AIB Ulster Club Intermediate Football Championship semi-final
Mullahoran Dreadnoughts (Cavan) 1-16 St Mary's, Banagher 0-19
(after extra-time, Mullahoran win 5-3 in free-kick shoot-out)
THE electrifying drama of a historic first free-kick shoot-out finally settled an epic Ulster Club IFC semi-final at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday.
It was Cavan champions Mullahoran who scooped the lottery prize in a gripping but unedifying ‘finish on the day’ protocol to squeeze through to the provincial decider.
Deadlocked after extra-time, the game went to a further spell of added time, which also failed to produce a winner, and so it came down to this crude and cruel method of separating winners from losers.
It brought a climax which delivered unspeakable tension, but represented justice for neither Mullahoran or Banagher, whose magnificent efforts had served up a wonderful sporting spectacle, only to be sullied by a mechanism unbefitting of the nobility of what had gone before.
“It’s not a great way to finish a game, but we’re happy,” said Mullahoran manager Seanie Smith.
And Banagher boss Enda Muldoon hit out at the sudden death system, insisting replays should continue to be played.
“I think it is the wrong way to do it, there’d be nothing wrong with next Saturday, but they’ve made the rules, and unfortunately we’re on the wrong end of it,” he said.
Smith paid tribute to the impact made by his subs and to the strength of his squad.
“It’s not easy to come on as a sub and get to the pace of the game, and that’s something you have in mind.. you’re hoping they make an impact, and today they did
“When we pick a team, we don’t pick 15, we pick 21 lads that’s going to make an impact. And we have a great panel of players.
“We’re in the final now, and we have to go and win it, were really looking forward to it.”
Banagher goalkeeper Darrell McDermott rescued his side with a brilliant save after just 10 seconds as Paul Brady charged through to fire in a shot.
And the Derry champions eased into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with scores from Mark Lynch, Brian Og McGilligan and Tiarnan Moore.
But the Cavan men got in for a goal midway through the half, raiding swiftly on the counter, with Cormac O’Reilly slipping a pass inside for Philip Bradley to hit the roof of the net from close range.
A poor kick-out allowed Niall Moore in to bring Banagher level, and within a minute he had his side back in front.
The north Derry side could have been further ahead, but for the tigerish tackling of Matthew Hynes and poor shot selection from Lynch, who thumped a couple of long range attempts wide.
The sides were level for the fourth time, thanks to Peter Hagan’s equalising free for Banagher, when they were reduced to 14 men in the 26th minute. Ciaran Lynch, who had already been booked, picked up a black card, accompanied by a red, and they faced into a difficult situation.
O’Reilly’s free sent Mullahoran in with a 1-4 to 0-6 interval lead, and soon Banagher 'keeper McDermott was back in action with a third save, this time a brilliant point-blank stop from Philip Brady, sent through by Killian Brady’s delightful flick.
Paul Brady’s workrate, along with the energy of Cian O’Reilly, helped the Breffni champions turn defence to attack for Gavin Brady to shoot them into a three-point lead, and by the end of the third quarter, the loss of a man was clearly beginning to show for a tiring Banagher side.
Philip Brady made it a four-point game, but the Oak Leaf men found a second wind, and after going 16 minutes without a score, they hit four in as many minutes, the best of them from Lynch, now operating at full-forward.
Moore’s fifth score from play sent the tie to extra-time, for which both sides were restored to the full compliment of 15, Mullahoran having lost Sean McKeogh to a second booking late on
Gavin O’Neill’s score had Banagher ahead by 0-15 to 1-11 midway through the first spell of extra-time but Philip Brady brought the Cavan men back from the brink as he made it 0-17 to 1-14, and it was into a second spell of five minutes each-way to try and find a winner.
Again, Banagher led at the turnaround, thanks to a Shane Farren score, but Hagan nailed another late leveller to set up a historic first club championship free-kick shoot-out.
All kicking from the edge of the ‘D’ at 35 metres range, Enda O’Reilly, Fionnan O’Reilly and Gavin Brady converted for Mullahoran, while Lynch and Farren scored for Banagher, but Niall Moore sliced wide.
The Cavan men simply had to score their remaining two kicks, and they did so through Philip Brady and Cormac O’Reilly.
Mullahoran: S Briody; C Mussi, T McGahern, M Hynes; Cian O’Reilly, K Brady, Colm O’Reilly; P Galligan (0-1), R Lynch; Paul Brady, E O’Reilly (0-6, 2f), S McKeogh; Cormac O’Reilly (0-2, 1f, 1 ’45), Philip Brady (1-4), G Brady (0-1)
Subs: F O’Reilly for Paul Brady (48), S Sheils (0-2) for G Brady (54), Patrick Brady for Philip Brady (57), Paul Brady (61), Philip Brady for F O’Reilly (70), G Brady for Cormac O’Reilly (89)
Banagher: D McDermott; S Murphy, R McCloskey, O McCluskey; P Cartin, S McCullagh, D McCloskey; B Og McGilligan (0-1), M Lynch (0-4, 1f); G O’Neill (0-1), P Hagan (0-4, 1f), C Lynch; N Moore (0-1), S Farren (0-2), T Moore (0-5)
Subs: C Feeney (0-1) for N Moore (48), M Anderson for McCloskey (53), J Lynch for Murphy (60 +3), S McCloskey (61)m D McCloskey for F O’Reilly (70), N Moore for S McCloskey (BC 89)
Referee: N McKenna (Monaghan)
