Aughavas path to the Junior Final 1984
Round 1: Aughavas 07: Bornacoola 0-5
Round 2: Aughavas 0-10: Drumkeerin 0-8
Semi Final: Aughavas 0-10: Glenfarne 0-4
County Final Report Leitrim Observer 01-09-1984 --------County Final played on Sunday August 26th 1984
Aughavas Fight Back Into Senior Ranks
Aughavas ........................ 1-10. Eslin ........................... 1-3
— BY DONAL FOX
Aughavas are back in Senior Football! Playing a brand of fluid, skilful football, they booked their place in Senior grade next year, when they beat a very disappointing Eslin side in the Junior Championship Final played at Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday.
The result of this match was never in doubt, from the time Aughavas took the lead in the ninth minute with a Joe Casey point, it was clear to the good-sized crowd that it was going to be Aughavas day. They played fast flowing football and had a degree of combination that was sadly lacking in their opponents.
From the beginning, Aughavas took control of the midfield exchanges. Sean Nicholl and Gerry Keaney proved themselves too good for Gerry Butler and Joe Reynolds. Eslin were 'heavily dependant on the guile and skill of Joe Reynolds all through the campaign, but on Sunday Joe had one of his quieter games and the Eslin performance suffered accordingly.
With their dominance in the middle of the field. The fast and very fit Aughavas forwards were able to pick off scores almost at will. In the semi-final against Glenfarne, Gerry Keegan was the dominant force in the Aughavas side, notching up a total of six points, but on Sunday the other Aughavas forwards came into their own. Joe Casey, in particular was a constant treat to the Eslin defence.
The Strong running of Anthony Curran and the skill of Sean Mc Kiernan and Colm Moran were all too much for a stretched Eslin defence.
In defence, Aughavas had it all their own way with Adrian Nicholl, Pat McCabe, Michael Fitzpatrick, Paud Nicholl and Gerry Gallogly, snuffing out the thread of the Eslin danger men. Aughavas were in control of every area of the field and they coped with the best a very disappointed Eslin had to offer. Eslin had been unbeaten in competitive football this year and were the favourites to capture their fifth junior title, but they were never allowed to get any sort of rhythm going! Their forwards were harried by the Aughavas backs and were forced into giving poor passes or quick, inaccurate shooting.
As often as not the Aughavas backs not only harassed the Eslin forwards, they also got to the ball first and gave good long passes to forwards who were willing to work. The fitness of the Aughavas team was the winning of the game for them. Their forwards were always willing to get into advantageous positions, even if the ball did not come their way.
Together with the fitness and willingness to work for each other, the Aughavas team showed a level of skill that they had not shown in the 'semi-final. They were a far more complete side on Sunday that they were at any time throughout the year.
Eslin were expected to emerge as winners in this clash, but they were never in with a chance at any stage, their big men who were expected to take control of this game were never able to exert the expected influence. Their backs could not cope with the speed any penetration of the Aughavas attack. Gerry Butler and Joe Reynolds did not gain sufficient possession at midfield to give the forwards enough of the ball and the forwards were cloned down as soon as they gained possession.
It was a fine rounded performance from Aughavas who on this display need have no fears of holding their own in Division II next season, as for Eslin, they are still very much in contention for league honours, they can have no complaints about their defeat on Sunday.
The first
ten minutes of the game were very tense and failed to produce any good football.
Both-teams ware sounding each other put and looking for openings. It was
Aughavas who opened the scoring with a very good point in the 9th minute when
Joe Casey sent over a good point after a movement involving Gerry Keaney and
Colm
Moran. Aughavas then took complete control scoring three points in
five minutes, Anthony Curran, Gerry Keegan from a free, and
Joe Casey from a very difficult angle being the scorers. At
this stage Eslin were completely up against it and were finding it very
hard to cope with the free flowing Aughavas forwards. It took them until
the 17th minute to register their first score, when Joe Reynolds pointed a 40
yards free after he himself had been fouled. This proved to be their final score
of the half.
But Aughavas did not allow that Reynolds point to, upset their rhythm and they hit back with three points of their own through Gerry Keegan from a free, Sean McKjernan and a good long range effort on the stroke of half time from Gerry. Keaney. The half-time score therefore was 0-7 to 0-1 for Aughavas.
On the resumption, Eslin had brought in Paul Wynne to replace Michael Reynolds. The Eslin mentors must have hoped that Wynne would be able to curb the free scoring Joe Casey but it did not prove to be so. But Eslin did put up a much better fight of it at the beginning of the second half. After six minutes John Beirne should have had a goal but sent the ball just wide and two minute’s later Gerry Butler scored a very good point.
In case there was any threat to their superiority, Aughavas hit back with a Gerry Keegan point after a good movement in the 10th minute. A minute later Aughavas’s man of the match, Joe Casey beat Leo Bohan in the Eslin goal to score a very good goal. Gerry Keegan pointed a free.
Eslin had one last spell of dominance. They were awarded an innocuous looking side-line ball on the left wing about 14 yards from goal. Tommy McLoughlin floated the ball into the square and Aughavas goalkeeper Declan Dolan failed to hold onto it and it went into the net. This unexpected windfall seemed give the flagging Eslin team a new heart and the pushed on to score one final point from veteran Joe Higgins in the 19th minute.
But again Aughavas took over to score the final point of the match through Sean McKiernan.
Scorers— Aughavas: J.Casey (1-2), G Keegan (0-4), S McKiernan (0-2), Gerry Keaney and A Curran (0-1 each). Eslin; T, McLoughlin (1-0), G. Butler; Joe Reynolds, W. J. Higgins (0-1 each)
Aughavas: D Dolan, A Reynolds, A Nicholl, P McCabe, M Fitzpatrick, P Nicholl, G Gallogly, S Nicholl, G Keaney, C Moran, G Keegan, S McKiernan, A Curran, J Casey and B McKiernan. Subs – F McIntyre for Keaney, T Galligan for Curran.
Eslin: L Bohan, B Wynne, F Bohan, M Reynolds, S McLoughlin, T Beirne, J G McLoughlin, B Butler, J Reynolds, J Beirne, J McWeeney, T Bohan, T McLoughlin, E Stenson and W J Higgins. Subs: P Wynne for M Reynolds.
Referee: Aidan Crossan (Aughnasheelin)
AGM Report as per Leitrim Observer Saturday 21st January 1984
Sunday last a very successful. A.G.M. was held in the Clubrooms where 38 members attended and helped make it an interesting and successful meeting. The happenings within the club were looked back upon with pride by every one present. The outgoing Chairman Terry Shortt' presided. In his address to' the meeting, Mr Shortt thanked the officers of the club, the players and the officers of the Juvenile Board and everyone else who made the year such a success. On the football front the Chairman said it was one of the most successful years for quite a While. We had a great run in the league reaching the final and it was also the best year ever at under-age "level, winning two under-age titles.
After the Secretary and Treasurer submitted detailed reports, the following officers were elected for 1984:
President, Charlie Lee
Life Presidents, Terry Blessing, Charlie McLoughlin, Eugene Mitchell, Bernard McGarahan;
Chairman, Terry Shortt
Vice Chairman, Mick McCabe
Secretary, Colm Moran;
Asst. Secretary,; Páidh Nichol
Treasurer; Gerry Gallogly
Asst. treasurer, Anthony Curran
Team Trainer, Sean McLoughlin
Selectors, Terry Shortt, .Sean McLoughlin, Mick McCabe, Patsy Maguire.
Team Captain John Joe Williams
Vice-Captain Gerry Gallogly
Ciste Gael Co-Ordinator Sean McLoughlin
Collectors Páidh Nicholl, Martin Tiernan, Peter Faughnan