Clifden 3-13
Oughterard 0-8

Darragh McDonagh
at Pearse Stadium

CLIFDEN claimed the West Board Minor ‘B’ Football Championship with an emphatic win over rivals Oughterard thanks to a superb hat-trick by full forward Gerard Gibbons at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.
The disparate scoreline discredits the spirited performance of Oughterard, however, who succeeded in narrowing the deficit to just two points before their hopes were comprehensively dashed by a devastating scoring blitz in the final 12 minutes of the encounter.

Oughterard were slower to settle into the match than their west Connemara opponents, who were propelled into an early lead by three scores from Conal Joyce and Chris Holmes inside the opening five minutes.

As the game progressed it became apparent that Clifden were not going to have it all their own way, and Paddy Walsh tested goalkeeper Niall Staunton with a creditable goal effort after 14 minutes after evading the attention of centre half back John Mannion.

Oughterard pulled back two points through lively corner forward Niall Lee but, after 15 minutes without a score, Clifden put in place a substantial lead of 1-5 to 0-2 in advance of the break with points from Peter Cullen, Myles Upton and a goal by Gibbons after Cullen’s initial effort had been punched clear by goalkeeper Chris Forde.

Tony McQuinn and Richard Lee’s charges were left with a mountain to climb in the second half but succeeded in clawing back four points with scores from Lee, substitute Brian Carey and two frees from the boot of Paddy Walsh.

Oughterard began playing with belief and seemed to have the momentum to overtake their Connemara rivals. As the match entered the final 12 minutes poised at 1-6 to 0-7, Clifden delivered a devastating blow with a second goal from Gibbons after an excellent run.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.