All square as 13 man Fenagh hauled in by Mohill

For the second week in a row, Fenagh St Caillins saw victory snatched from their grasp as Mohill hit two late points in Philly McGuinness Park to ensure a share of the spoils against a 13 man League champions in the second round of the Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Championship.

As much as both sets of supporters will feel this is a game they should have won, a draw felt like the right result in this clash of the heavyweights - Fenagh dominated the first half but rued missed goal chances while Mohill did likewise in the second half of a low scoring game where the emphasis on shutting down the scoring opportunities meant we often saw massed defences.

Given that they ended up with just 13 players on the field for the final five minutes of normal time when Ryan O'Rourke received a black card from referee Cyril McKeon to go with an earlier dismissal of Conor Dwyer on two yellows, Fenagh will probably feel the more relieved that they came away from the game with something after their dramatic one point loss to Leitrim Gaels last week.

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THE LAST POINT

Yet the League champions will also rued missed chances from placed balls - Padraig Tighe made a superb save to deny Donal Wrynn from the penalty spot at the end of the first half while St Caillins also registered five of their eight wides from frees including a 50 yard Fergal McLoughlin effort deep into added time.

Mohill had six wides to Fenagh's eight and also had a missed goal chance from Alan Armstrong drove into the side netting at a time when they held a two point lead. Eamonn O'Hara's side struggled with the press of the Fenagh men around the middle of the field but when they broke free of that, their hard running caused the league winners plenty of problems.

The game opened with one of those bizarre instances where Mohill started Jordan Reynolds, carrying an injury, so as to complete their first 18 and it led to a goal after just 30 seconds. Keith Beirne rounded his marker and shot somewhat off target but Reynolds was there on the edge of the square to divert the ball to the net. Straight after his goal, the Leitrim star was trotting off the field with Matthew Murphy coming on.

Ryan O'Rourke celebrates after scoring Fenagh's second goal Picture: Willie Donnellan

Fenagh thought they had equalised but a score was overruled on the advice of the linesman but they were soon back on levelled terms with Fergal McLoughlin firing over a 40 yard free after a foul on Riordan O'Rourke. Fenagh, however, were missing chances although Mohill could say the same thing with Keith Beirne leaving an effort short while another was half-blocked.

Riordan O'Rourke converted a free and Fergal McLoughlin showed good skill to regain a ball he lost before turning sharply to score after ten minutes. That levelled the scores but after being under the cosh, Mohill hit back with Murphy setting up Beirne for a nice point on 11 minutes. Beirne then converted two frees by the 24th minute as Mohill led by three.

Fergal McLoughlin converted a free from a relatively tightly angle before the game took a seismic shift, Fenagh putting together a wonderful, incisive passing move that ended with Donal Wrynn driving the ball low and hard inside the right hand post in the last minute of the half.

Incredibly, Fenagh would have two more goal chances before halftime - Mark Keegan drove a great chance wide on the near side after a defence splitting move while Shane Smith won a high ball and fed it across to Fergal McLoughlin who was clearly fouled as he threatened a goal. Referee McKeon awarded a penalty but Padraig Tighe made a superb save, although Fenagh would have strong calls for another penalty as Fergal McLoughlin was tripped, accidentally, as he pursued the loose ball.

That left Fenagh with a 1-4 to 1-3 halftime which Fergal McLoughlin extended from a free out near the right sideline after four minutes. Keith Keegan's powerful run led to a point for Keith Beirne with the Mohill talisman tying the scores froma  free eight minutes into the second half.

Then the game went crazy for a few minutes - Conor Dwyer picked up a second yellow and was off, Ronan Kennedy was called for a disputed throw-ball as it appeared his arm was held. Fenagh took the ball quickly, not from the right place, Tom Gilheaney got the ball to sub Ryan O'Rourke, on after 36 minutes, and he fired over.

Mohill's Keith Beirne is surrounded by three Fenagh players Picture: Willie Donnellan

In the lead-up to the score, Domhnaill Flynn body-checked Tom Gilheaney and was black carded. Ryan O'Rourke then set up his cousion Riordan on a break but his shot drifted wide and Mohill got back in front when Evan Harkin released Keith Keegan whose powerful run saw him hold off a defender before floating the ball across the face of the Fenagh goal for Keith Beirne to powerfully fist to the net.

Mohill almost had another goal, Matthew Murphy's run setting up Alan Armstrong whose shot hit the post before going wide and after a Murphy wide, Fenagh made them pay with Donal Wrynn scoring a great point from distance on 51 minutes and seconds later, a long ball found Fergal McLoughlin unmarked in space, his run drawing the sole defender to leave Ryan O'Rourke with an easy tap-in to the Mohill net.

Crucially, Domhnaill Flynn was back on the field seconds later, leaving Mohill a man up. Ronan Kennedy claimed and scored from a clever mark on 53 minutes but the rest of the half was just as dramatic with Beirne putting a free wide while Ryan O'Rourke was black carded for hauling down a Mohil player.

Fergal McLoughlin was desperately close to putting Fenagh two up from a fifty yard free and less than half a minute into added time, Domhnaill Flynn scored a huge point under pressure to ensure a share of the spoils. Fenagh had one last chance to claim the victory but Fergal McLoughlin saw another 50 yard effort go well wide of the posts.

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MOHILL

Scorers: Keith Beirne 1-5, 3f; Jordan Reynolds 1-0; Ronan Kennedy (M) & Domhnaill Flynn 0-1 each

Team: Padraig Tighe, James Mitchell, Liam Rowley, Ryan Bohan, Alan Tuthill, Shane Quinn, David Mitchell; Keith Keegan, Alan Armstrong; Evan Harkin; Ronan Kennedy, Sean Harkin,  Jordan Reynolds; Keith Beirne; Domhnaill Flynn. Subs: Matthew Murphy for Reynolds (1); Caillin Canning for Tuthill (48); Eoghan Duignan for D Mitchell (56)

FENAGH ST CAILLINS

Scorers: Fergal McLoughlin 0-4, 3f; Ryan O’Rourke & Donal Wrynn 1-1 each; Riordan O’Rourke 0-1, 1

Team: Ryan Smith, Aaron McLoughlin, Gary Butler, Eoin McLoughlin, Mark Keegan, Jack Gilheaney, Conal McGovern, Daniel McLoughlin, Donal Wrynn, Tom Gilheaney, Riordan O’Rourke, Conor Dwyer, Tony Sims, Fergal McLoughlin, Shane Smith. Subs: Ryan O’Rourke for S Smith (36); Tony Simms for S Doonan (47); Michael Doonan for A McLoughlin (52)

Referee: Cyril McKeon