O’Mahony’s late goal
A goal in added time from substitute Barry O’Mahony gave Coolera/Strandhill a dramatic one-point win over Drumcliffe/Rosses Point at Ransboro on Saturday evening.
O’Mahony found the net in the 62nd minute, firing the ball through a crowded goalmouth to give his side victory over a DRP side who, up until then, had looked to be on their way to collecting their first league win of the new season. They had overturned a four-point deficit at half-time to lead by three going into the closing moments of the match. This league fixture was played 24 hours after both teams were drawn in the same group for the 2018 Belfry senior football championship later this year, along with St Molaise Gaels.
Saturday’s league match could hardly be described as a championship dress rehearsal but it was the home team who started the match the stronger. Despite being without county player Keelan Cawley, it was another Sligo star Niall Murphy who caused Drumcliffe/ Rosses Point early problems as he fired home a superb goal from 20 metres out in the fifth minute. Indeed Coolera/Strandhill had 1-5 on the scoreboard by the 12th minute thanks to some nice points from full forward Gary Cadden, Murphy and midfielder Peter Laffey. DRP, who were missing nine players through injury and unavailability, took a while to find their feet in this match. Gradually, they worked their way back into the contest and would keep their opponents scoreless for the remainder of the first half. Well worked scores from play from Stephen Regan and Neil Ewing, along with solid free-taking from the impressive Eoin Gaughan kept the visitors in the hunt.
Coolera/Strandhill led by 1-5 to 0-4 at the interval but DRP gathered fresh momentum two minutes into the second half when Jamie Brennan raced through the opposition defence to fire a left-footed shot to the back of the net. Coolera responded with another Cadden point but the DRP goal was backed up by three unanswered Eoin Gaughan points including a fine long-range effort in the 49th minute which gave DRP the lead for the first time in the game. As the match entered the closing stages, further scores from Paul Logan and Gaughan (who contributed 0-6 in total) moved Drumcliffe three clear. Niall Murphy responded with a free to close the margin to two points. But the same player picked up a second yellow card moments later, following a hefty challenge on his county team-mate and Drumcliffe captain Ewing. As the match ticked into added time, Coolera/Strandhill piled forward. Then came the free in the 62nd minute which was dropped into the DRP goalmouth. Through a forest of Drumcliffe defenders, up popped Barry O’Mahony and his shot somehow found its way to the back of Justin Lyons net. O’Mahony would be black carded a moment later in a separate incident but his goal was the decisive moment. In the dying seconds, there was an opportunity for Drumcliffe/Rosses Point to draw level but Ciaran McLaughlin’s gutsy kick for a levelled point dropped short. COOLERA/STRANDHILL: Oisín Conway, Enda Mitchell, Conor McDonagh, Cillian McCahey, Gary Cawley, Seán Murphy, James Hampson (Shane McCallion), Kevin Banks, Peter Laffey (0-01), Colin Parkes, Barry Doyle, Mark McCallion, Kevin Harte (Barry O’ Mahony (1-00)) (Diarmuid Loftus), Gary Cadden (0-03), Niall Murphy (1-03), Eoin Macken, Calym Malone, Fionn Morrissey. DRUMCLIFFE/ROSSES Point team: Justin Lyons, Tommy Finnegan, Jude McGarry, Ciaran McLaughlin, Jamie Gillen 1-0, Dara Long, Cian Doyle, Brian Monaghan, Stephen Regan 0-1, Neil Ewing (Capt) 0-1, Eoin Gaughan 0-6, Hugh Kisby, Donal Gallagher, Paul Logan 0-1, Kevin Davey. Subs: David Collins for Cian Doyle, John Hester for Kevin Davey, Joseph Keyes, Tom Armstrong, Seán Flanagan.