Can Astley's drop goal be a turning point for Navan?

Balreask Old side snatch dramatic, late victory

Navan... 30

Sligo... 29

The kind of joy expressed by Navan players and supporters at the end of this AIL Div 2B game at Balreask Old on Saturday is normally only seen after cup finals when a precious piece of silverware has been secured.

How the players danced for joy. How the supporters cheered and clapped.

There was a justifiable reason for the unrestrained jubilation and right up there was the way victory was achieved with the home side’s out-half, Harrison Astley, slicing the posts with a drop goal with the last kick of the game.

The drop goal was a sweet moment indeed for Navan and for Astley who earlier on had missed from two kickable conversion attempts. This was redemption with added cream.

Even the more optimistic among the loyal home followers must have felt the game was gone. With the contest slipping into overtime Sligo led by two, 29-27.

Navan launched one final attack. They won a penalty. Centre Tom Gavigan found a superb touch just inside the Sligo 22. From the throw however Navan appeared to lose the ball. It squirted loose, Gavigan dived bravely to win it back.

It was then Navan showed real composure – and conviction – by shielding the ball before feeding it back to Astley who awaited in the pocket.

His kick, taken under enormous pressure and from about 30 metres out, was straight and true. When the ball sailed between the posts he was submerged by joyful colleagues.

That wasn’t the only time Navan had led in this engaging contest. They were behind 10-19 at the interval but after 49 minutes they were in front 24-19 helped along the way by two tries from their stand-out prop Gary Faulkner and one apiece from Will Finegan and Ben McEntagart. Gavigan, who took over the kicking duties from Astley, converted two of those touchdowns.

Sligo, a powerful, physically-imposing side, hit back to go 26-24 in front after 65 minutes with a James O'Hare try converted by Euan Brown. The rest of their tally up to then came from earlier tries scored by Evin Ballantine, Will Whelan and Ciaran Cassidy and two conversions from Brown.

In the final 15 minutes the drama really ratcheted up a notch. Navan replacement Mark Farrell came on and calmly slotted over a penalty with his left foot on 67 minutes to put his team back in front 27-26. Could they hold out? Despite some heroic defending the answer was negative. Just before the end of normal time Brown scored from a penalty kick to put Sligo back in the lead, 29-27. It felt like it was going to be enough.

It would have been easy for Navan to accept the inevitable. To point to their four tries, losing bonus point and say they had done well enough but - and this was the most encouraging aspect of their display - they decided not to settle for the half-measure, the medicore.

They wanted more and they got it, fashioning that drop goal opportunity for Astley who showed an admirable composure to slot the ball over the bar and claim, what earlier in the game, seemed an impossible prospect. Victory.

Navan had some outstanding performances with the unstoppable McEntagart and Faulkner right up there. Gavigan, who had a spell in the sinbin, made a big difference when he took over the kicking duties from Astley. He found touch a number of times with raking kicks that helped put his team on the front-foot. Full-back Shane Walshe showcased some dancing, weaving runs. Hard graft was a central part of the Navan approach.

The Navan lineouts and scrums creaked at times but overall held firm. Plenty to build on for coach Ryan Roberts and his troops after this morale-rousing victory that sparked scenes of joy Balreask Old not seen for some time.

Navan – Shane Walshe; Will Finegan, Ben McEntagart, Tom Gavigan, Mark Coen, Harrison Astley, Kit Waddington; Liam Carroll, Fionn Craik, Gary Faulkner; Saul Nicholson, Karolis Navickas, Andrew Beggy, Oisin Heffernan, Conor Farrell. Subs – Shane O’Connor, Ben McCreary, Saul Harris, Cormac Horan, Mark Farrell.

Sligo – Cameron Griffith, Conor Creavin, Mark McGlynn, Euan Brown, Will Whelan, Cillian O’Neill, Andrew Ward; Oisin Lawley, Matthew Early, Kuba Wojtkowitz, Ciaran Cummins, Evin Ballalntine, Eoin Ryan, James O’Hehir, Ciaran Cassidy. Subs – Luke Timms, Max O’Hehir, Shane O’Hehir, Will Macaulay, Aorelian Durkin.

Referee – John Lillis.