CityJet London Senior Football Championship Semi-final
CityJet London Senior Football Championship Semi-final
October 09, 2017
CityJet London Senior Football Championship Semi-final
Tir Chonaill Gaels: 2:09
St. Kiernans: 1:10
McGovern Park hosted a double header of two Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals being played. First to be decided was beaten finalists of last year, Tir Chonaill Gaels against the team that inflicted that defeat on them, St. Kiernans. Conditions were great on a dry day as Tir Chonaill looked for revenge.
St. Kiernans began brightly with the first three scores of the game, with the forward line causing untold problems for the Tir Chonaill Gaels defence. Tir Chonaill Gaels replied swiftly with scores from Killian Butler and Ryan Elliot that kept pace with the St. Kiernans team. Goal chances then came for St. Kiernan’s with Gaels keeper Gavin McEvoy making a couple of fantastic saves but he was finally beaten mid-way through the half. A Kiernan’s free kick attempt that rebounded off the post fell kindly to the Kiernans forward who obliged by punching the ball into the net. Again, Gaels replied brilliantly with a few points to keep up with Kiernans and a well worked Gaels goal was finished off by in form Killian Butler just on the stroke of half time, with the score at 1:05 to 1:06 in favour of St. Kiernans going into the break.
The second half resumed with both teams keeping pace together in a tightly contested second half. Kiernans began to find spaces up front again pulling out to a 3-point lead mid-way in the second half, 1:09 to 1:06. Gaels responded like they did throughout the game with a couple of points themselves. The Gaels were then brought down to 14 men when Gary McGee was shown a second yellow card for verbals towards the referee who didn’t take too kindly to it. The Gaels were left with an uphill task for the rest of the game. Both teams were exchanging points until up stepped Killian Butler of Tir Chonaill Gaels again. Young Butler plucked a high ball from the air to turn and drive the ball low into the corner for his second of the game, to take a 1 point lead going into the last 5 minutes of the match. St. Kiernans found it difficult to respond and a gritty defensive performance saw Tir Chonaill Gaels hold on and get another point to finish the game and get revenge on their rivals. Final score of 2:09 to 1:10.
Tir Chonaill Gaels will go on to play Fulham Irish in the CityJet London Senior Football Championship Final on Sunday October 22nd at McGovern Park. Throw in scheduled for 2.30pm.