Radlett Road 17th April 2021
Ref: Martin McManamon (Glen Rovers)
The GAA season began in earnest in Hertfordshire last weekend with three games in the Hertfordshire Football League played in Radlett Road, Watford on Saturday evening and Sunday. Martin McManamon had the whistle for the first competitive GAA game in Europe this year between St. Josephs, Waltham Cross and Éire Óg, Oxford on Saturday. The Oxford men got off to a great start with points from Joe Scullion and Kevin Morrisey. Scullion goaled in the seventh minute when a speculative shot edged under the crossbar. The goal provoked a St. Josephs response, they scored the next four points without reply. Three points from sharpshooter Hugo Harding and a point from Ryan Gordon left the minimum between the sides after twelve minutes. Alan Hayes double the Éire Óg lead with a fine strike from 30 metres which was quickly matched by a point from St. Josephs wing forward Michael Downey. St. Josephs had the advantage in midfield for the first fifteen minutes through the tenacious work of Darragh Gallagher but the Oxford men, gained a foothold for the next five minutes and this proved vital to the games outcome. Colin Forde and Conor Dillon won some clean ball at midfield and supplied Piers McGlynn with enough procession to go on the rampage. Between the sixteenth and twentieth minute McGlynn scored 2-02 without reply; his first goal was another speculative shot which beat the St. Joes keeper, the second goal was a well taken shot from just inside the square gifted to him by Kevin Morrisey. This left the score on twenty minutes 3-05 to 0-05 in Oxfords favour. St. Josephs responded well with two points from Hugo Harding but these the Oxford lead was restored to nine with a fine effort from Morrisey and another from the irrepressible McGlynn. Conor Barker reduced the Oxford lead to eight points on the stroke of half-time to leave the score line 3-07 to 0-08 at the break.
Whatever St. Joes manager Noel Griffin said at half-time worked as the Waltham Cross men stormed into the game like men processed after the restart. Two quick points from Harding and a magnificent solo effort from Darragh Gallagher reduced the Oxford lead to five points before the thirty fifth minute. Score of the match though goes to Shane Tuberty who smashed the ball from outside the twenty metre line past keeper Callum Chiaponni and into the Oxford net. The Oxford forwards were working with very little but Alan Hayes made the most of it with a point to restore the Oxford lead to three. St. Joes were dominating at midfield and should have reduced the deficit but were wasteful and kicked three wides in the next two minutes. What little ball was making its way to the Éire Óg full forward line was well used and McGlynn pushed the Oxford men four ahead just before the water break. The resumption saw an exchange of points between St. Josephs Conor Barker and Oxfords David Walsh to leave the score line at 3-10 to 1-12 with ten minutes to go. Tuberty and Hayes exchanged points in the space of a minute but the Oxford men were gaining a vital foothold at midfield. Joe Scullion kicked a fine point to leave five between the teams with four minutes to go and Éire Óg kept the ball very well with some intricate handpassing, frustrating the Waltham Cross men. Deep in injury time Hugo Harding scored his eight point of the day to leave the final score Éire Óg 3-12 St. Josephs 1-14. Harding and Gallagher were excellent for St. Josephs whilst Forde and man of the match Alan Hayes ensured that the points travelled north up the M40.