A late Gary Cullinane goal fired Gaultier to a 1-14 to 1-8 win over An Rinn in the opening round of the county senior football championship at a sunny Lemybrien on Saturday evening.
Dessie Hutchinson didn't feature for the Eastern side, six days on from helping Ballygunner to eleven in a row, but older brother JJ shot seven points from full forward (five from play). Mark Fitzgerald gave an exhibition of long range shooting in the opening half with three from play. His fielding was a highlight of the second.
An Rinn trailed by six points at half time but a goal from corner back Shane Ó Cuirrín left them just two down with nine minutes to play. Hutchinson's seventh point of the contest steadied Gaultier before captain Gary Cullinane rattled the net off a turnover ball.
Mark Fitzgerald smashed a shot off the crossbar in the seventh minute after he slalomed through the An Rinn defence. At the dressing room end, David Whitty made a spectacular one handed save from Ray Ó Ceallaigh. The Gaultier netminder managed to flick a rasper over the bar.
Fitzgerald and JJ Hutchinson delivered three points apiece from play as Gaultier led 9-3 at the break. An Rinn full back Corey De Róiste denied Dale Cullinane a goal on the line. Cullinane suffered a shoulder injury in the process and couldn't continue.
An Rinn sub Oisín Ó Dúnaigh was sent on to man mark Fitzgerald for the second period. The Gaeltacht side made inroads straight away as Caolan Mac Craith raised a white flag within eleven seconds of the restart. Ó Ceallaigh converted a free before the arrival of Christy Breathnach boosted the attack. Two points from the All Ireland minor hurling medallist narrowed the gap to three.
Gaultier stayed patient in attack. Callum O'Neill, Tom Dalton and Hutchinson pushed the lead out to five. Fitzgerald leapt into the clouds to claim a kickout. A wonderful sight.
Shane Ó Cuirrín's goal made a game of it again on 51 minutes. The corner back finished like a corner forward as his bullet shook the Gaultier cobwebs (0-13 to 1-8). Veteran full forward Liam Ó Lonáin then entered the fray. A turnover deep in their own half proved costly however as Gary Cullinane's green flag clinched an opening day victory for Gaultier.
