2009 GAA All Stars take the spoils after penalty shootout

2009 All Stars 10-8
2010 All Stars 9-11

Roscommon’s Cathal Cregg was star of the show as the 2010 All Stars overcame their 2009 opponents at today’s GAA All-Stars sponsored by Vodafone clash in Kuala Lumpur.

The Roscommon 2010 replacement All Star may have ended up on the losing side but he was unanimous choice for man-of-the-match after hitting an impressive 4-2. Cregg was introduced as a first half substitute and all four goals came in the second half of a game that was decided by a penalty shootout after the sides finished deadlocked at full-time following a 19 goal spree.

While Cregg dominated the second half scoring, 2010 Player of the Year Bernard Brogan was the star of the first half and laid down his intent by opening the scoring after four minutes and finished the half with 1-3 from play, the goal coming after a six minutes following a neat fist-pass by Cork’s Donncha O’Connor.

The 2010 All Stars made all the early running and built up a ten point lead, 3-8 to 1-4, after 18 minutes - the goals coming from Brogan and Cork duo Donncha O’Connor and Aidan Walsh, with the 2009 All Stars reply coming from Pearse O’Neill. The 2009 representatives, however, hit back to close the gap to three points by half time, 3-8 to 3-5, thanks to further goals from Daniel Goulding and a cracking Joe Sheridan effort.

The other highlight of the first-half was the point scored by Asian All Star Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, a journalist by trade who only took up Gaelic football three months and plays second division soccer in Vietnam.

The first of the shortened 25 minute halves was brought to a close one minute early due to a looming thunder storm but the 2010 All Stars stretched their lead immediately after the 15 minute break thanks to the first of Cregg’s goals.

The Roscommon forward followed it up with three more in a thirteen goal second-half which also saw Cork defender John Miskella hit two and Brogan raise his personal tally to 2-3.

Asian All Star Quynh continued his dream All Stars debut as he scored one of the 2009 All Stars’ goals in a penalty shoot-out they won 4-1, the other three goals coming from Donie Shine, Donncha O’Connor and Leyton Glynn. Donncha O’Connor was the sole penalty shootout scorer for the 2010 All Stars.

Scorers

2009 All Stars: D Goulding 2-3; J Miskella and J Sheridan 2-0 each; K McKernan, L Glynn, P O’Neill, B Cahill 1-0 each; D Shine 0-3, M McCann and N Quynh 0-1 each.

2010 All Stars: C Cregg 4-2; B Brogan 2-3; A Walsh 1-1; D O’Connor and B Coulter 1-0 each, M Clarke and P Kerrigan 0-2 each; D Kelly 0-1.

2009 All Stars: A Quirke (Cork); K Lacey (Donegal), M Shields (Cork) B Cahill (Dublin); R McMenamin (Tyrone), K McKernan (Down), J Miskella (Cork); N Murphy (Cork), S Scanlon (Kerry); L Glynn (Wicklow), P O’Neill (Cork), J Sheridan (Meath); D Goulding (Cork), D Shine (Roscommon), M McCann (Antrim). Subs: Nguyen Ngoc Quynh (Vietnam Asian All Star)

2010 All Stars: B McVeigh (Down); P McMahon (Dublin), Justin McMahon (Tyrone), C Harrison (Sligo); P Kissane (Cork); A. Moran (Mayo), Joe McMahon (Tyrone); P Keenan (Louth), A Walsh (Cork); D O’Connor (Cork), M Clarke (Down), P Kerrigan (Cork); D Kelly (Sligo), B Brogan (Dublin), B Coulter (Down).

Subs: C Cregg (Roscommon)

Referees: David Coldrick (Meath) and Michael Wadding (Waterford)

Photo Caption:

27 November 2010: The 2009 All-Stars, including Ryan McMenamin, Michael McCann, Karl Lacey, Leighton Glynn, Kevin McKernan and Alan Quirke rush to celebrate with Quynh Nguyen Ngoc, a guest player from Vietnam, after he had kicked the final penalty of the game. GAA Football All-Stars Tour sponsored by Vodafone. 2009 All-Stars (white) v 2010 All-Stars (red), Royal Selangor Club, Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE