Knocknagree must go again after draw
KNOCKNAGREE clung on for another bite of the cherry on digging deep to force a last gasp goal and come away with a share of the spoils against Gabriel Rangers following a pulsating County Junior A Football Championship semi final at Ballyvourney on Saturday last.
At times, a fancied Duhallow side sailed close to the wind of elimination, their cause not helped by wayward shooting only to produce a marvellous attack in the sixth minute of injury time culminating on corner forward Fintan O’Connor blasting to the net.
Relief emerged the over riding emotion in both camps at the full time whistle, a nail-biting draw emerged a more acceptable result to an absorbing second half. Indeed the contest lived up to its billing, brilliant scores, great individual displays and a stunning twist in the last piece of action.
Not all glossy in some aspects of play, a contrast emerged on the translation of possession into scores with Gabriels recording just two wides in the contest. At times, Knocknagree couldn’t get their radar on cue, 12 wides registered in addition to hitting the uprights on three occasions.
Still Knocknagree looked poised for a place in the decider, not for the first time in the campaign, raising the tempo midway through the second half and grabbing a first time lead from a point by Anthony O’Connor in the 50th minute.
However, the Gabriels response was calm and measured to nip the Knocknagree revival and four points on the bounce looked good enough to secure a first time place in a county final for the West Cork champions. With the game past the fifth minute of injury time, it called for something special for Knocknagree to retain an interest.
And it arrived from a move initiated by ‘keeper Pa Doyle found Donough Moynihan to feed Kealan Buckley who linked up with Gary O’Connor for Matthew Dilworth to thread the ball into the path of Fintan O’Connor who showed composure to slot the ball past the advancing Gabriels ‘keeper Dan O’Mahony for an equalising goal.
No clear pattern developed in the opening exchanges, points swopped before a far more economical Rangers swept ahead from points to Mark Cronin and Chris Moynihan. With the awesome Stephen O’Mahony fielding magnificently in the centre, Rangers enjoyed prominence, O’Mahony well supported by Gerard O’Callaghan and Richard Moynihan and Liam Hegarty.
Their growing influence was confirmed on a text book goal involving six players allowed Cronin flick Seán Kelleher’s centre to the net. A setback for Gabriels saw the experienced Pat Nolan withdrawn from the fray owing to a recurring injury and Knocknagree points to Anthony and Fintan O’Connor cut the leeway.
However, Gabriels wrestled back control through marvellous old fashioned fielding from O’Mahony in the centre, prising open the Knocknagree defence again, Eddie Goggin took a return pass from Kelleher to goal.
Again Knocknagree rallied, points to Anthony O’Connor and Padraig Collins narrowed the arrears 2-3 to 0-5 at the break. And though Gabriels extended their position on the restart from a Kelleher point, Knocknagree thundered into the fray through the key involvement of Kealan Buckley, Gary O’Connor, Chris O’Leary and Danny Cooper.
Key substitutions improved matters, Tomás Cooper limited O’Mahony to some extent as did the commanding play of Anthony O’Connor and Matthew Dilworth in attack. At times poor shooting hindered the Duhallow representatives before O’Connor placed effective substitute Heelan for a goal and follow up points from Dilworth and O’Connor nudged Knocknagree ahead for the only occasion by the 50th minute.
Gabriels answered with a productive flourish, two points apiece from Cronin and Goggin regained the lead for the West Cork champions. However in the last throw of the dice deep into injury time, Knocknagree trailing by three transferred the ball from their own goal line and in a six man move, Dilworth supplied the delivery for Fintan O’Connor to finish superbly.
Roll on the replay.