Bornacoola edge St Mary's in thrilling Fresh Today Junior C Final

Sunday's Fresh Today Junior C Final in Cloone might have been the lowest grade in Leitrim club football but it served up the best entertainment by a country mile as Bornacoola pipped St Mary's Kiltoghert in a thriller that went right down to the final seconds.

Four points down at halftime, Bornacoola hit St Mary's for 1-3 inside two minute of the second half and from there to the finish, it was a wild game that swung one way, then the other and back again with Bornacoola holding off a late St Mary's charge for an equaliser in the dying seconds of injury time.

The final ten minutes sum up the drama of this contest - St Mary's regained the lead before Bornacoola hit three unanswered points. The Carrick men cut the gap back to one but two more Bors scores seemed to seal it only for St Mary's to land two injury time frees, taking the battle for the title right to the final seconds of a great contest.

Incredibly, it was the first close adult championship final of the season and it certainly provided a huge amount of entertainment value as Bornacoola's mix of youth and experience saw them past a young St Mary's side who threatened to run away with it in the first half only to fall to the sheer hunger of the Bors.

Cian Mallon's impact just after the break was huge - the man of the match landed three points and created the game's only goal when his blistering shot came crashing off the Mary's crossbar before Jim Reilly drove home the rebound in style. 

CHECK OUT WILLIE DONNELLAN'S GALLERY OF BORNACOOLA CELEBRATIONS FOLLOWING JUNIOR C FINAL VICTORY

Equally, Bornacoola's old guard off the bench gave them that bit of nous in the closing stages with Brian Conroy, Aidan Reilly and Jonathan Duffy all landing points in the final as a young St Mary's couldn't match the coolness under pressure that Bornacoola managed.

St Mary's had looked the better team in the first half - their sharp movement and intricate passing cutting open the Bors defence while Brian McKenna displayed a class that looked as if it would be enough to see the Carrick men to the title. 

But then their inexperience began to tell and with players like Gary McCloskey, Jason Conroy, Damien McGuinness, Sean McKeon and Liam Jones making vital contributions at key moments that turned a game that could so easily have gone the other way.

Sean McKeon opened the scoring inside the first minute but the nature of the game was soon set, Emmet Regan finishing off a good move with a point, Cian Mallon's fisted effort saved by keeper Daire Shannon before Brian McKenna hit a good point from a tight angle.

Mary's went two clear with a Caolan O'Grady free after a kickout infraction, the ball moved in for dissent but Sean McKeon levelled with a lovely two pointer on seven minutes. Two O'Grady frees, one moved in for dissent, the second for a three man breach, restored Mary's lead after 11 minutes.

The Bornacoola team who defeated St Mary's Kiltoghert to win the Fresh Today Junior C FC Final in Cloone Picture: Willie Donnellan

Dissent on the other side saw Cian Mallon convert a free before a McKenna catch from a kickout released Darragh Gardiner for a fine point. Jason Conroy replied quickly for Bornacoola but St Mary's looked to be building a good lead with a huge two pointer from McKenna and a fine Cian Casey point after a Robert O'Donnell pass.

St Mary's could also have had a penalty when Darragh Gardiner's run was ended in what looked like a clear foul but, after consulting with his umpires, referee Enda Egan awarded a free out to the relief of the Bornacoola supporters.

Back came Bornacoola with a nice Robert O'Beirne point on the   run and a Mallon free but St Mary's finished the half with points from Harry Glancy and Casey to leave them with a 0-11 to 0-7 halftime lead and in good spirits as they looked the better side.

That mood was shattered inside two minutes of the second half - Cian Mallon walloped a huge two point free over the bar before the kickout was sent back into him. Mallon's shot came crashing off the crossbar but fell nicely for Jim Reilly whose composed finish gave Shannon no chance.

Another wayward kickout allowed Mallon to fire over to put Bornacoola two to the good. Brian McKenna cut the gap with a nice point but Bornacoola were now moving well, Mallon from a free and Sean McKeon hitting points to leave them three clear on 40 minutes.

But Mary's could not be easily shaken off - McKenna landed a long range two and added a free and we were back level again three minutes later before the game went into a bit of a lull, Bornacoola running in veterans Brian Conroy & Aidan Reilly to add to Jonathan Duffy. 

Caolan O'Grady edged St Mary's back in front with yet another free that was moved in for dissent but from the kickout, captain Liam Jones scored a massive point to tie the scores again.

The St Mary's Kiltoghert team who were defeated by Bornacoola team in the Fresh Today Junior C FC Final in Cloone Picture: Willie Donnellan

Jonathan Duffy and Aidan Reilly then both made good claims to be Bornacoola's super sub - Duffy scored from a very tight angle and from that kickout, Reilly fired over to put the Bors two up with just over six minutes left on the clock.

McKenna replied with a free for St Mary's, matched by a Mallon free that was moved in for dissent and when Mallon punished a three man breach with a successful free in the dying seconds of normal time, Bornacoola looked home and hosed as they led by three points.

But St Mary's wouldn't lie down - a foul on Emmet Regan saw McKenna notch his ninth point of the game from a free and a minute later, Caolan O'Grady landed his fifth free of the game to leave just a point in it with still time to be played.

It was all hands on deck now with Bornacoola losing possession and St Mary's looking to get McKenna on the ball, possibly for a two pointer, but Bornacoola's defence held firm and despite officials missing a late St Mary's three man breach, the Bors held firm with the final whistle sounding to start their celebrations.

BORNACOOLA

Scorers: Cian Mallon 0-8, 7f; Sean McKeon 0-4; Jim Reilly 1-0; Jason Conroy, Liam Jones Robbie O’Beirne, Jonathan Duffy & Aidan Reilly 0-1 each 

Team: Shane Conroy, Noel McEnroe, Damian McGuinness, Jack Gannon, Jason Conroy, David Mulligan, Sean McKeon, Gary McCloskey, Liam Jones, Oisin Maguire, Sean O’Riordan, Jim Reilly, Conor Fanning, Cian Mallon, Robbie O’Beirne. Subs: Jonathan Duffy for Maguire (38), Brian Conroy & Aidan Reilly for Reilly & O’Beirne (49), Gearoid Mulligan for D Mulligan (57)

ST MARY’S KILTOGHERT

Scorers: Brian McKenna 0-9, 3f, 2tp; Caolan O’Grady 0-5, 5f; Cian Casey 0-2; Harry Glancy, Emmet Regan & Darragh Gardiner 0-1 each

Team: Daire Shannon, Sean Hayden, Barry Butler, Eoin Gibney, Harry Glancy, Fiach Mac Conmara, Robert O’Donnell, Donnacha Kennedy, Darragh Gardiner, Adam Stanford, Emmet Regan, Brian McKenna, Cian Casey, Caolan O’Grady, Michael Lavin. Subs: Ethan Bohan for Stanford (HT); Hugh Bracken for Hayden (36); Brian O’Donnell for Casey (48); Joey Lowe & Ross McLoughlin for Glancy & (55)

Referee: Enda Egan