An Cosantóir February 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie
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By gnR PAURIC SUllIvAn, PR BRAnCh
PhotoS By CPl nEvIllE CoUghlAn
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Gardaí reiGn suPreme
Brave souls from An Garda Síochána (AGS) and the Defence Forces lined out in JK Brackens GAA pitch, Templemore, for
the annual representative games on the 8th November 2017 in very testing conditions. Despite harsh weather and poor
underfoot conditions, the game was played in a very sporting manner.
While the DF team was hampered by the club commitments of several of its most prominent players the Gardaí fielded
a team full of inter-county stars including Denis Glennon and Killian Daly of Westmeath.
Aided with a slight breeze, the AGS were off the mark quickly with some clinical scores and they found the net three
times in the first half – all goals patted into an empty net after drawing out the goalkeeper – and despite Peter Cunning-
ham and Fergal McNulty scoring some fantastic points for the DF towards half-time, at the break the Gardaí were well on
top by nine points.
The elements worsened in the second half and it became difficult to play any sort of free-flowing football. Despite this,
both teams were committed to the cause and tried to move the ball quickly on the heavy ground. It was more of the
same as the Gardaí continued to counter-attack and draw in the Defence
Forces, scoring three additional goals.
It was inevitable that the DF would get a purple patch at some stage
and Peter Cunningham and Stephen Fisher grabbed two consolation
goals. Nevertheless, on a day that the weather dictated how the foot-
ball was played, it was the Gardaí who prevailed and collected the
trophy this time around with a convincing scoreline of 6-14 to 2-14.
The series is still going strong and with next year's game pen-
cilled in for Croke Park, both sides will be hoping to have their
top players available.
