St Pauls Ulster Club Minor Championship Quarter Final
Enniskillen Gaels (Fermanagh) 2-12 v Crosserlough (Cavan) 0-11
Two goals from substitute Gavin Greene (pictured) in the 49th and 59th minutes was enough to send Enniskillen Gaels into the Ulster Club Minor Semi Final stage for a second consecutive season.
The Gaels team who had cantered to the Fermanagh Minor Championship with relative ease were up against it and at half time it was the Cavan champions who led, 0-6 to 0-5.
The dismissal of Crosserlough captain and midfielder James Smith early in the second half was a critical blow to the Cavan side and it was Enniskillen who pushed on and actually won the second half 2-7 to 0-5.
Patrick Lynch and Conall Quinn exchanged early points in the opening few minutes before Crosserlough pushed on with scores from Patrick Lynch (2), Eoin Smyth and Brogan Koetze before Ronan Quinn and Conall Quinn responded for Enniskillen.
By the 24th minute Crosserlough led 0-6 to 0-3 thanks to a fine score from Patrick Lynch but it was Enniskillen who finished the stronger of the two teams in the opening half with Conall Quinn pointing from play and from a free to leave it 0-6 to 0-5 at the interval.
The second half opened up with the sending off of James Smith and from that Enniskillen equalised through a Conall Quinn point.
Patrick Lynch regained the Cavan champions lead with a score in the 41st minute but Enniskillen then hit points from Callum Jones and Ronan Quinn to move into a 0-8 to 0-7 lead.
The introduction of Gavin Greene in the 44th minute was to be a crucial move and the Enniskillen scoring spree continued with a point from midfielder Eoin Beacom in the 45th minute.
Gavin Greene then accounted for the first of his two goals in the 49th minute with a fine strike after good work by Conall Quinn and just moments later Enniskillen goalkeeper Cian Newman had to pull off a tremendous save to deny Crosserloughs Patrick Lynch.
Gavin Brady, Stephen Smyth and Patrick Lynch all pointed for Crosserlough which left it 1-9 to 0-10 in an exciting game and when Stephen Smith pointed to leave just one between them it looked like the game would go down right to the wire.
Eoin Beacom pointed in the 58th minute for Enniskillen and then Callum Jones played an inch perfect pass into the on-running Gavin Greene and the substitute showed a great awareness to calmly pass the ball to the net and put Enniskillen 2-10 to 0-11 ahead as the game entered injury time.
Enniskillen would finish the game off in style with late scores coming from Gavin Greene and John Rehill as they now enter the Semi Final stage and a clash with either Burren or Dunloy on Sunday December 18th.
Enniskillen – Cian Newman, Ethan Butler, Aaron Nolan, Patrick Cassidy, Nathan Tierney, Jonathan Cassidy, Brandon Horan, Eoin Beacom (0-02), Darragh Keaney, John Rehill (0-01), Conall Quinn (0-05), Ethan Beresford, Ronan Beattie, Ronan Quinn (0-02), Callum Jones (0-01).
Subs: G Greene (2-1) for Beresford (44), O Corrigan for Keaney (55).
Crosserlough – Anthony Smith, Edward Devereux Gilsenan, Gavin Brady (0-1), John Cooke, Eoin Smyth (0-1), Conor Rehill, Conor Lee, James Smith, Patrick O’Reilly, Brogan Koetze (0-1), Patrick Lynch (0-6), Sean Briody, Peter Smith, Thomas Keaney, Caolan Galligan.
Subs: Stephen Smith (0-2) for Briody (HT), Darren Galligan for Peter Smith (45), Brandon Boylan for Caolan Galligan (45), Emmett Boylan for Koetze (56).
