Connollys take the Senior League spoils... just!
- Michael Brady
- Jul 30
- 3 min read

SCOTLAND GAA’s current footballing powerhouses, Glasgow Gaels and Dunedin Connollys, locked horns once again in the Senior Men’s League Final at Dawson Park in Dundee, with the Edinburgh side winning out by the slimmest of margins after a fiercely contested game.
The two sides’ previous meeting in the league perhaps provided a taste of what was to come as they played out an exciting 1-13 to 2-10 draw at the Clydebank Community Sports Hub.
That match was a great endorsement for football in Scotland and this one was no different—a thoroughly gripping match for the neutral played in a hard, but fair manner. The new rules also had a marked impact on proceedings, with both teams exploiting the space available to them with some fine counter-attacking football.
In what was a scorching day for football, it was the perennial game of two halves with a strong breeze in Gaels’ favour in the first-half. A well-organised Gaels team took early control of the game, playing smart football and keeping a strong defensive shape.
Connollys had a significant wide tally in the first-half playing into the stiff breeze, and their indiscipline at the back alongside some fine first-time football from the Glasgow side led to Gaels picking off scores from both play and dead balls from the boots of Cian Finnan and James Lynch.
Connollys reduced their unforced errors and found their feet late in the half and reeled off a couple of scores—including a fine point from distance by Joe McMunn—to reduce the half-time deficit to four points. Gaels led by 0-7 to 0-3 at the break.
To Connollys credit, they upped the ante as the second-half began and they developed a foothold around midfield. After Gaels were reduced to 14 men, when Jack O’Connor saw red mid-way through the second-half, the Edinburgh side capitalised on the extra man to win the breaking ball battle. Both teams persisted with long kickouts and there were fine aerial duels between John Dorgan of Gaels and Dunedin’s Andrew Geraghty and Peter Nyland. Connollys began to make their mark on the scoreboard capitalising on frees conceded by the Glasgow defence.
Dunedin’s strong running game through the hands was evident with surging runs by Brendan Parsons and Kevin Carr. Gaels continued to chip away at the scoreboard, however, and struck in major fashion midway through the second half when a Finnan shot was stopped by Shay Cross and rebounded into the back of the Connollys net.
The Edinburgh side clawed back their way back into the game as their defence upped the intensity levels. They soon capitalised on a turnover by Paudie Meehan who found Andy Lyons in the forward line and he took his man on one-on-one, and won a penalty. Connollys dead ball marksman Chris Donnelly sent the keeper the wrong way to put them in the lead by the minimum.
Coming down the stretch, both teams traded scores with Gaels equalising with a free in the dying minutes of normal time. Dunedin had one last chance however, which sailed inches wide before Rory McGeown from the Dalriada club blew the final whistle with the sides level at 1-9 apiece.
Extra-time followed in the same vein as normal time with the teams going tit-for-tat throughout. Gaels opted to play with the breeze in the first 10 minute spell and both sides chipped over three scores each with nothing between the sides entering the second-half of extra-time.
As legs and bodies began to tire, mistakes and chaos entered the fray. Given the conditions, immense fitness levels were on show from both teams which is a credit to their management teams. A late Donnelly free saw Connollys edge this nail-biter by the bare minimum, 1-14 to 1-13.
Credit must also go to Rory McGeown and his match officials for their handling of this sporting game under the new FRC enhancements. In particular, both teams will look back on falling victim to breach infractions on several occasions as a lesson to be taken away.
County board secretary and linesman, Liam Luporini, made the presentation to Dunedin Connollys captain, John McDonnell, afterwards as both teams’ attention now turns to their preparations for the championship and their meeting again later this year.
PICS: GERARD GOUGH
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