AIB IFC Final: Glory for An Ghaeltacht

​​AIB All-Ireland club IFC final

An Ghaeltacht 0-12 Glenullin 0-6

By Paul Keane at Croke Park

Almost 22 years since coming up short on All-Ireland club final day, An Ghaeltacht have finally made amends.

Some of the current players weren't actually born when An Ghaeltacht lost a senior club final to Galway's Caltra in 2004.

But they were desperate to make amends and duly swept to victory in the intermediate decider, leading from start to finish in front of 6,870.

Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich, brother of Kerry senior star Brian, who lined out in defence, led the scoring with six points to keep alive Kerry's hopes of a clean sweep of club titles.

Ballymacelligott took the junior crown earlier today and Dingle will contest the senior decider next weekend.

This win was all about An Ghaeltacht's patience and ability to keep hold of possession for long spells as Glenullin set up with an emphasis on defending stoutly and punishing their opponents on the break.

Glenullin put five goals on the board in last weekend's semi-final defeat of Strokestown but they sat deep for much of this game, lived off scraps and only scored one point in the first 51 minutes.

Boss Michael O'Kane said they'd planned to hold An Ghaeltacht to less than 15 points, which they managed, but he said it was their attack that malfunctioned and acknowledged they will leave with plenty of regrets.

Glenullin set their defensive shape early on, getting everyone back to protect the scoring zone. They needed to be careful not to give away any sloppy frees but coughed up two that Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich converted.

One of those was a long-range two-point free and O Beaglaoich converted a third score from another free late in the half following Glenullin's failure to keep four defensive players back. O Beaglaoich added two more points from play.

At the other end, Glenullin also needed to be ultra efficient given the limited scoring opportunities that were coming their way.

But veteran Eoin Bradley's early wide was unfortunately a taster of things to come for the Ulster champions.

Glenullin finished the first-half with two wides, two score attempts that dropped short and just one point registered, from Chrissy Dempsey in the eighth minute.

Glenullin's vocal crowd roared them on from the Hogan Stand but it was An Ghaeltacht that largely dictated the terms of a one-sided first-half, taking a 0-9 to 0-1 lead into the interval.

Glenullin needed a powerful second-half, the sort summoned by Ballymacelligott in the junior final.

But neither team scored for almost the first 20 minutes of the second-half - which suited An Ghaeltacht just fine.

Glenullin did get it going in the final quarter hour or so, outscoring their opponents by 0-5 to 0-2 in this period but it wasn't near enough.

And An Ghaeltacht knew they had one hand on the cup when Cathal O Beaglaoich swung over a 56th minute two-pointer to leave nine points between them at that stage.

An Ghaeltacht scorers: Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich 0-6 (1 tpf, 0-2f), Cathal O Beaglaoich 0-2 (tp), Sean O Cuinn 0-1, Conor O Corrduibh 0-1, Eanna O Conchuir 0-1, Sean O Gairbhi 0-1.

Glenullin scorers: Conor Rafferty 0-2, Neil McNicholl 0-2 (0-2f), Chrissy Dempsey 0-1, Fearghal Close 0-1.

An Ghaeltacht: Sean O Luing; Cian O Murchu, Adam MacAmhlaoibh, JJ MacLiam; Padraig O Se, Brian O Beaglaoich, Aodhna O Beaglaoich; Aodan Breathnach, Cathal O Beaglaoich; Sean O Cuinn, Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich, PJ MacLaimh; Conor O Corrduibh, Eanna O Conchuir, Sean O Gairbhi.

Subs: Tomas O Se for O Gairbhi 54, Gavin O Cinneide for O Cuinn 55, Conn O Riagain for O Corrduibh 62.

Glenullin: Niall O'Kane; Eunan Boylan, Daniel O'Kane, Eunan O'Kane; Conor Rafferty, John O'Kane, Diarmuid McNicholl; Traglach Bradley, Neil McNicholl; Cathal Hasson, Chrissy Dempsey, Cillian Bradley; Conrad Mullen, Eoin Bradley, Ryan McNicholl.

Subs: Willie John Bradley for Hasson 41, Fearghal Close for Mullan 44, Cormac Hasson for Diarmuid McNicholl 49, Joe McNicholl for Ryan McNicholl 49, Dermot O'Kane for Dempsey 55.

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).