McKenna & St Mary's break Glenfarne Kilty hearts with injury time winner

Just a week after suffering defeat in added time in the Senior Final, St Mary’s Kiltoghert turned the tables as Man of the Match Brian McKenna converted a free to break Glenfarne Kiltyclogher hearts and claim the Vistamed Junior A Championship title for the Carrick men in Drumkeerin.

In a thrilling and exciting contest where neither team could escape the grasp of each other, St Mary’s struck the final decisive blow over four minutes into added time to claim the title they had lost last year to Carrigallen and consign Glenfarne Kiltyclogher to a second defeat in three seasons.

St Mary’s refusal to give in, even when three points down early in the second half, and superb fitness that saw them boss the final 10 minutes were the key factors in a contest that could have turned either way with only a slight nudge here or there.

St Mary's break Glenfarne Kilty hearts as huge crowd enjoys tight Vistamed Junior A Final - GALLERY

St Mary’s Kiltoghert were celebrating in Drumkeerin on Saturday evening as their second string team dashed the hopes of Glenfarne Kiltyclogher to win the 2023 Vistamed Leitrim Junior A Championship title on a 0-11 to 0-10 scoreline. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there with his camera to capture pics of the celebrations and the big crowd who thronged into Pairc Naomh Brid ….. see who you can spot!

Glenfarne Kiltyclogher will rightly have nightmares over some of the wides they kicked, particularly in the first half when they were dominating open play. The tally of eight wides to five doesn’t tell the full story but four falling short reveal the missed chances that plagued the north Leitrim men.

Yet St Mary’s created the only real goal chances - Brian O’Donnell cracked a shot off the crossbar and the follow-up was blocked while they had a goal chance later on superbly blocked by a diving defender.

In a game where scores were at a premium, Brian McKenna’s accuracy with placed balls was huge, five frees particularly telling including three in the closing stages that were under immense pressure. His brother Andrew weighed in with three more and that was the difference on the day.

Fergal Clancy was Glenfarne Kiltyclogher’s driving force, no surprise there as he hit five points and was generally at the heart of everything good his team did. Padraig Sweeney and Patrick Gilgunn also came up with big contributions but St Mary’s energy and drive in an energy sapping game eventually told on the scoreboard.

St Mary's Kiltoghert will now see their second team play in the Intermediate championship next year while Glenfarne Kiltyclogher will tackle the AIB Connacht Junior Club Championship with a meeting with the Galway champions on the weekend of November 11-12, their next outing.

Patrick Gilgunn opened the scoring for Glenfarne Kilty four minutes in but a poor Darren Murray shot fell short and St Mary’s drew level on nine minutes when Brian McKenna finished off a nice one-two to point. His brother Andrew then converted a free after Glenfarne missed two good chances to put the town team in front.

The St Mary's Kiltoghert team who defeated Glenfarne Kiltyclogher to win the 2023 Vistamed Junior A FC title in Drumkeerin Picture: Willie Donnellan

Glenfarne saw a fifty fall short but Padraig Sweeney hit a nice point on the turn to draw level midway through the half but two points from the McKenna brothers, both from frees, on 16 and 19 minutes, saw them establish a two point lead.

But the trend of the game with both teams missing chances, Brian McKenna for Mary’s and Patrick Gilgunn for Glenfarne, continued before a Fergal Clancy free left a point in on 26 minutes. Padraig Sweeney left a poor shot into the keeper and Fergal Clancy saw his effort drop short also.

However, two minutes into added time, Fergal Clancy made a huge catch and won a free, taking it quickly to Gilgunn who fired over to leave the sides deadlocked at 0-4 apiece at the halftime interval.

The tit for tat was brilliantly illustrated inside the first two minutes of the second half - Gilgunn hit his third of the game with a fine point on the run but a long ball to Caolan O’Grady saw him work the ball back to Ethan Bohan for an instant response.

St Mary’s had the best goal chance of the game when a brilliant move released Brian O’Donnell, the veteran forward cracking a powerful shot off the crossbar while Brian McKenna saw his follow-up blocked.

Glenfarne took sustenance from that miss and despite a poor Sweeney effort going wide, they retook the lead with a lovely Fergal Clancy point from distance. Mark Lowe had a wide before a well worked Glenfarne move ended with a nice Padraig Sweeney point on 39 minutes.

A minute later, the lead was out to three as Glenfarne Kilty were now threatening to take control of the contest when Clancy fired a 40 yard free, with a little help of a touch off the crossbar, over the bar.

But St Mary’s response was deadly - a good incisive move was finished well by O’Donnell before Brian McKennan tapped over a free within two minutes. Mark Lowe and Fergal Clancy traded wide but a free on the former Leitrim star allowed Clancy to restore the two point gap.

It could have been three only for St Mary’s keeper Killian Gaffey clawing a Clancy shot from above the crossbar while St Mary’s loudly appealed for a penalty but a brilliant block denied them a goal scoring opportunity.

Over-carrying by a Glenfarne defender saw the ball moved in for dissent, Brian McKenna pointing on 51 minutes. St Mary’s were beginning to dominate the battle for possession and another McKenna free tied the scores three minutes later.

The Glenfarne Kiltyclogher team who were defeated by St Mary's Kiltoghert in the Vistamed Junior A FC Final in Drumkeerin on Saturday Picture: Willie Donnellan

After Hugh Clancy fired wide, Gaffey set in train a brilliant, quick passing move that ended with Brian McKenna edging St Mary’s back into the lead with a little over three minutes left. Cian Rock hit a shot well wide before Brian McKenna uncharacteristically left a free short, although it nearly turned into a goal as it slipped through keeper Stephen McPartland’s hands before being cleared off the line.

With the game now in added time, a short free and return pass saw Fergal Clancy fire over a magnificent equaliser on 62 minutes. With added time ticking down, St Mary’s worked the ball into the danger area where St Mary’s were awarded a free that Brian McKenna coolly slotted off the crossbar.

That left Glenfarne Kiltyclogher needing another free but with immense pressure on any attempts to move the ball up the field, Glenfarne Kilty were unable to create any opportunities and when the Carrick men turned over the ball, referee Eamonn Dolan blew the long whistle to signal the start of St Mary’s celebrations.

Glencar Manorhamilton celebrate four in a row in Gotham Dry Wall LGFA Senior A Final - GALLERY

Glencar Manorhamilton claimed the Gotham Dry Wall LGFA Senior A Championship for the fourth year in a row when they struck for two injury time goals to kill off the challenge of St Joseph’s in Shane McGettigan Park Drumshanbo on Saturday afternoon. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there to catalogue the celebrations after the 2-8 to 2-4 victory

ST MARY’S KILTOGHERT

Scorers: Brian McKenna 0-6, 5f; Andrew McKenna 0-3, 3f; Ethan Bohan & Brian O’Donnell 0-1 each

Team: Killian Gaffney, Fiach Mac Conmara, Kyle McCrann, Joe Lowe, Eoin Gibney, Ashley Maziya, Robbie O’Donnell, Niall Crowe, Brian King, Ethan Bohan, Brian O’Donnell, Mark Lowe, Andrew McKenna, Caolan O’Grady; Brian McKenna. Sub: Daniel Martin for O’Grady (64)

GLENFARNE KILTYCLOGHER

Scorers: Fergal Clancy 0-5, 3f; Patrick Gilgunn 0-3; Padraig Sweeney 0-2

Team: Stephen McPartland; Barry McDermott, Robbie Broughton, John McLoughlin; Cathal Cullen; Brian Fox, Daire Clancy; Niall Clancy, Cian Rock; Darren Murray, Fergal Clancy, Pat Sweeney; Patrick Gilgunn, Niall Clancy, Hugh Clancy. Subs: Dermot Harkin & Niall McManus for Daire Clancy & Murray (37); Neville McDermott for McLoughlin (46); Hugh Clancy for Gilgunn (55)

Referee: Eamonn Dolan