the game as was Neary who bossed the midfield. They could go one step further than Kilitmagh last year.

[inisceithleann]

Parke now play St. Peter's Manchester in the All-Ireland Quarter Final. The game will be played the weekend of the 27/28th November in Manchester.

[Peter Solan the Great]

Great performance by Parke especially in the first half when their forwards ripped into Eslin. Two very well worked and taken goals, Seanie McHale was outstanding in the game as was Neary who bossed the midfield. They could go one step further than Kilitmagh last year.

Isnt Sean McHale a Castlebar man?

[From the Bunker]

Great performance by Parke especially in the first half when their forwards ripped into Eslin. Two very well worked and taken goals, Seanie McHale was outstanding in the game as was Neary who bossed the midfield. They could go one step further than Kilitmagh last year.

Isnt Sean McHale a Castlebar man?

Yep, Sean McHale is from Castlebar. Better known for his soccer exploits for Castlebar Celtic. His father Frank McHale(Present Manager) is from Parke. Sean played underage for Parke, so there is no real question of his loyalties.

As to going one step further than Kiltimagh, there is more than likely a provincial winner of Senior quality hiding in the long grass.

[From the Bunker]

A few Mayo Lads on the St. Peters squad. Ronan Gallagher (Achill), Joe Corcoran (Castlebar Mitchels), Eoghan Vahey (Ballintubber), Shane Gallagher (Achill). Also they wear Black and Amber so there may be a collision of colours.

[ludermor]

where will this match be played? the 2 gallagher lads are first cousins from achill , big loss to  the club. Heard there was 2 other achill lads involved as well?

[From the Bunker]

where will this match be played? the 2 gallagher lads are first cousins from achill , big loss to  the club. Heard there was 2 other achill lads involved as well?

Game is in Manchester on the 5th of Deecmber. Has been put back a week due to Parke holding their 40th Celebrations on the weekending 27/28 November.

[From the Bunker]

Meaney & Gallagher lead Saints to British Glory
Irish Post, 12 November 2010 08:31


All-Britain Championship Final

ST. PETERS (Lancashire) 3-12 SEAN McDERMOTTS (Warwickshire) 2-04

AS DAYLIGHT faded in Manchester on Sunday, St. Peters rounded off a formidable performance to collect their first All-Britain title since 2004.

By the time Anthony McLoughlin blew for full-time, the Lancashire aristocrats were coasting with an 11-point advantage, but only minutes earlier they were made sweat for the coveted title.

With eight minutes left on the clock, McDermott's Eamon Hanlon finished to the Peters' net to narrow the gap to just three points. Despite being outplayed for almost the entire second half, the Birmingham side had given themselves a lifeline. But with forwards of the quality of Eoin Meaney and Donal Gallagher, the men in black and amber rolled up their sleeves to close out this all-action final.

At times, on Sunday, it seemed as though this decider would spill over, two players received red cards, one from each side, and there were a number of unsightly incidents, especially in the second half.

The only way to win finals they say is to let your football do the talking and thanks to the accurate free-taking of Meaney, the invention of Donal Gallagher and the colossal contributions of Joe Corcoran and Ronan Gallagher in midfield, the Manchester side held out.

In a cagey opening quarter, both sets of players appeared nervous. With so much at stake passes went astray, challenges were poorly timed and, from a Sean McDermotts point of view, chances went a begging.

Nigel O'Connor opened the scoring for McDermotts with hardly a minute elapsed but two minutes later a Sean McGeehan shot was tipped over the bar by David Tierney to level matters.

After John O'Neill was fouled Meaney converted his first score of the day for St. Peters in the 15th minute but at the other end the Midlanders were wasting valuable scoring opportunities.

Hanlon missed a brace of chances from frees, while John Dowling should have goaled instead of dropping the ball into the hands of a grateful Peter's net minder.

With just a point separating the sides, a goal now would open clear daylight and Donal Gallagher supplied it for the Lancashire men. A quick free was played to the full-forward, he looked up and lobbed the onrushing McDermotts goalkeeper.

St. Peters were now in their groove for the first time in this clash and two points in two minutes, firstly from the splendid Donal Gallagher, and then the tricky John O'Neill saw them race into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead by the 23rd minute.

A shell-shocked McDermotts side needed something to settle its nerves, and finally Shane Mulligan split the posts from a free on the half-hour mark.

As they huddled at the interval Sean McDermotts players and management must have been asking themselves how, after winning so many frees in front of the St. Peters posts, their grand total of scores from the opening half was a mere two points.

Within two minutes of the restart Clare native Meaney had knocked over two more frees to extend St. Peter's lead to seven, 1-6 to 0-2.

Winning everything around the middle of the park, Corcoran in particular was inspiring for St. Peters. There was now one-way traffic towards David Tierney's goalmouth and Donal Gallagher punched two points in the 36th and 38th minutes.

There was dismay a minute later when Sean McDermott's centre-forward Donald Dwyer caught St. Peter's Paddy O'Brien in the face with his studs after both tumbled over the sideline in pursuit of a ball. The referee Anthony McLoughlin did book Dwyer though those on the St. Peters' sideline expected the player to be given his marching orders.

Ironically, it was St. Peters who were reduced to 14 men in the 40th minute when corner-back Emmett McEvoy was shown a straight red for striking out against a McDermotts' player.

The game was now slipping away from the Warwickshire champions, but a converted free from O'Conor in the 44th minute gave their backs some respite.

Chris Hayden was red-carded in the 46th minute for kicking across the legs of a St. Peters defender erasing McDermotts numerical advantage.

Four minutes later, a ball in by Michael Hayden found Joseph Dowling in space and he punched to the St. Peters' net.

The green flag was raised again soon after when a free in by Mulligan was punched onto the bar by O'Connor. The ball rebounded to Hanlon who made no mistake from close range narrowing the gap to three, 1-9 to 2-3.

Despite playing second fiddle for so much of the final, McDermotts now had Peters on the ropes. The supporters clad in green and white raised the volume and you got the feeling that perhaps the Birmingham club's 35-year wait for this cup could be over.

But cool heads prevailed at the other end, Donal Gallagher fisting over another point with four minutes left on the clock. And the destination of this year's title was put beyond any doubt when Meaney bagged 2-1 in the dying minutes. Donal Gallagher fed the game's top scorer for his first in the 58th minute and two minutes into injurytime he finished into the top corner.

Sandwiched between those two three-pointers were points for St. Peters' Eoghan Vahey and Sean McDermotts' Anthony Moriarty.

The final whistle sparked joyous celebrations for the St. Peters club. This was a final hard won and they now go on to represent Britain in the All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship.

For McDermotts the long wait for national glory continues for 12 more months at least.

St. Peters: J. Sheehan, S. Kincaid, E. Hansberry, E. McEvoy, K. Toohey, S. Gallagher, E. Vahey 0-1, J. Corcoran, R. Gallagher, P. O'Brien, E. Meaney 2-5 (0-3 f), M. McKenna, S. McGeehan 0-1, D. Gallagher 1-4, J. O'Neill 0-1. Subs: P. McMahon for K. Toohey, R. Hannah for P. O'Brien, F. Toohey for P. McMahon, S. Cheery for J. O'Neill.

Sean McDermotts: D. Tierney, T. Neville, J. Smith, L. Gilbride, I. Dooley, C. O'Riordan, M. Hayden, S. Mulligan 0-1 (1f), N. O'Connor 0-2 (2 f), E. Hanlon 1-0, D. Dwyer, John Dowling, C. Hayden, Joseph Dowling 1-0, A. Bennett. Subs: L. Donnelly for D. Dwyer, S. Moriarty for L. Gilbride, A. Moriarty (0-1) for T. Neville

Referee: Anthony McLoughlin. (Yorkshire)

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Anyone know where the ground is in Manchester?

[inisceithleann]

Anyone know where the ground is in Manchester?

The game is being played at Old Bedians which is in East Didsbury, south Manchester. The post code is M20 5QT.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Game off due to weather I hear