Connacht SFC Semi-finals/Salthill/Knocknacarra 0-9 Crossmolina 0-7: Not many clubs survive the experience of a Ciarán McDonald penalty with the game on the line but on a typically wild November day by the Atlantic, Salthill did just that to qualify for the second Connacht final in their history.
The sight of the Crossmolina man's high and ferociously driven kick slamming off the crossbar provoked the strongest reaction from the modest crowd of 3,526. With just eight minutes remaining and Crossmolina trailing by one point in an absorbing if messy game, it was the definitive moment.
Salthill broke clear and Alan Kerins carried the ball deep into opposition country until he was dragged down. Séamie Crowe pointed with little fuss. It was the last score of the match and, remarkably, the city club's only free of the afternoon and it secured them a place in the final against either Kiltubrid or St Bridget's.
Salthill's history in this competition is succinct but impressive. After winning their maiden county title in 1990 - almost 20 years after their foundation - that team kept going all the way through to St Patrick's Day, when they lost to Derry champions Lavey. Since they, they have been kept in Galway.
On yesterday's evidence, it is hard to assess if the contemporary team have the stuff to land a national championship because, as happened in their county final win, the weather dominated the afternoon. More often than not, winter football can make a joke of talented players and for periods yesterday, both clubs were more concerned with the gale sweeping in from the promenade than with each other.
Certainly, when the Mayo champions review their demise, they will pinpoint the first 12 minutes when they had the home team stuck helplessly in their own half. They fired four wides in as many minutes and would add another three before the referee called them in for tea and biscuits.
On 12 minutes, McDonald demonstrated his devastating range and accuracy by landing a free from 55 metres. Unimpressed, the Salthill defence insisted on fouling within shooting distance. The ice-cool blond landed another point three minutes later but then dropped two consecutive chances he would consider eminently achievable into Cathal McGinley's arms.
Salthill dug themselves out of a hole in the last 10 minutes of the half. Their highly-coveted inside forward pair of Crowe and Seán Armstrong had begun to trouble the Crossmolina back line, with Armstrong clipping two fine points in a row - the second down to a rare slip from Tom Nallen - to leave the game poised at 0-4 each.
There were signs after the break that playing into the wind would suit Crossmolina's natural running defenders like Peadar Gardiner and Nallen. But although they kept their noses in front through a McDonald free - after a fine break by Jonathan O'Boyle and a point by Moyles - Salthill presented the growing threat. Barry Dooney hauled down some great possession at midfield, Michael Donnellan launched one of those trademark Howitzer kicks from nothing and crucially, McDonald was forced further and further infield to build Crossmolina's attacks.
A beautiful, weighted ball by Séamus Rabbitte found Crowe stealing in behind Crossmolina's last line on 45 minutes and he sensibly struck the point to leave it at 0-7 apiece. With nine minutes remaining, Crowe produced the score of the day, a fabulous point from distance.
Crossmolina's guile stood to them and they remained patient, working the ball forward. The penalty arose when McDonald sent a free deep into the Salthill goal area and Donnellan was whistled for bundling Joe Keane over. In retrospect, McDonald might have been instructed to tap the point. But when you have one of the best place kickers the game has known in a one-on-one situation, there can be no argument.
Salthill goalkeeper McGinley did his best to distract his opponent, scurrying across his line like a crazy man but ultimately, he couldn't have known much about the shot. McDonald tried to atone but, as Salthill dug in, Crossmolina were reduced to trying brave shots which were murdered by the wind. Given the blustery weather and the clever nature of Salthill's play, it was not going to be the Mayo side's day. It was rather a significant day for an ambitious suburban club and they will be highly fancied to maintain their perfect Connacht record.
SALTHILL-KNOCKNACARRA: C McGinley; R McTiernan, F Hanley, G Morley; M O'Connell, C Begley, A McDermott; M Donnellan (0-1); B Dooney (0-1); S Rabbitte, A Kerins (0-1), D Burke; S Crowe (0-4, one free), M Sheridan, S Armstrong (0-2). Subs: PJ Kelly for Rabbitte (57 mins).
CROSSMOLINA: B Heffernan; D Hegarty, T Nallen, J O'Boyle; D Keating, J Nallen, P Gardiner; G Walsh, M Moyles (0-1); P McGuinness, C McDonald (0-4, frees), M Leonard; N Convey, J Keane (0-1), B Benson (0-1). Subs: L Moffat for Convey (27 mins), R Rochford for Hegarty (half-time), E Lavelle for Benson (46 mins), J Leonard for M Leonard (47 mins).
Referee: M Duffy (Sligo)
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