Kiltubrid rescue draw as Allen Gaels fail to drive home advantage

Kiltubrid hit the last four points to deny favourites Allen Gaels victory in Saturday's  entertaining Smith Monumentals IFC clash in Pairc Cil Tiobraid.

A draw looked highly unlikely with just seven minutes to go as the Drumshanbo men edged four points clear but displaying real urgency and real battling spirit, Kiltubrid dragged themselves back from the brink of the relegation mire and into the playoffs with a determined finish.

As much as Kiltubrid deserved their draw, Allen Gaels will wonder if they've got a problem in finishing out games. It is not the first time this year it has happened as they fail to kill off games they are dominating - do that and they'll be very hard stopped for the rest of the competition but until then, it remains an Achilles heel.

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The early action was frantic and high paced from both sides but with no scores until County player Stephen McLoughlin hooked over a good shot. The wides mounted with both sides missing efforts before Barry McWeeney fired over a free.

Martin Raftery opened Allen Gaels' account with a fine long range score just a minute later and that seemed to be the way the game was going with a few sudden bursts of scoring. Fionn O'Brien blasted over from distance before Ciaran Walsh burst through to score, a goal possibly on.

Kiltubrid remained two clear when Fionn O'Brien set up his brother Iarlaith for a good score but with six minutes left in the half, the game took a definite turn when Colin Moran's shot crashed high up off the crossbar.

When the ball fell to earth, Ciaran McMorrow made up huge ground to fist the ball to the net for a Gaels goal and in the following minutes, he added two points, the first set up by a wonderful low catch from Radek Oberwan.

Ciaran Walsh also cracked a shot off the crossbar and Jake Tobin saw a shot blocked as Allen Gaels' tactical switch that saw Oberwan move into full-forward and Brian Mulvey move to midfield to win the possession battle paid big dividends for the Drumshanbo men.

That left Allen Gaels with a  1-4 to 0-4 halftime lead but Emmet Mahon reduced that with a lovely point on the spin inside the first minute. Shane Beirne replied with an equally impressive effort from the corner a minute later.

Jake Tobin had two wides from good chances before Martin Raftery found the range again from distance to put the Gaels four clear but Kealan McKeon, from a short fifty, scored a fine point to reduce the gap back to a goal. Barry McWeeney cut the gap further from a free but sub Caleb Duffy made an instant impact, spinning to fire over the bar. McMorrow restored the four point gap from a free but McWeeney replied in kind on 46 minutes.

Another McWeeney free reduced the gap back to two again but the Gaels seemed to be striking clear when McMorrow converted a free and Duffy claimed a mark which he converted with just over seven minutes left.

That left Allen Gaels four points clear and seemingly in control but a fine point from Jack Foley from the left corner seemed to awaken something in Kiltubrid as they began to charge into the game and it took a fine save from Conor Flood to deny Fionn O'Brien a spectacular goal with just over five minutes left.

Allen Gaels missed two chances to extend their lead and Kiltubrid made them pay with Barry McWeeney scoring a free from the corner after a foul on Stephen McLoughlin before the youngster scored a wonder point, Ralph McKeown's pass after a Gaels clearance was blocked.

That left a point in it and with the crowd now very vocal, Kiltubrid surged forward at every opportunity. They eventually worked a long ball to Fionn O'Brien out in the left corner and he cleverly claimed the mark to tie the scores. Allen Gaels worked one final chance to grab a winner but McMorrow was unable to rise the ball high enough as they match ended in a draw.

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KILTUBRID

Scorers: Barry McWeeney 0-6, 5f; Fionn O'Brien 0-2, 1M; Stephen McLoughlin, Jack Foley, Iarlaith O'Brien, Emmet Mahon & Kealan McKeon 0-1 each

Team: Noel Gill, Eamon Geoghegan, Peter Winters, Diarmuid McKiernan, Dermot McKeon, Stephen McLoughlin, Shane Foley, Michael McCormack, Jack Foley, Fionn O'Brien, Barry McWeeney, Danny McWeeney, Kealan McKeon, Emmet Mahon, Fionn O'Brien. Subs: Ralph McKeown for K McKeon (40); James Tighe for I. O'Brien (50)

ALLEN GAELS

Scorers: Ciaran McMorrow 1-4, 2f; Caleb Duffy (M) & Martin Raftery 0-2 each; Shane Beirne & Ciaran Walsh 0-1 each

Team: Conor Flood, Adrian Sorohan, Mark Gunning, Martin Raftery, David Wynne, Kyle Flynn, Shane Walsh, Emmet Moran, Radek Oberwan, Shane Beirne, Jake Tobin, Ciaran Walsh, Ciaran McMorrow, Brian Mulvey, Colin Moran. Subs: Caleb Duffy & Thomas Mulvey for Oberwan & E Moran (40); Arek Oberwan for S Beirne (47); Cian Dennis for C Moran (52)

Referee: Michael McGirl