Mohill strike in extra-time epic to break Fenagh hearts and reach fourth Connacht Gold SFC Final in a row

Defying the odds, momentum, the weather and what seemed like an unstoppable Fenagh St Caillins surge in the second half, Mohill produced the goods in extra-time to return to the Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Championship Final for the fourth year in a row after an epic extra-time encounter on Sunday in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

On a day when the weather turned conditions into a lottery, Mohill displayed all their know-how and experience to deadly effect as they first opened up what looked like an unassailable lead, given the conditions and how Fenagh were struggling, at halftime.

But then came an epic turnaround as Fenagh St Caillins showed the form that made them favourites going into this encounter, reeling off seven unanswered points to turn a five point deficit into a two point lead. But then it was that Mohill displayed all of their renowned character, digging deep to force extra-time almost by sheer force of will, the inspirational figure of captain Shane Quinn driving them on.

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And when the game got to extra-time, it was Mohill who showed the ability to force the issue, striking for two goals - one from an unlikely source in Keith Beirne after Eamonn O'Hara's men turned over another kickout, the second from the more usual in Keith Beirne who sealed the victory in the second period.

Fenagh St Caillins will have huge regrets, feeling they didn't turn up in the first half when Mohill were in command but in the big moments in Sunday's first game, it was Mohill who generally came out on top.

Both sides opened with wides for their stars, Keith Beirne and Ryan O’Rourke, before Jordan Reynolds gathered a nice ball on the wing, cut back in to fire over the bar after two minutes. O’Rourke did tie the scores four minutes later when he gathered a long Jack Gilheaney pass to score.

Beirne had a bad wide across goal but soon started to find his range, taking a short free and getting the return to point on eight minutes. Riordan O’Rourke had a bad wide before Ryan O’Rourke converted a free midway through the half to tie the scores once more but from then on, Mohill took over.

Keith Beirne fired over two frees on 16 and 20 minutes, the second a brilliant effort from the corner after a foul on the lively Ronan Kennedy. Beirne then added two more point, one a 50 yard free, the second after a Fenagh handling error saw a quick ball to Kennedy and a pass into space.

The first booking came on 25 minutes when Tom Gilheaney was penalised for a foul on Ryan Bohan, Beirne naturally converting the free. A completely out of sorts Fenagh had a chance to reduce the gap at halftime but Donal Wrynn’s short free found Ryan O’Rourke who shot badly wide as Mohill led 0-7 to 0-2 at halftime.

The proverbial halftime team talk worked wonders for St Caillins as they came out a completely different team in the second half. Ryan O’Rourke pointed inside the first minute, Riordan O’Rourke claimed a mark to score and Donal Wrynn converted a fifty after a touch denied Riordan a second point.

Shane Doonan and Riordan O’Rourke pointed inside half a minute as Mohill’s kickout was under severe pressure to tie the scores while Mohill’s attempt to stem the tide saw Keith Beirne take off on a run with his shot saved at the near post by Ryan Smith. From that save, Fenagh went down the field with Fergal McLoughlin edging Fenagh in front for the first time.

The lead was quickly doubled when Riordan O’Rourke profited after another turned over kickout but Mohill crucially steadied themselves with a Beirne free after a foul on Keith Keegan.

Both teams had chances - Jordan Reynolds driving a low shot wide of the far post before another Beirne free after a Fenagh kickout was turned over tied the scores again. The Mohill sharpshooter converted a free with eight minutes to go but Ryan O’Rourke hit back from a free to leave it level again

Fenagh had a great chance after a poor Mohill kickout but Mohill scrambled back to smother the opportunity and with both sides missing chances, Mohill took the lead on 56 minutes when Eoin McLoughlin did incredibly well to win the ball, setting up Ryan O’Rourke for a superb point.

Credit Mohill, they didn’t lie down and taking advantage of slack Fenagh marking, a quick Beirne free was returned to him and he fired over the equaliser. Both sides huffed and puffed before the final whistle sounded, half a minute short of the announced three minutes of added time.

Ryan O'Rourke strikes for a point against Mohill Picture: Willie Donnellan

Mohill created the first real opportunity of extra-time when Keith Beirne’s shot came off the crossbar and Jordan Reynolds got onto the rebound, Mohill appealing for a penalty for the challenge but Fenagh cleared the danger, going downfield to win a fifty yard free that Donal Wrynn converted.

Mohill came back through an unlikely source, Eanna Madden soloing in along the endline before chipping a nice shot over the bar. From the resulting kickout, Sean Harkin forced a turnover from the short kickout, Keith Beirne and Jordan Reynolds passes left Madden with an easy tap in for a goal.

Seconds later Keith Keegan swung a monster shot over the bar and suddenly Mohill were four clear and on their way to the final. The second half of added time saw Fenagh push mightily but they were unable to create any clear cut goal chances, missing a few frees before Ryan O’Rourke converted a free to leave a goal in it.

However, six minutes into the half, the decisive score arrived when Keegan broke through a tackle, the ball eventually coming to Keith Beirne who stuck it in the net to end the contest. Fenagh tried to engineer late goal chances but we had more bookings than scores as Mohill comfortably saw their way to the final.

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MOHILL

Scorers: Keith Beirne 1-10, 7f; Eanna Madden 1-1; Jordan Reynolds & Keith Keegan 0-1 each

Team: Padraig Tighe, James Mitchell, Liam Rowley, Ryan Bohan, Alan Tuthill, Shane Quinn, David Mitchell, Domhnaill Flynn, Alan Armstrong, Sean Harkin, Keith Keegan, Evan Harkin, Ronan Kennedy, Keith Beirne, Jordan Reynolds. Subs: Tadhg Mulligan for Tuthill (13); Fiachra McGuinness for Kennedy (37); Conor Quinn for Mulligan (47); Eanna Madden for Bohan (52); Matthew Murphy for McGuinness (56); R Bohan for Armstrong (61 blood); Armstrong for Bohan (73)

FENAGH ST CAILLINS

Scorers: Ryan O’Rourke 0-6, 3f; Riodan O’Rourke 0-3, 1M; Donal Wrynn 0-2, 2 50; Shane Doonan & Fergal McLoughlin 0-1 each

Team: Ryan Smith, Caillin O’Rourke, Gary Butler, Sean Keegan, Mark Keegan, Jack Gilheaney, Eoin McLoughlin, Daniel McLoughlin, Donal Wrynn, Tom Gilheaney, Ryan O’Rourke, Conor Dwyer, Fergal McLoughlin, Riordan O’Rourke, Shane Smith. Subs: Shane Doonan for T Gilheaney (HT); Aaron McLoughlin for C O’Rourke (38); Tony SImms for D McLoughlin (50); T Gilheaney (ET); Aaron Smith for F McLoughlin (68); Richard Heaney for Simms (ET HT)

Referee: Ray McBrien