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Clean sweep for Gaels TIR Chonaill Gaels completed
the clean sweep of London senior football titles with this convincing
defeat of St. Brendan’s at Greenford on Saturday.
St. Brendan’s haven’t played a competitive match since they
exited the Championship at the end of September, but they showed no sign
of rustiness as their best player on the day, Simon Cullen goaled after
seven minutes for the game’s first score.
Tir Chonaill Gaels were missing a host of players for various reasons
and so joint-managers Paul Coggins and Maurice Carr, whose combined age
is closer to 90 than they would care to admit, lined out for the county
champions.
As the first-half wore on TCG grew stronger. Points from David O’Brien
and Jamesie O’Connor soon restored them to parity and when Fergal
McMahon pointed just before the interval it was enough to see the Gaels
into a 0-6 to 1-2 lead.
Brendans had enjoyed a reasonable amount of possession in this period
but failed to convert many of the simple chances which came their way.
The lack of match practice was starting to tell on the Brendans’
lads in the second half.
The Gaels were far stronger, and were it not for the reliable free-taking
of club stalwart Aidan Freeman the Brendans might have been routed in
this period.
Whatever hopes the 2006 County champions had of claiming a victory over
the 2007 winners were eliminated on 48 minutes when the veteran Gaels’
forward Niall Quinn fired to the net.
This victory saw TCG claim their third consecutive Tipperary Cup, to go
with their three straight league titles, three reserve titles, and 10
out of the last 15 County Championships.
St. Brendans have traditionally drawn most of their players from the Strawberry
Hill teacher training college but with a lack of fresh talent emerging
from there in recent times the club has started to struggle. They remain
one of London’s premier clubs but seem destined to live in the shadow
of the Gaels for some years to come. |
