NY GAA: The week's reports from Gaelic Park

O’Neill Leads Rangers to McGovern Cup

Rangers 1-17 St Barnabas 2-7

Rangers regained the John Joe McGovern Cup with an impressive win on Saturday over a battling St. Barnabas team.

By establishing a big lead with the wind in the first half, Rangers left the Saints with to high a hill to climb in the final 30. It was a fiercely competitive game between long rivals.

The John Joe McGovern is in remembrance of the Fermanagh native who was a fixture at Gaelic Park and at the weekly meetings before his untimely passing. A gentleman and straight shooter, he is still remembered and mentioned often around the Mecca.

It was all Rangers as the game opened. They had four points in the first seven minutes, with Sean O’Neill and Eoin Delaney splitting the total evenly.

Delaney was proving a handful for the Saints, and his pace and movement in open play was very good. Add to the mix full forward Ronan Caffrey, who was moving constantly, and it was a three headed monster.

A 70-yard movement in the 10th minute put further room between the sides when it ended with Caffrey driving a bullet to the net from twenty yards out. The goal portion of their total was quickly cancelled out, however, in one of St. Barnabas’ few decent chances in the first half.

The ball was worked to the middle of the field from the kick out. Brian Dennehy received and lofted a long ball to the square. It fell to the floor from a number of hands, and Thomas McGovern soloed soccer style and found the net off the body of the keeper.

It gave them false hope, however. The Rangers’ reply was swift. Four points from four different scorers, and when the Saints had their first point of the afternoon, a free from Brian McGovern, Rangers again replied with vigor.

The last five points of the first half to leave the score at the break 1-13 to 1-1.

St. Barnabas had a very good start to the second half as they had scores from the McGovern brothers in the first six minutes. The game took on a touch physical nature, and it lifted the Saints as Ciaran Moyles was inspiring them.

They had a wide in the mix, but slowly Rangers clawed back. Two pointed frees by O’Neill negated all of the good work, and with 20 minutes left Rangers were back in a 12 point lead.

The Woodlawn lads had the wind at their back now, and they went back into attack. Nick Moustousis was winning a lot of ball in the six slot and running out with ball in hand time and again.

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Nster.com