Report from Feile Shield semi final

S.W. Feile Shield Semi-Final

St.Joseph’s 3.05 v 3.07 Casements

The game was played at Chapel Hill on a cold blustery afternoon with a couple of wintery showers thrown in as well. Both teams deserve great credit for the football they served up for a very passionate support.

Finn Shannon had the first score with an excellent point for the home side. Ciaran McAleese pointed a beauty from an acute angle to level the scores. We then had a bazaar situation with the visitors awarded a 20 meter free straight in front of the goals. The free was sent in low with the defence clearing their lines. The referee had the free retaken but this time on the 13 meter line and this time before the defence could get back Ciaran McAleese took the free quickly and scored the first of his goals Casement’s were putting on the pressure and indeed would have had another two goals only for the brilliant stops from the home keeper Matthew Nelson. Ciaran McAleese added a point from a free.

Back came the orange men with two excellent points from a very talented Finn Shannon. Darragh McAlister finished a move from defence and stroked home the hill side’s first goal to put his side one up. The lads from the Bann soon showed they didn’t travel just to see the excellent views over Lough Neagh from the hill. First Conor McCann fired over the bar which was quickly followed by a Jason Kelly goal which put them three in front.

Then we had an exchange of goals, first Eoin Phillips brought the sides level with an opportunist goal quickly followed by a Ciaran McAleese goal. Darragh brown closed the gap when he split the posts. Ruairi Hamill put his side in front with a raspier to the net to leave the score 3.04 to 3.03 with time almost up. That lad McAleese brought the sides level with an excellent point from play. We then had Finn Shannon showing all his guile when he strode through for a point. With the home support reminding the referee time was up but there was one more play from the in saffron and they gained a free on the twenty meter line with the ever reliable Ciaran McAleese stoking over the equalising point.

Anyone would have been very hard hearted if they didn’t feel sorry for both sides having to play extra time in the wintry shower pouring down on them. Extra time was a bit of an anti climax with the visitors getting the only two scores from Ryan McKeever and Connor McCann. Casement’s now march onto the final and let’s hope the weather is more kind to them.

St.Joseph’s: Matthew Nelson; Cormac Donnelly; Ethan Hotchkiss; Eugene Mulholland; Oisin McArdle; Niall Burke; Peter Mulholland; Darragh McAlister; Odhran Arthurs; James Monaghan; Finn Shannon; Eoin Phillips; Padraic McKevitt; Sean O’Hare.

Casement’s: John McAtamney; ;Oisin Kelly; James McAleese; Ruairi McGarry; Oran Doherty; Fiontáin O’Connell; Conal McAtamney; Oliver Keenan; Ryan McAlister; Ryan McKeever; Jason Kelly; Conor McCann; Pádraig Murray; Ciaran McAleese; Eoin Carey