Late O'Brien strike gives Coralstown/Kinnegad a share of the spoils

Draw ensures St Loman's remain in contention

St Loman's, Mullingar 1-18, Coralstown/Kinnegad 1-18

By Rodney Farry

A point from Eoin O’Brien in the last minute of time added on secured a share of the spoils for Coralstown/Kinnegad against draw specialists St Loman’s, Mullingar in The Downs on Saturday evening.

It is probably not a title that Paddy Dowdall’s men want but Saturday’s match was his side’s fourth draw in as many championship encounters this campaign with only one match of the group phase left. Their draws against The Downs and Mullingar Shamrocks in the first two rounds felt like points dropped for Loman’s as they relinquished large leads, but Saturday’s result had a different feel to it as they were eight points down with 20 minutes to play.

It is hard to know whether Jack Cooney and his charges will feel that this was a point won or lost. While they gave up a healthy advantage, O’Brien’s last gasp effort ensured that they go into the last round of matches with their fate firmly in their hands.

St Loman’s on the other hand will go into their fifth-round encounter against Caulry knowing that results will have to go their way if they are to progress to the knockout phase of the competition.

In truth, a share of the spoils was a fair result at the end of match in which momentum changed hands on numerous occasions. However, for large periods of the first half and well into the second, it looked as if Coralstown/Kinnegad would run out easy winners, such was their dominance. That they didn’t will give the St Loman’s players and supporters hope as they battle to remain in the competition

Although they were on the back foot for long periods of the first half, Loman’s began brightly and took the lead in the first minute with a point from Danny McCartan. Goalkeeper Stephen McNevin levelled proceedings for Coralstown/Kinnegad with a converted ’45 two minutes later before Rory Cole gave them the lead for the first time with a well struck effort.

With six minutes on the clock Heslin opened his account with the first of his quintet of two-pointers. It was the last score that his side would get for more than 20 minutes.

During this period, Coralstown Kinnegad hit ten points without reply. The impressive Darren Giles, who asked plenty of questions of the Loman’s defence in the first half and finished the match with 1-3, got the ball rolling with a brace of points from play. Two points from Westmeath star Brían Cooney bookended scores from Eoin O’Brien, Dan Leech and Podge Quinn as Coralstown/Kinnegad opened up a six-point lead by the 21st minute.

A fisted effort from Dan Leech brought his side onto double figures, while Cooney’s third and fourth points of a highly productive first half gave them a healthy nine-point cushion with 26 minutes gone.

St Loman’s needed to respond and did so against the run of play in the 27th minute courtesy of a well-taken goal from Shane Dempsey. When he received the ball from Sam McCartan wide on the left about 35 metres from goal, there didn’t appear to be too much on, but the experienced attacker turned his marker before bursting towards the Coralstown Kinnegad box and planting the ball past McNevin. Loman’s regained possession from the kickout and Dempsey reduced the deficit further with a fine effort from wide on the right.

As the first half entered time added on, Eoin O’Brien fired over the final score of the first half to give Coralstown/Kinnegad a six-point lead at the turnaround - 0-13 to 1-4.

The Mullingar men reduced the deficit to only three points within four minutes of the restart with scores from Sam McCartan and Heslin’s second two-point free.

Coralstown/Kinnegad’s response was quick and decisive. A converted free from Dan Leech in the 37th minute was followed by a goal from Darren Giles a minute later. The attacker showcased his soccer skills when he reacted quickest after Jason Daly’s save from a rasping close-range shot from Jack Torpey rebounded in his direction.

When James Maxwell extended Kinnegad’s lead to eight points with around 20 minutes left, it looked as if Loman’s faced an uphill task to keep their season alive.

The Mullingar side, however, showed admirable resolve to claw their way back into the match. A point from Dempsey and a two-point free from Heslin reduced the deficit to five points with 43 minutes on the clock.

The veteran marksman had an immediate opportunity to cut Kinnegad’s lead further when a member of their backroom team received a yellow card from referee Barry Nea for dissent. Everyone in the large crowed expected the Leinster championship winner to clip the resulting 13 metre free over the bar, but he decided to go for goal and his effort was easily repelled by the Coralstown Kinnegad defenders on the line.

In the 47th minute Jack Torpey extended Coralstown Kinnegad’s lead to six points. However, by the 52nd minute the sides were level. A brace of two-pointers from Danny McCartan in the 49th and 50th minutes made it a one score game and they were quickly followed by Heslin’s fourth converted two-pointer of the match after Coralstown Kinnegad were penalised for a breach.

In the 53rd minute, Darren Giles regained the lead for Coralstown Kinnegad when Loman’s were penalised for a breach of their own. Unlike Heslin, Giles decided that he would take the free from the 20-metre line and slotted the ball over with the minimum of fuss.

With two minutes of regulation time remaining Brían Cooney was adjudged to have failed to give the ball to a St Loman’s player after referee Barry Nea spotted an infraction. It seemed a harsh call from the stand as it appeared as if a Loman’s player hit the ball out of the midfielder’s grasp.

Either way, the resulting free was brought forward and presented Heslin with a chance to put his side in front again with his fifth two point free. Displaying nerves of steel and unerring accuracy, Heslin fired the ball over the bar to give Loman’s the lead for the first time since the fifth minute.

With the game deep into time added on a Coralstown Kinnegad free in the middle of the park was dispatched to Eoin O’Brien who was left unattended wide on the left. The corner-back fired over his third point from play to give his side a deserved share of the spoils.

The significance of the score will only become fully apparent in two weeks’ time.

Scorers - St Loman’s: John Heslin 0-10 (five 2ptf), Danny McCartan 0-5 (2tp), Shane Dempsey 1-2, Sam McCartan 0-1.

Coralstown Kinnegad: Darren Giles 1-3, Brían Cooney 0-4 (1f), Eoin O’Brien and Dan Leech (1f) 0-3 each, Stephen McNevin (’45), Rory Cole, Podge Quinn, James Maxwell, Jack Torpey 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Jason Daly; Darragh O’Keefe, Nathan Lally, Ciaran Smyth; Sam McCartan, David Whelan, Jack Geoghegan; Sean Flanagan, Eoghan Hogan; Kevin Regan, Danny McCartan, Neil Duffy; Shane Mulderry, John Heslin, Shane Dempsey. Subs: Cillian Plunkett for Ciaran Smyth (30 mins), Kelvin Reilly for Shane Mulderry (H/T), Conor O’Donoghue for Sean Flanagan (59 mins).

Stephen McNevin; Eoin O'Brien, David Giles, Eoghan Bracken; Rory Cole, Josh Gahan, James Maxwell; Ciaran Daly Jnr, Brían Cooney; Liam Daly, Darren Giles, Jason Macken; Jack Torpey, Dan Leech, Podge Quinn. Subs used: Shane Fleming for Jack Torpey (48 mins).

Referee: Barry Nea (Killucan)