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NMF Properties Senior Football Championship
Keeper O’Kane's last Gasp Save Ensures Davitt’s Victory
Swatragh 2-05
Slaughtneil 0-09
For the majority of this game Swatragh had the upper hand against hot favourites Slaughtneil , and were never headed during the sixty minutes after Liam Kearney had scored a terrific goal after thirty five seconds to give them the start that new manager Eamon Kavanagh must have dreamed about.
When Seanie McGuckin blasted home the second goal a minute from the break to take them to a 2-03 to 0-03 half time lead they must have been in dreamland, a six point lead an unbelievable cushion in such a high-octane clash.
While the Emmett’s chipped away at the lead throughout the second half , there was still a five point gap going into the last ten minutes with Swatragh showing no sign of wilting, Michael Friel in imperious form at midfield and corner back Phillip Mooney giving a tour de force in defence.
But, when Kevin O’Neill pointed a free in the first of the two minutes of added time, the old football adage that two points is a dangerous lead in the closing stages of a game came to mind!
And right on cue Slaughtneil created the kind of opening that they had been seeking throughout the second half when Jim Kelly collected the ball from a Padrig Kelly free, turned onto his trusty left foot and whizzed the ball powerfully towards the top left hand corner of the net.
The cheers would surely have been rising in Slaughtneil throats as the ball sped unerringly towards the net, the groans of despair momentarily mingling in the early evening air as Swatragh fans feared the worst.
Then like the caped crusader keeper Michael O’Kane leapt, literally, to the rescue as his right hand snaked out and upwards to divert the ball away from its intended target. It was, in any context, a save of significant magnitude, but in this one, a championship game between parish rivals with the outcome depending on it, this was a save to match, nay surpass, any we have seen for many a year!
While championship football can sometimes be a cruel business, a last gasp Slaughtneil goal would have been, for Swatragh, in the words of Shakespeare’s Mark Antony “the most unkindest cut of all”. The joy of Swatragh at the final whistle was unbridled, Slaughtneil accepting defeat in a most sporting fashion.
The Emmett’s went into this game without several key players, most notably Patsy Bradley and Paul Bradley, Jim Kelly struggling with a hamstring injury, Fergal McEldowney also absent, Francis McEldowney only introduced at half time.
With Michael Friel leaping like a salmon at a weir in the first half, Phillip Mooney majestic at corner back, Martin Quinn and Ryan Dillon solid as sturdy oaks in central defence, Slaughtneil struggled for scores. It was only when Barry McGuigan was switched to centre half forward after the break, and substitute Francis McEldowney and Padrig Kelly began to push forward in the second half, did they exert some pressure on a seemingly impregnable Swatragh defence.
Yet they had difficulty in putting together a scoring burst, Swatragh defending in depth and breaking forward to pick up the odd score here and there. Two points might not seem much of a scoring return in this period but, in the context of the game, these points proved priceless in the first quarter.
The pacy Liam Kearney and the vastly experience Seanie McGuckin bagged the first half goals and it became a dour battle for survival in the final quarter but that the Davitt’s did to record a rare championship victory over their neighbours.
Morale Booster
The fans had scarcely settled down that they were witnessing the kind of start that underdogs dream about, a goal in the first minute. Inside thirty five seconds to be precise!
Liam Kearney started the move with a pass to Sean McNicholl and was then in the right place to take a pass from full forward Ruairi Convery and bury the ball in the back of the net from the edge of the small square.
Seanie McGuckin was off target in the second Swatragh raid, Enda McKaigue widing when the Emmett’s launched their first raid in the third minute. Two minutes later Swatragh moved further ahead when Mickey Kearney was penalised for ‘charging’ an opponent as he carried the ball out of defence and corner forward Eugene O’Kane pointed the free.
That would prove the last score for fifteen minutes with both sides spurning reasonable scoring opportunities. Kevin O’Neill wided a free when Seamus Gillan was fouled, Robert McWilliams failing to find the posts after a strong run on the flank.
Enda McKaigue put Kevin O’Neill away but his finishing was also awry.
Michael Friel made a succession of spectacular fetches in the middle of the field but Swatragh failed to turn his possession into scores. Padrig Kelly was the next to have a pot at the posts without success at the end of the first quarter, Kevin O’Neill and Enda McKaigue following suit before Chrissy McKaigue handed the ball straight back to Swatragh’s Cathal McQuillan after Sean McNicholl had conceded a ‘45’ twelve minutes from half time.
In the 20th minute Micheal Kelly was ticked for holding Ruairi Convery as he collected the ball from McWilliams and Eugene O’Kane pointed the free for 1-02 to no score. McWilliams then dropped deep to win the ball on a Kevin O’Neill free in his own goalmouth, the latter finally breaking Slaughtneil’s scoring duck eight minutes from half time from a free when he was fouled by Phillip Mooney.
Two minutes later Seamus Gillan took a pass from Enda McKaigue and pointed, Jim Kelly then cutting the Swatragh advantage to 1-02 to 0-03 from a free.
Just when the tide seemed to have turned in Slaughtneil’s favour the Davitt’s struck again. Liam Kearney was fouled and Seamus Bradley drove the ball long to the goalmouth. Full forward Ruairi Convery knocked the ball down to Seanie McGuckin and he blasted it to the net from close range.
Straight from the kick out Kearney was again the provider and Robert McWilliams the finisher as the Davitt’s took a 2-03 to 0-03 advantage to the break.
Defensive Battle
On the restart Sean McNicholl missed a free when substitute Francis McEldowney
Conceded a free, the latter then widing at the other end from a Larry Bradley pass. In the third minute Mooney was penalised but Larry Bradley wided the free. Padrig Kelly was fouled going forward and Kevin O’Neill pointed the free to leave five between the sides six minutes into the second half.
Seanie McGuckin hooked a chance wide when put in by Sean McNicholl, Ryan Dillon then yellow carded for a foul on Barry McGuigan who was now operating at centre half forward. A loose clearance from Seamus Bradley was picked up by Chrissy McKaigue and dispatched over the bar, the margin now down to four in the 40th minute.
Michael Friel made his fifth wonderful clean catch on a kick out and the Slaughtneil defence failed to deal with the pressure as Conan Cassidy conceded a free which Eugene O’Kane converted for 2-04 to 0-05.
Three minutes later Ryan Dillon fouled Kevin O’Neill and the accurate free taker used the inside of the post to get the sixth point. Jim Kelly spurned a scoring chance from a free when Francis McEldowney was fouled, Phillip Mooney continuing to defend superbly as Slaughtneil applied a lot of pressure.
Six minutes from time Kevin O’Neill landed another free, Enda McKaigue setting up a rousing finale with the eighth point four minutes from time, the margin three points. It was down to a dangerous two in the last minute of the game when O’Neill pointed another free for a foul on Enda McKaigue.
However Swatragh held out in the two minutes of added time, helped no end by the ‘wonder’ save by Michael O’Kane from a Jim Kelly rocket.
The Swatragh scorers were Seanie McGuckin and Liam Kearney 1-00 each, Eugene O'Kane 0-04 frees and Robert McWilliams 0-01
The Slaughtneil scorers were Kevin O’Neill 0-04 frees, Chrissy McKaigue 0-02, Enda McKaigue, Seamus Gillan and Jim Kelly free 0-01 each
Swatragh
Michael O’Kane;
Phillip Mooney, Martin Quinn, Oran Dillon;
Dermot Dillon, Ryan Dillon, Seamus Bradley;
Michael Friel, Cathal McQuillan;
Robert McWilliams, Sean McNicholl, Liam Kearney;
Seanie McGuckin, Ruairi Convery, Eugene O’Kane
-John McAtamney for Seanie McGuckin 61 mins
Slaughtneil
Anton McMullan;
Conan Cassidy, Micheal Kelly, Mickey Kearney;
Padrig Kelly, Barry McGuigan, Rory McEldowney;
Shane Kelly, Chrissy McKaigue;
Larry Bradley, Enda McKaigue, Cormac McKenna;
Seamus Gillen, Jim Kelly, Kevin O’Neill
-Francis McEldowney for Shane Kelly H-T
-Martin McEldowney for Rory McEldowney , 36 mins
-Shane Kelly for Larry Bradley 42 mins
Referee Declan O’Connor Dungiven