O'Mahonys survive to preserve status

IFC RELEGATION FINAL

Navan O'Mahonys.......0-2-11 (15)

Curraha........................0-2-10 (14)

The fact that Navan O'Mahonys edged out Curraha to preserve their intermediate status and condemn their opponents to a second successive relegation only serves to tell barely half the story from this pulsating IFC relegation final at Dunganny this evening.

With their second tier status on the line and the prospect of dropping down to Junior football for the first time since 1949 very much on the horizon, O'Mahonys dug deep and found a way to win against a game Curraha side who never gave up.

In a thrilling, nail-biting, end-to-end encounter that saw the lead change hands five times and there were never more than three points between them, both sides showed an endeavour and will to win that made little of the quandary they found themselves in.

Curraha had their chances.

Jared Roche was denied a goal by brilliant defending by Darragh Maguire, Diarmuid Moriarty hit the upright from a close range free, several other attacks broke down either because of resolute O'Mahonys defending or careless decision making.

O'Mahonys will also point to three unbelievable goal line clearances, two by by James McEntee and one from Oisin Fay, that denied certain goals. They can also reflect on some wayward shooting and massive turnovers, but when everything was checked and balanced the Hoops were deserving winners.

Moriarty, Niall McLarnon, Padraig O'Hanrahan and McEntee were magnificent for Curraha, but in Cormac Nugent O'Mahonys had the game's most dangerous forward and with Robbie Keelaghan and Duggie Dillon offering fine support and Maguire, Paddy Dillon, Sean Betson and Eoghan Nugent all defending manfully O'Mahonys deserved to edge it.

Curraha started well and raced into a 0-2 to 0-0 lead with Moriarty and Conor O'Farrell on target. O'Mahonys responded with a free that was moved in for dissent and converted by Keelaghan, and a super score from Conor Finnegan.

Moriarty restored Curraha's lead from a '45', but a massive two-point free from Keelaghan pushed O'Mahonys in front for the first time in the 13th minute.

That lead lasted only seconds as Andrew Coyle equalised after a sweeping move and seconds later Moriarty made it 0-5 to 0-4 to the Ha.

After Keelaghan steered a two-point free wide Finnegan fisted over another leveller and either side of McEntee's remarkable clearance off the line to deny Aodhan Mallon Curraha hit points from O'Farrell and McLarnon to lead 0-7 to 0-5.

That proved to be Curraha's last score of the half as Cormac Nugent hit a point for O'Mahonys before Mallon restored parity in the 30th minute.

McEntee cleared another scrambled goal chance off the line before Oisin O'Brien secured a 0-8 to 0-7 interval lead for the Brews Hill men.

Duggie Dillon kicked O'Mahonys fourth successive point three minutes after the restart to stretch his side's lead to two points for the first time.

That advantage lasted just two minutes as Ronan Flynn landed a huge two-point free from out on the right to make it 0-9 each.

Great defending by Maguire denied Roche a goal and O'Mahonys were also prevented from finding the net when Fay cleared O'Brien's effort off the line, but in that scramble O'Mahonys salvaged a point when Keelaghan converted a free to make it 0-10 to 0-9.

As the game ticked into the final quarter Padraig O'Hanrahan struck a monster point to restore parity again and when Moriarty made it 0-11 to 0-10 Curraha looked to be in the box seat.

Then came the crucial score when Keelaghan lofted over a magnificent two-pointer in the 50th minute to restore O'Mahonys lead, 0-12 to 0-11. They never trailed again.

Eoghan Nugent stretched O'Mahonys lead to two and after McLarnon pulled one back for Curraha O'Mahonys responded with points from Keelaghan (free) and Cormac Nugent to put three between the sides for the first time as the game ticked into four minutes of injury time.

A harsh call on Ivo Fitzherbert for overcarrying led to protests from O'Mahonys and for their dissent the ball was moved forward to within Moriarty's range and he nailed the two-point free to close the gap to the minimum.

Moriarty did have another chance from further out, but he opted to go short and when O'Mahonys mopped up the danger the final whistle was greeted by huge sighs of relief and wild cheers of celebration.

Navan O'Mahonys - Jamie O'Reilly; Darragh Murphy, Paddy Dillon, Sean Betson; Eoghan Nugent (0-1), Mike O'Reilly, Darragh Maguire; Aodhan Mallon (0-1), Conor Finnegan (0-2); David Dillon (0-1), Oisin O'Brien (0-1), Ivo Fitzherbert; Niall Higgins, Cormac Nugent (0-2), Robbie Keelaghan (0-7 one two-pointer, three frees, one two-point free). Subs - Shane Maguire for Finnegan 38m, Ronan Clarke for O'Brien 48m, Conor Brady for Higgins 60m.

Curraha - Kevin Doyle; Eoghan Burke, Oisin Fay, Seamus Hogan; Padraig O'Hanrahan (0-1), Neil Shortall, Conor O'Farrell (0-2); Diarmuid Moriarty (0-6 one two-point free, one '45'), James McEntee; Niall McLarnon (0-2), Sean Ronan, Brian Joyce; Jared Roche, Andrew Coyle (0-1), Ronan Flynn (0-2 two-point free). Subs - Ruairi O'Sullivan for Ronan half-time, Ciaran O'Hanrahan for Roche 44m, David Coyle for A Coyle 56m, Dylan Rowland for McEntee 60m.

Referee - Ciaran Flynn (Dunsany).