Seans show their mettle with clinical late blitz

third quarter when points from McEneaney and Shaun McElroy sandwiched a Vinne Smyth free at the other end, making it 0-8 to 0-5.

Johnny Connolly pulled one back for O’Mahony’s, but as ‘turning points’ go the next phase of play was a proverbial game-changer.

After a flowing Kilkerley move Sean Hand found himself one-onone with Kevin Brennan and while he appeared to attempt to chip the O’Mahony’s netminder, his effort rose high over the bar.

That in itself wasn’t a huge problem as it re-established Kilkerley’s three-point lead.

But O’Mahony’s won the resulting kick-out and broke swiftly forward where the menacing Ben McLaughlin picked out Stephen Kilcoyne.

Kilkerley very nearly halted the move in the nick of time, but after Kilcoyne was tackled the loose ball broke to substitute Vinne Smyth, who fired home the opening goal of the game and levelled the match.

Former Louth star John O’Brien wouldn’t be renowned for his scoring exploits, but he rattled off two beauts from identical angles to give his side the lead and, more importantly, all the momentum.

Kilkerley struggled to win any kind of possession around the middle and as O’Mahony’s poured forward, they coughed up frees, two of which Stephen Kilcoyne gratefully slotted over to make it 1-10 to 0-9 with 10 minutes of normal-time remaining.

O’Mahony’s would only manage one more point, but they closed their opponents out superbly in the closing minutes, limiting them to a last-gasp goal, superbly finished by James Fegan.

It just came too late for Kilkerley, who could have no real complaints about the outcome.

The intermediate champions worked hard to establish their lead, but fell away badly when the pressure came in the second period.

Sean Hand will certainly be wondering what might have been as on another night he may have been celebrating two goals.

The first chance arrived early, but Kevin Brennan got down superbly to push the ball around the post.

The opening stages were frantic, but short on composure and quality.

Stephen Kilcoyne opened the scoring, but there was a 10-minute wait for the next score as Cathal Bellew opened Kilkerley’s account.

The lead changed hads a couple of times as Jonathan Connolly and Ben McLaughlin proved a handful for the Kilkerley defence, while at the other end McEneaney Picture: Aidan Dullaghan and Lennon were on hand to punish any O’Mahony’s indiscipline.

But after all the huffing and puffing, but the 23rd minute the sides were level at 0-4 apiece.

O’Mahonys were extremely wasteful in front of goal and theypaid the price when Lennon and McEneaney converted another free apiece to make it 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time.

Emmets looked in good nick at that stage, but it all fell apart in the final quarter. SEAN O’MAHONY’S: Kevin Brennan; Mickey Clarke, Ronan Byrne, Pat O Brien; Keith McLoughlin 0-1, John O Brien 0-2, Kurt Murphy; Shane Brennan, David Dowling 0-1; Liam Dullaghan, Ben McLoughlin 0-1f, Niall McLoughlin; Stephen Kilcoyne 0-3 (2f), Conor Crawley, Johnny Connolly 0-2. Subs: Vinnie Smyth 1-1 for Crawley (BC), Barry Mackin for Connolly.

KILKERLEY EMMETS: Darren Meehan; Niall Mulholland, Micheal McGeown, Barra McCarthy; Alan McGeough, Emmet Hughes, Ciaran Clarke; Cathal Bellew 0-1, Andrew McGuill; James Fegan 1-0, Sean Hand 0-1, Shaun McElroy 0-1; Tadgh McEneaney 0-4 (3f), Shane Lennon 0-2f, Rian Hand. Subs Conal McEneaney for R Hand, Cormac Bellew for N Mulholland.

REFEREE: David Fedigan.