| Title crosses Severn Bridge
as St. Colmcille's
win
St. Colmcilles 3-8 St. Nicholas 1-5
Gloucestershire SFC Final
 By Peter Foley The balance of power in
Gloucestershire has switched west across the Severn Bridge after St.
Colmcilles claimed their sixth senior football title with a nine-point
winning margin over St. Nicholas at Canford Park on Sunday.
But this encounter could have easily gone the other way if the Bristol
men had not squandered a host of excellent chances and imposed their
authority in the first-half — their 14 wides to four recorded by the
opposition aptly told the story.
St. Nicholas had an early slice of luck — Cian Crosbie’s fourth minute
tap into the net was disallowed — but they had earned their good fortune
with a determined performance particularly from Ollie Flaherty and Paddy
Miskella in midfield.
Dave Donovan clipped over the first score for the Welsh side when
Flaherty bisected the posts from the sideline to level the game.
Ronan Gregory landed St. Colmcilles second point from play before a goal
mouth scramble resulted in Gareth Morgan rifling the net to put St.
Nicholas two points ahead on 17 minutes.
Cian Keogh then made a telling excursion from centre field to blast the
ball passed Ken Cogley under the bar and Gregory added his second score
— after being denied by two point blank saves — to give the Cardiff men
a two point cushion at the break.
A solo run from Morgan and Flaherty’s inch-perfect free from almost 60
yards brought St. Nicholas level, but they then paid the penalty for not
converting their opportunities.
Donovan clipped over a 30 yard free and Gregory claimed his third point
after a telling solo run.
Then two goals from Donovan in the space of six minutes eroded the
gallant St. Nicholas resistance.
The Corkman added another score from play to bring his tally to 2-2. Two
further points from man-of-the-match Cian Crosbie put the gloss on the
win.
The final had been preceded by two minutes silence in memory of the late
Jim Graven the former Gloucestershire chairman and Southern Gaels
co-founder, who was buried in his native Mayo a few days before. |
