Barrow Gaels Grind Out Win in U14 Final

Post date: Jun 28, 2014 5:26:06 PM

Well done to Barrow Gaels on a fantastic U14 Final victory against Raheens this Morning. The final score of 3:06 to 1:10 tells only a small part of the story. Barrow Gaels only lead in the dying minutes, thanks to a Josh Burns goal, however they were never more than a point or two behind a far more physical Raheens side.

Match Report by Declan McGrath;

Four points down with three minutes to go and we won by two. I could end the match report there and you would have a pretty good picture of how this game panned out but that wouldn’t be doing it justice.

Barrow Gaels turned up to play this game having lost just once in the League and that was to the same opposition. Raheens had been unbeaten all year and for a large part of today’s game it looked like that would not change. They opened well and went three points to one ahead before Barrow Gaels managed to equalise mid way through the half. Raheens, who were playing a very physical game, then had a player black carded and at least one more could have followed as the Gaels players took some serious punishment.

The Raheens attack was causing all sorts of problems for the Gaels defence and they could have been further ahead but for some resolute defending by Eoin O’Fearghail, Oisin Boylan and Oran Phelan. Indeed Barrow Gaels were lucky to trail by just six points to four at the break although there was very little between the sides.

The men from Caragh had the better of the remainder of the first half and outscored the Gaels by three points to one to establish a lead that they were to hold until the 58th minute.

Raheens started well again on the re-start and went four ahead before a Killian Roycroft goal brought the Gaels to within a point once more. As both sides traded points, Raheens maintained their slender lead but they were dealt a blow when they had a player sent off on a second yellow card. This player was followed by another team mate on a black card as their over physical approach started to cost them dearly.

However a quick Raheens break up the field ended with a well taken goal to leave it 1.10 to 1.06 as we entered the final minutes.

Good interplay between Robert McGrath and Joe Brennan ended with Eddie Roycroft scoring a goal for the Gaels to leave just a point between the sides as the clock showed just two minutes to play.

And then came the goal that won it. Josh Burns, who had just replaced Daniel Gilbert in the Gaels attack, collected a pass on the edge of the square and finished into the bottom corner to put his team ahead for the first time in the game. Raheens gave one last throw of the dice and had a goal-bound shot come back off the post before a free out was awarded. The final whistle then sounded with the score board showing a 3.6 to 1.10 victory for Barrow Gaels.

Joint captains, Robert McGrath and Dylan Roycroft climbed the steps and collected the cup to the delight of all involved. The team showed great character and spirit in this League and on a few occasions they dug deep to win games that were slipping away. They deserve great credit for this victory and it’s just reward for them.