All-Ireland JFC semi-final: USGAA advance after extra time

​All-Ireland junior football championship semi-final

USGAA 2-13 Warwickshire 1-11

After extra time

By Paul Keane at GAA National Games Development Centre, Abbotstown

Eoin Gormley provided the inspiration in Abbotstown as USGAA secured their first ever All-Ireland JFC final place.

Introduced to the competition two years ago, the combination outfit came good at the end of a punishing extra time affair played in sweltering heat.

Picking from a range of clubs across Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston, Brian Kennedy's side dug deep to firstly secure extra time and then edge the extra 20 minutes.

And Aidan McAnespie's clubman Gormley represented the sharpened point of USGAA's attack, nailing 1-5 which included a two-pointer with only seconds remaining of normal time to force extra time.

He built on that terrific score with another 1-3, punishing a jaded Warwickshire and helping USGAA to reel off an unanswered 1-3 in the second half of extra time.

It's the end of the line for Warwickshire who'd bounced back from their All-Britain final loss to London with an impressive five-point defeat of Kilkenny at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.

But USGAA may feel they're just getting going and have booked a glamour pass to Croke Park for Sunday's landmark final against New York or London, a game that will be played ahead of the sellout Dublin v Kerry All-Ireland SFC semi-final encounter.

USGAA will probably kick themselves for not getting it done in normal time here because they led for the majority of the hour.

The sides were level three times in the opening half up to 0-4 apiece but Warwickshire never actually got in front and USGAA were good value for their 0-6 to 0-4 half-time lead.

Eoin Morrissey scored USGAA's first three points and took his tally to 0-5 with a terrific two-pointer just before the interval.

USGAA got the margin out to five points at one stage early in the second half when they enjoyed a double scores 1-7 to 0-5 lead.

Michael Kerr's 36th minute goal put them into that commanding position and was a terrific score which looked at that stage like it might settle the contest.

Morrissey was a central figure again, collecting a kick-out from his own goalkeeper before feeding substitute Kerr who raced clear and slid the ball to the Warwickshire net.

Warwickshire appeared to be in real trouble but extricated themselves impressively from the sticky situation, reeling off 1-4 without response.

Substitute Eamonn Brannigan, McGettrick, Paddy Heffernan and McGettrick again all sniped single points before McGettrick pounced for a 58th minute goal that left them sitting pretty, 1-9 to 1-7 ahead.

Aidan Mee did the spadework for the Warwickshire goal, evading defender Ronan Orford down the right and playing the ball across that McGettrick pulled on first time.

McGettrick was glad to see that one go in because he had a 54th minute penalty saved by Brian Bowler, following a foul on the lively Jack Keogh.

Now it was time for USGAA to chase the game but when Morrissey knocked a two-point attempt wide, time was running out.

With just 10 seconds left on the clock, Gormley seized possession just outside the arc and swung his boot at it, splitting the posts for an orange flag score and a 1-9 to 1-9 stalemate that necessitated extra time.

Two Keogh points left Warwickshire a point to the good at the interval of extra time, 1-11 to 1-10.

But they didn't score again as USGAA took over completely, capitalising on a series of turnovers with a number of breakaway scores in the second half of extra time.

Gormley's goal, in the 79th minute, sealed the win for USGAA as he blasted home from close range after being fed by Richard Lenke.

USGAA scorers: Eoin Gormley 1-5 (1 tp), Eoin Morrissey 0-5 (1 tp), Michael Kerr 1-0, Declan Kelly 0-2 (0-1f), Dylan Murtagh 0-1 (0-1f).

Warwickshire scorers: Michael McGettrick 1-3, Niall Gilbride 0-2, Jack Keogh 0-2 (0-1f), Alfie Harrigan 0-1 (1f), Aidan Mee 0-1, Eamonn Brannigan 0-1, Paddy Heffernan 0-1.

USGAA: Brian Bowler; Seán Gavin, Owen Sheehan, Conor Coyle; Owen Ward, Jack Lynch, Ronan Orford; Eoin Morrissey, Mark Dunphy; Charlie Sheehan, Brian McDaid, Dylan Murtagh; Declan Kelly, Eoin Gormley, Michael Moylan.

Subs: Michael Kerr for McDaid h/t, Tristan Kelly for Declan Kelly 37, Martin Murphy for Murtagh 41, Ryan O'Donnell for Sheehan 50, Richard Lenke for Coyle 60. McDaid for Moylan e/t, Barra Ryan for Dunphy h/t e/t, Moylan for Ward 76.

Warwickshire: Dan Rushe; Callum Maguire, Seán Connolly, Aiden Sweeney; Jason McCallion, Michael Mannion, Neil Kelly; Jack Chapman, Niall Gilbride; Michael McGettrick, Mikey McAleer, James Gallagher; Alfie Harrigan, Louis Monaghan, Aidan Mee.

Subs: Jack Keogh for Kelly 27, Darragh McGuinness for Harrigan h/t, Eamonn Brannigan for Monaghan 37, Paddy Heffernan for McCallion 47, Freddie Langdell for Gallagher 58. Odhran McOscar for McGuinness 68, Monaghan for McGettrick 68, Rossa O'Donovan for Gilbride 76.

Referee: Ian Monaghan (Roscommon).