Kilmacud Crokes - All Ireland Football 7s 2018
The prestigious Kilmacud Crokes Football 7s tournament sponsored by Londis kicked off the All Ireland Final weekend in the build-up to the meeting of Dublin and Tyrone at Croke Park.
Performa Sports arrived on site around midday to get set up and prepared for an entertaining day of football. The sun was shining in South Dublin with the new earlier fixture date, as the group stages came to a close to reveal the quarter-final line up.
The first quarter-final saw Corofin take on Down side Carryduff. The Galway men eager to carry on their group stage form made no mistake in dispatching the Ulster side with a resounding 4-10 to 1-7 victory. Next up was Mountbellew Moylough vs St. Olaf’s with the Galway team progressing having shown great accuracy in shooting from distance winning 1-16 to 1-7. The third of the quarter-finals saw football 7s record holders St. Galls, who have won seven All Ireland 7s titles, taking on Dublin team Thomas Davis. A cagey contest led to a 1-11 to 0-6 win for the Antrim outfit who were now on course to claim their eighth title. In the last of the quarter-finals St. Mary’s Saggart took on another Galway team, St. Michaels in what was the standout game of the quarter-final stages. With both teams playing an attacking brand of football, it was St Mary’s who were more clinical in front of the posts eventually winning 3-11 to 3-5.
Onto the semi-finals, and it was an all Galway affair first up as the reigning All Ireland Club SFC Champions Corofin, took on Mountbellew Moylough. Another tight affair was played out between the two sides with 2 late goals from Corofin making the game look more comfortable than it was. Credit though has to go to Corofin in how they managed the game tactically and showed superior fitness to kill the game off late in the 2nd half. The next semi-final was another close battle in which St. Galls eventually took the spoils and another step closer to adding to that long list of 7s titles. Michael Pollock was the star player for the Belfast team scoring 1-5, with the goal an outstanding team effort which Pollock started and finished.
Vote for your Goal of the Football 7s from the Top 7 shortlisted below:
Vote for Your Favourite Goal of the Kilmacud Crokes Football 7s 2018
1. Dylan McHugh - Corofin vs Mountbellew
2. Colin Finn - St. Mary's Saggart vs St. Galls
3. Jason Leonard - Corofin vs St. Galls
4. Tom O'Donovan - St. Olafs vs Mountbellew
5. Kieran Molloy - Corofin vs St. Galls
6. Michael Pollock - St. Galls vs St. Mary's Saggart
7. Ciaran Brady - Corofin vs St. Galls
Voting closes Noon, Friday 14th September 2018.
And so to the final game of the day, an impressive matchup between two sides with strong football pedigree in 7s competition. St. Galls, as mentioned, vying for an eight title and Corofin chasing their fourth title. A closely fought first half saw a single goal separating the two sides, Corofin leading 2-4 to St. Galls 1-4. The 2nd half saw Corofin gradually gain the ascendancy, hitting the back of net twice more. The final score finished Corofin 4-9 to 1-8 St. Galls.
Congratulations to Corofin who have achieved the All Ireland Club double in 2018, winning the Senior Club Football Championship earlier this year, and now adding the Football 7s title trophy to their cabinet! Corofin also won a 1-year licence for Performa Sports analysis & coaching software. A final mention to Dylan McHugh who was the Player of Tournament and made our Crokes Football 7s Team of the Tournament. You can see who else made the team below:
