Cappagh-Rathkeale impress to win Limerick U20 A football championship final

CAPPAGH-RATHKEALE were crowned Limerick U20 A football champions this Saturday.

They were 3-7 to 0-2 winners over Shannon Gaels-Athea in Askeaton.

Running up a deficit of five points after just seven minutes robbed the Estuary combination of any chance of imposing themselves on the game and shattered the composure of their kickout where the combined attentions of Ryan Stapleton and Cian Costelloe not only neutralised their go-to man Evan Curry but also broke up ball for the scavengers in the Deelsiders' wing-backs and wing-forwards to clean up.

Right on cue, the rain started to pour down just as Liam O'Sullivan threw in the ball and, despite playing into the squally diagonal gale, Cappagh-Rathkeale were first to grab possession and, after David Clancy on a run up from deep gave them the lead, they stamped an early impression when Fintan McNamara collected out in the right corner, suckered his way past three challenges and slotted his daisy-cutter just inside the far post for a four point advantage in as many minutes. Rocked back on their heels, the Gaels struggled to find the target with the kickout and, as the Deelsiders swarmed around any of them finding themselves on the ball, forced the turnovers for Scott Murphy to add to their lead before they then settled for stretching their possession into minutes to run down the clock.

When the Estuary side finally won some decent possession, they moved forward in numbers but composure was deserting them as they conceded the turnover through hasty passes and saw their scoring chances disappear into wides or shots dropping into the opposing full-back line. Going into the run-up to the break, the Deelsiders stepped on the gas again as controlled passing movements stretched the defence and allowed John Fitzgerald, Costelloe and Murphy;s '45' to send them into the warmth of the dressing-room with a lead of 1-5 to 0-0.

Having the wind behind them proved to be no great advantage to the Deelsiders as their first four efforts on the restart either broke down or missed the target before the Estuary combination's first foray into the opposing half ended with Curry come out for the delivery and getting his side finally off the mark after 36 minutes. Unfortunately, whatever relief that brought was immediately swallowed up as McNamara was fed from the kickout break and danced his way past the challenges to finish a spectacular goal.

When Cian O'Carroll followed up with a point, the game ended as a contest as Cappagh-Rathkeale soaked up ten continuous minutes of disjointed attacks before O'Carroll tacked on another point off a quick free. With both sides giving their entire benches a run by agreement, Curry doubled his and his side's tally off a free but the Deelsiders insisted on getting the last word in as Tim Molyneaux collected the long delivery in the left corner and jinked past the challenge before handpassing across the square for fellow-sub Aidan O'Shea to whack firmly into the net.

SCORERS: CAPPAGH-RATHKEALE: Fintan McNamara 2-0, Aidan O'Shea 1-0, Scott Murphy (1 '45'), Cian O'Carroll 0-2 each, David Clancy, John Fitzgerald, Cian Costelloe 0-1 each. SHANNON GAELS-ATHEA: Evan Curry 0-2 (1 free).

CAPPAGH-RATHKEALE: Craig MacInnes (Cappagh); Maurice Lenihan (Cappagh), Owen Dee (Cappagh), Gearóid Lowry (Cappagh); Jack Geoghegan (Rathkeale), Niall Sheehan (Rathkeale), David Clancy (Rathkeale); Ryan Stapleton (Rathkeale), Cian Costelloe (Cappagh); Fintan McNamara (Rathkeale), Cian O'Carroll (Cappagh), Jack Keogh (Rathkeale); Darragh O'Carroll (Cappagh), John Fitzgerald (Cappagh), Scott Murphy (Rathkeale). SUBS: Declan Walsh for Darragh O'Carroll (36 minutes), Patrick Lenihan (Cappagh) for Gearóid Lowry (43 minutes), Tim Molyneaux (Cappagh) for John Fitzgerald (50 minutes), Conor McAuliffe (Cappagh) for Scott Murphy (52 minutes), Jamie Young (Cappagh) for Cian Costelloe (53 minutes), Aidan O'Shea (Cappagh) for Jack Geoghegan (54 minutes), Scott Stapleton (Rathkeale) for Maurice Lenihan (54 minutes), Jack Giltenane (Rathkeale) for Cian O'Carroll (57 minutes), Patrick Hartigan (Cappagh) for Ryan Stapleton (58 minutes).

SHANNON GAELS-ATHEA: Tomás Ahern (Athea); James Hunt (Athea), Callum Buckley (Athea), Maurice Fitzgerald (Glin); Aidan Healy ((Athea)), Cormac Thompson (Gerald Griffins), Jamie Collins (Athea); Tadhg Ahern (Athea), Evan Curry (Athea); James Broderick (Athea), Seán McEnery (Gerald Griffins), Billy Hogan (Glin); Daire O'Shea (Athea), Donnacha Daly (Glin), Rory Cleary (Athea). SUBS: Ajay Behan (Gerald Griffins) for Billy Hogan (22 minutes), Charlie McDonagh (Glin) for Jamie Broderick (25 minutes), Conor Fitzgerald (Glin) for Cormac Thompson (45 minutes), Michael Walsh (Athea) for Donnacha Daly (49 minutes), Breen Cunningham (Glin) for Jamie Collins (49 minutes), Donnacha Barrett (Athea) for Rory Cleary (53 minutes), Fergal Leahy (Glin) for Tadhg Ahern (56 minutes).

REFEREE: Liam O'Sullivan (Claughaun).