| Fulham Irish storm to first-ever title
Fulham Irish 0-12
Moindearg 0-4
Intermediate Football Final By Larry Cooney
Fulham Irish are this year’s Intermediate Champions after a
comprehensive eight-point victory over Moindearg at Ruislip on Sunday.
It marks a tremendous debut season in London GAA for Fulham Irish. The
club was only set up at the tail end of last season but their players
showed a rare team spirit and unity of purpose to win the Intermediate
title at the first time of asking.
In a game that fell well short of expectations in terms of
competitiveness and quality London’s newest club turned in a storming
second-half performance and were assured of victory long before the
final whistle.
Moindearg are a far more established club but there are worrying times
ahead for the Reds — they were short of at least half-a-dozen players
necessary to win this title.
The foundation of the London debutants historic victory was a solid
diamond from centre-back and man-of-the match Michael Farry, the
midfield partnership of Mark McElroy and Diarmuid Maher — who controlled
their sector — right through to David Connolly on the 40 who distributed
possession excellently to the men around him.
Well-drilled and hungry for success Fulham Irish started at a brisk pace
winning the majority of breaking ball.
Moindearg never succeeded in counteracting the men in green-and-black in
the midfield battle and were it not for Fulham’s eight first-half wides
the game would have been out of Moindearg’s reach by half-time.
Fulham enjoyed more possession in the opening exchanges of the half and
took a deserved lead through Noel Nicholson after six minutes.
Meanwhile Moindearg’s attacks were far more sporadic as their forwards
battled for scraps of possession while their midfield were outfought and
out-thought by and extremely well-drilled Fulham outfit.
Pat Folan and Diarmuid Maher clipped over fine points to extend Fulham’s
lead further as the game entered the concluding minutes of the
first-half.
It took Moindearg almost half-an-hour to open their account when Eugene
Brady converted a free following a foul on Paul Mannion.
An excellent Pat Quirke pass released corner forward Niall O’Shea who
scored to leave Fulham Irish 0-4 to 0-2 to the good at the break.
Despite being outplayed Moindearg were still very much in the game at
this point and hopes were still alive that they could turn around this
Intermediate final.
However a Tiernach O’Rourke point stretched Fulham’s lead within two
minutes of the re-start.
A ‘45 dropped into the edge of the square was pointed by the excellent
Pat Quirke for Moindearg.
However five Fulham points from Nicholson (0-4) and Barry McElduff in
reply to a lone John Flaherty effort put Fulham into commanding lead.
Further points from Pat Folan and substitute Sean Casey sealed the
championship win and a place in next year’s senior championship for
Fulham Irish.
Now Fulham Irish will progress to the semi-final of the British
Intermediate Championship and manager Liam Barry is confident his side
can go all the way.
He said: “This is a fantastic group of players. Our victory was made all
the sweeter by the fact that we won with many players who had never
played football in London before.
“They were hungry and hungry teams win championships. We believe we can
go all the way and eventually beat an Irish side in the All-Ireland
Intermediate Championship.”
The Fulham Irish squad for next year’s Senior Championship is expected
to be bolstered by the transfer of a number of players from other London
clubs whose plans to move were blocked by the County Board this season. |
