Mayo Gaels 1-13 Parke 1-12
Our junior team gained their first win of the season when they had the minimum to spare over Parke in Abbey Park on Friday evening. They will wonder how they only came away with a one point win as they dominated the game and were seven points up with three minutes to go but a resilient Parke side never gave up and nearly caught the home side at the death. The Gaels were first to trouble the score board with a fine point from play by corner forward Damien Quinn after two minutes. Parke took over the middle third for the next five minutes and landed three scores in a row to lead for the only time in the game by 0-1 to 0-3 after nine minutes. A James McGing point from play and the switching of Damien Quinn to centre forward steadied the Gaels. Midfielder John Sloyan then took the game by the scruff of the neck and fired over four points from play in four minutes to leave the Gaels 0-6 to 0-3 ahead. David Wilson continued the good work with a point from play and not to be out done midfielder James McGing got in on the act with two points from play. A long centre was gathered by Eammon Malee who turned and shot but his shot was parried by the Parke keeper. Alan Prendergast was quickest to react and pulled on the ball first time to rattle the back of the net to leave the Gaels 1-9 to 0-3 clear as halftime approached. Parke finally broke the rot with two points from play in injury time to leave the halftime score 1-9 to 0-5.
The second half was a tighter affair with Parke starting brightly with a score from play inside the opening minutes. A foul on David Wilson resulted in a point from a free by Damien Quinn. Wilson then added his second from play to extend the Gaels lead to eight points. The Gaels defence were comfortably dealing with any Parke attack with Aidan Jennings and Keith Walsh dominating in the Gaels full back line. Parke finally got some thing for their efforts with two points from play and a free to leave the score 1-11 to 0-9 with thirteen minutes to go. James McGing kicked his fourth point and a fine team move resulted in a Shane Lyons effort from play to leave the Gaels seven clear. With three minutes on the clock the game seemed done and dusted but Parke had other ideas. Two quick points from play cut the home sides lead to five entering injury time. A long centre resulted in confusion in the Gaels goalmouth and the ball ended in the back of the net to leave the score 1-13 to 1-11. Parke now had their tails up. A crazy short Gaels kick out resulted in possession being turned over. Their midfielder burst through the centre in search of the winning goal but was given a dubious free in from the twenty one yard line. The Gaels lined the goal and the free was blasted over. To the relief of the Gaels the final whistle sounded to give the home side a one point win 1-13 to 1-12. Their next game is on Sunday week April 15th away to The Neale at 12pm.
Mayo Gaels team: Jonathan Morrin, Aidan Jennings, Keith Walsh, Enda Staunton, Allyn Brett, Dermot Browne, Brian Adams, James McGing (0-4), John Sloyan (0-4), Keith Malee, Eammon Malee, David Wilson (0-2), Damien Quinn (0-2, 1f), PJ Larkin, Alan Prendergast (1-0). Subs: Kevin Jordan for Enda Staunton, Jonathan Walsh for Dermot Browne, Shane Lyons (0-1) for Damien Quinn, Liam Duggan for Alan Prendergast, Aaron Connor for Eammon Malee.
