Oola and Galtee Gaels share the spoils in tight Limerick SFC clash
Both sides remain without a victory after two rounds of the Limerick SFC
OOLA and Galtee Gaels played out an entertaining 2-11 to 2-11 draw in the last game of Round 2 of the Irish Wire Products Limerick Senior Football Championship in Knocklong this Saturday evening.
It took a Seán Casey point, with the very last act to rescue a draw for Galtee Gaels, as 0-3 in stoppage time halted Oola’s charge towards a first win of the campaign.
The result keeps both sides in the mix for knockout football, with three rounds to come, however Oola will be wondering how they only have a brace of draws, having also shipped the final score when drawing with St Kieran’s seven days earlier.
In a game that slowly reached the boil, the sides traded four second half goals, of which two were penalties, before Oola wasted two great openings late on to tack on a vital insurance point.
It never came, and top scorer Bob Childs split the posts for two, before Casey added to a stunning goal, to tie the contest.
Galtee Gaels lost out to Monaleen last time out and some of the same failings were prevalent here – however, vitally, they never allowed the easterners pull into the distance and were rewarded for their efforts.
Conor Ryan’s Oola led 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time with points from Paddy Ryan, who was in-form from placed balls key, but so too the opening two pointer, from Raymond Ryan after just four minutes.
Vitally for Galtee Gaels, who were ponderous in attack, Bob Childs kicked five opening half points, while Jack Ryan accounted for the other.
Childs’ late brace of white flags changed the mood with the gap back to just one. Thomas Noonan’s Gaels led for just the second time when Seán Casey raced onto a Eoghan McNamara pass and picked out the top corner in stunning fashion.
While that was of top class, the next score, an Oola goal, had some level of fortune. Mikey O’Brien’s shot, from distance, appeared to be going for a point, but dropped onto the post, rebounded off the keeper and scrambled over the line.
Paddy Ryan’s two point free, before an excellent Dylan McGrath outside-of-the-boot effort, put Oola in control. Four up thanks to Raymond Ryan’s point, they were pegged back.
Bob Childs won a penalty, when he was foot blocked, and dispatched to the net. Eoghan McNamara, moved into attack, levelled on the next play.
The drama concluded late on, as McGrath buried a penalty, only to be denied by the quality from Bob Childs and Seán Casey.
Galtee Gaels dominated the skies at times, while Oola transitioned stronger in attack, but eventually, the game finished all square.
Scorers - Galtee Gaels: Bob Childs 1-7 (1-0 pen; 2f, 1tpf), Seán Casey 1-1, Jack Ryan, Conor McGrath, Eoghan McNamara 0-1 each; Oola: Paddy Ryan 0-6 (3f, 1ptf), Dylan McGrath 1-1 (1-0 pen), Mikey O’Brien 1-0, Raymond Ryan 0-3, Tom Ryan 0-1.
Galtee Gaels: Danny McGrath; Edward Quinn, Declan Moriarty, Eoin Gallahue; Jack Ryan, Maurice O’Sullivan, Eoghan McNamara; Tommie Childs, Conor McGrath; Seán Clancy, Alan Condon, Bob Childs; Cian Ryan, Zach McCarthy, Seán Casey; Subs: Sean O’Donnell for O’Sullivan (44 mins), Kealan Hogan for Moriarty (50 mins, inj).
Oola: Cian McGrath, Fiachra O’Grady, Niall McCormack, Paddy Downey; Colin O’Grady, Eoin Fitzgerald, Padraig Crowe; John O’Callaghan, Tom Ryan; Dylan McGrath, Shane O’Grady, Raymond Ryan; Paddy Ryan, Mikey O’Brien, Eamon Landers; Subs: Seán Ryan for Raymond Ryan (57 mins, inj), Liam Cummins for F O’Grady (60 mins, inj).
Referee: John O’Halloran (Bruree).