GAA

31st Oct 2017

GAA team of the weekend

A club footballer from Leitrim to Diarmuid Connolly to a 16-year-old Wexford star

Niall McIntyre

You know you’ve made it… when you earn a place on the SportsJOE hybrid team of the week.

From ladies football in Mayo to under-21 club Championship in Leitrim, this is the first week of the SportsJOE team of the week series, and it’s a good one.

Here we go.

1. Goalkeeper – Stephen O’Keefe (Ballygunner, Waterford)

Made two sublime saves from Denis Maher that proved decisive in the tightest game of the weekend between Ballygunner and Thurles Sarsfields.

Thurles Sarsfields were cursing their luck to come up against a goalkeeper in such form, but that’s the consistency that Ballygunner, and Waterford are now accustomed to.

Has a Munster semi-final to look forward to as a result.

2. Right corner back – Mary Buckley (Iniscarra, Cork)

Captained the Inniscarra camógs to county glory on Saturday. The very next day, she lead her team into battle in the Munster semi-final, a bridge that proved too far as they were beaten by Clare champions Inagh-Kilnamona.

That was Buckley and her team’s 4th game in just 8 days, and every one of them deserve a place on this team for their spirit and attitude, given that the club didn’t use this obvious hindrance as an excuse on their social media channels.

Leading by example in woeful conditions.

It's no wonder they lost the Munster semi-final today https://t.co/grA8rWkc4J

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 29, 2017

3. Full back – Frank Flanagan – (Portlaoise, Laois)

He may be only 20 years of age, but the youngster, along with the rest of the Portlaoise full back line, kept the Rhode inside forwards as quite as mice. He didn’t give Paraic Sullivan a sniff of it.

4. Left corner back – Sean Moran (Cuala)

A rock at the heart of the Cuala defence all day in their clash with Kilmacud Crokes. Dominant in the air, relentless on the ground. Key to everything they do.

5. Right half back – Ryan McHugh (Kilcar, Donegal)

It’s a forward’s worst nightmare when their marker goes down the field and scores a point. Ryan McHugh did that on five separate occasions in Clones at the weekend, giving an exhibition of running from deep from his wing back position.

An absolute weapon going forward.

6. Centre back Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro, Kilkenny)

Lead by example in his club’s first county final triumph since 1993. A physical specimen at centre back, with the wrists and skill to back it up.

Kept James Stephens at bay, when many around him began to struggle.

7. Left half back Ryan Mulligan (Derrygonnelly Harps)

The half back lead his team to their first ever win in Ulster, at the sixth time of asking. Kept Armagh Harps at bay when they began to threaten down the home straight.

8. Midfield – Donie Breathnach (An Rinn, Waterford)

Fourteen points from midfield in a county final.

His teammate Fearghal Curran explains his magic better than we possibly could.

“Donie Breathnach was unbelievable. He scored straight away seconds after the throw in,” said An Rinn corner forward, Curran.

Class stuff in Waterford https://t.co/J1nMXPXG3L

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 29, 2017

“After he knocked over a few more points, Clonea realised they had to do something to try to manage him, and they moved Willie Hahessey, a former minor and under-21 All-Ireland medalist with Waterford, on to man mark him, but it made no difference at all.

“He was just superb on frees, and no one could catch him running with the ball. Literally Donie I’d say he only had one wide and he was popping them over from midfield. He finished strong too with the last point of the game,” added Curran.

9. Midfield – John Heslin (St Loman’s, Westmeath) –

Heslin may not have played the whole game in midfield, but he did do this from the throw-in at the beginning of the first-half, so that will do us.

"He is a class act." https://t.co/roVnOLQ6A5

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 31, 2017

10. Right half forward – Oisin Gough (Dicksboro, Kilkenny) –

You won’t see two goals finished better than Oisin Gough’s brace in the first half in the Kilkenny senior county final against James Stephens.

Wrists, composure, bottle, decisiveness, power, bang.

Brian Cody will be taking notice.

What a half, what a game https://t.co/Vs0c6tUD3U

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 30, 2017

11. Centre forward Conor Dolan (Glencar Manorhamilton, Leitrim)

Recently drafted into the Leitrim senior panel, the 21-year-old showed exactly why Brendan Guckian came calling when he went to town on the Dromahair defence in a group game of the Leitrim under-21 Championship on Sunday, finishing his afternoon with a colossal 19 points to his name.

Yes, you read that correctly. No, you’re not having hallucinations.

To make it even better, 15 of this total came from open play, in what was a truly devastating display from the lively attacker.

Indeed, the man who spent the summer sunning himself in America was central to everything the Manor boys did, as his genius almost single-handedly carried them to a semi-final spot of the competition.

“He was shooting from all angles and couldn’t miss if he tried,” said teammate Luke Sheridan.

“The standard wasn’t great,” said spectator Kevin Rooney, “but the man they call Fran would have given even the tightest man-marker in the game the run around,” he added.

Serious, serious stuff in Leitrim.

Their semi-final opponents will surely run the rule over a double, or even triple man-marking tactic.

12. Left half forward – Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner, Waterford)

One of the sharpest shooters in hurling was in typically accurate form in Walsh Park on Sunday. Give him a chance, and it invariably ends up over the bar, and Thurles gave him too many of those, as he eventually finished his day with 1-11, with 0-6 from open play, as he helped Ballygunner to a Munster semi-final place.

13. Right corner forward – Patrick McBrearty (Kilcar, Donegal)

How could a man who received a standing ovation upon his substitution from an Ulster quarter-final be omitted from this?

The 24-year-old terrorised the Scotstown defence throughout, raising 8 white flags during his hour on the field, with every second one coming from play.

14. Full forward – Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent’s, Dublin) –

Connolly’s 1-1, along with his healthy contribution to general play was the difference between St Vincent’s and Ballymun Kickhams in the Dublin senior football final in Parnell Park on Monday night.

The mercurial forward gave Philly McMahon a torrid time throughout, as he collected his fifth Dublin senior medal.

13: GOAL!
Ballymun 0-01 | 1-01 Vincent's. Diarmuid Connolly with the opening goal of the night for @StVincentsGAA1. #DSFC2017 pic.twitter.com/E7Otn9ji7B

— eir Sport (@eirSport) October 30, 2017

15. Left corner forward – Ciara O’Connor (St Martin’s, Wexford) –

She may be only 16 years of age, but what Ciara O’Connor doesn’t have in experience she more than compensates for with heart, skill and determination.

The live-wire forward was central to all that was good about St Martin’s in their 1-11 to 0-5 victory over St Vincent’s in the Leinster senior camogie Championship semi-final.

The younger sister of All-Star nominee, Sarah, she finished her day with two points, and plenty of admirers.