O'Mahonys upset for Kiltale

Navan O'Mahonys caused a major upset at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening when David Murtagh's injury-time point sent Kiltale crashing through the exit door in the SHC semi-final to set up a real David versus Goliath decider againsy three-in-a-row seekers Kildalkey. A late goal from David Quirke, who started the season minding the nets for Drogheda Utd in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, helped the Navan men into their first final in 25 years. Quirke, who was introduced as a 57th minute substitute for Michael Kelly, found the net with his first touch for a goal that changed the complexion of the game. Kiltale's goal also arrived from substitute Stephen White while Murtagh claimed the all-important match-winning point for the Navan men. Peter Durnin had a chance to force extra-time when Kiltale were awarded a '65' in added-time, but he was narrowly wide with the pressure shot. This was a massive result for the manager, former Rathmolyon and Meath hurler John Gorry, who won an All-Ireland SHC B medal with Meath way back in 1993. Gorry has been at the helm of Navan O'Mahonys for three years and only last year plotted a relegation play-off victory over Rathmolyon to help secure the club's senior status. To make it from the bottom of the barrel to the top in such a short time-frame suggests that O'Mahonys have made the hard yards count on the training pitch, but they will go into the 9th October final as massive underdogs. "That's a tag that we have carried through the championship this year, we had been written-off everywhere and still made it to the final," Gorry told the Meath Chronicle. The O'Mahonys men were smartly out of the blocks when Brian Dillon got them off the mark with a fourth minute point from play. Willie Mahady answered that immediately for Kiltale at the other end. Wind-assisted O'Mahonys enjoyed ample possession to establish a substantial first-quarter lead, but they were only ahead by the minimum (0-4 to 0-3). Shane Crosby sent over a massive score from his own 65-metre line, but Peter Durnin drew the sides level from a free. Then Kiltale coughed up some easy possession and Barry Regan split the posts. O'Mahonys remained in the ascendancy in the possession stakes, but took their wide tally to five as they managed a Paddy Skehan pointed free. That free was awarded after Kiltale full-back Padraig Donoghue was deemed guilty of a yellow card-style tackle that left Shane McKeigue requiring attention. Durnin reduced the deficit for Kiltale from a '65' as the Navan men struggled to gain a firm foothold on the game. By the time the interval arrived O'Mahonys had forged into a two-point lead, 0-7 to 0-5, with the half-forward line of Dillon, Skehan and Shane McKeigue all on target. Kiltale remained comfortably in contention with points by Stephen Donoghue, a superb effort from around midfield, and another Durnin free to trail by those two points at the break. O'Mahonys resumed the second-half on the front foot and had a goal chance after only 20 seconds, but Barry Regan's effort, from a tight angle, whizzed wide of the far post. That was the first of four goal chances that O'Mahonys squandered, although they increased their lead from a Shane McKeigue point soon after. Goal chance number two arrived when an unmarked Niall McKeigue drifted towards the edge of the Kiltale square, when the sliotar arrived it was only due to the smart intervention of Shane McGann that he was denied. Michael Kelly and Shane McKeigue had subsequent sights of goal, but the fabric of the net wasn't tested. Gradually, Kiltale took control and reeled off points from Stephen Donoghue, Padraig Kelly and Cillian O'Sullivan (pictured) and tied the scores at 0-8 apiece. Under-pressure O'Mahonys defended doggedly and were still on terms until, with 12 minutes remaining, Durnin's '65' eased Kiltale ahead. That posed some serious questions of O'Mahonys and substitute Colin O'Rourke answered the call with a smart point on the turn. At that stage it still looked like it was only a matter of time until Kiltale took control and Stephen Donoghue's point added substance to that belief. When substitute White rifled to the net, from Mahady's centre, with eight minutes remaining, Kiltale looked home and hosed even before James Kelly gave his side a five-point cushion with a superb score. O'Mahonys were operating from a different script and they picked off a brace of Skehan pointed frees to leave only a goal in it as the clock ticked towards full-time. At that stage O'Rourke turned on the turbo and Quirke finished to the net for parity. Murtagh added the vital point and O'Mahonys held out. Like their final opponents Kildalkey, the attention will turn to football for the next few days as many of the players from both teams will line out in next Sunday's JFC decider bewteen O'Mahonys and Ballivor. They will then face-off again on Sunday 9th October in the Jubilee Cup decider. Navan O'Mahonys - J Burke; C Reilly, R Hogan, D Hogan; D Moran, K O'Rourke, S Crosby (0-1); N McKeigue, P Smyth; B Dillon (0-2), P Skehan (0-4 frees), S McKeigue (0-2); M Kelly, B Regan (0-1), A Snow. Subs - C O'Rourke (0-1) for N McKeigue 38 mins, D Smyth for P Smyth 48m, D Murtagh (0-1) for Dillon 54m, D Quirke (1-0) for Kelly 57m. Kiltale - S McGann; A Donnelly, P Donoghue, D Kane; S Dunleavy, D Donoghue, W Mahady (0-1); S Donoghue (0-3), P Kelly (0-1); M O'Sullivan, J Donoghue, J Kelly (0-1); C Sullivan (0-1), P Garvey, P Durnin (0-4 two frees, two '65s'). Subs - S White (1-0) for J Donoghue half-time, C McCabe for Dunleavy 37 mins. Referee - Fergus Smith (Blackhall Gaels).