THERE was heartbreak for Dunedin Connollys Men’s and Ladies’ teams recently as they both fell just short in their quest for All-Britain Championship glory.
Connollys, whose men’s and ladies’ sides swept the board at every level in Scotland this season, travelled south to Leeds, unsurprisingly full of confidence as they looked to pit their wits against the best in Britain.
First up were the men, who were competing in the quarter-final of the All-Britain Junior Football Championship against St Brendan’s, Manchester, the champions of Lancashire. However, the Scottish Champions didn’t get off to the best of starts and trailed 1-8 to 0-4 at half-time. Despite that setback, Connollys came roaring back, outscoring their opponents 1-6 to 0-4 in the second half, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to turn the tide as St Brendan’s ran out 1-12 to 1-10 winners.
A disappointing result for Connollys, no doubt, but they have had a fantastic season and their opponents have since reached the final of the competition, sweeping aside their semi-final opponents by a far bigger winning margin than they managed against the Edinburgh side.
Next up were the all-conquering ladies, who were also taking part in their All-Britain Junior Football Championship preliminary round tie against John Mitchels, Birmingham.
Connollys took an early lead of 1-2 to 1-1, but Mitchels managed to turn the tide and went into the break 3-4 to 2-3 ahead. The Edinburgh ladies battled bravely in the second half reducing the deficit to a mere point at one stage, but Mitchels kicked on and ran out worthy 4-11 to 2-9 winners.
“It didn’t go our way today, but we are immensely proud of our first ever Junior team’s accomplishments in their third season,” a Connollys spokesperson said. “They are a fantastic squad on and off the pitch, are Scottish Junior Champions and there’s lots more to come from them in the future.”
Connollys Intermediate Ladies (above) offered the club a final chance at silverware as they took on John Mitchels, Liverpool, in the North Britain Championship Final.
While Connollys were more than competitive in the match, it was the Liverpool side who were victorious, winning 3-08 to 2-09 after a strong finish to the game by Mitchels.
The Edinburgh side—both Men and Ladies teams—can be more than proud of their efforts this season and will no doubt be redoubling their efforts to continue their All-Scotland dominance and go even further in British competitions next year.
gerard@theirishvoice.com
