Leitrim Gaels snatch Junior B league crown with dramatic finish
Allen Gaels 2-12 Leitrim Gaels 1-16
Leitrim Gaels reached right into the fire and pulled out victory with a last-minute goal in this electric Division Two reserve final against Allen Gaels on Friday evening.
Kiltubrid GAA field hosted a brilliant game that showcased everything that makes junior football so compelling.
A last-minute goal broke Allen Gaels' hearts as they saw a five-point lead dissolve with seven minutes to go in the game.
Leitrim Gaels threw everything they had at them and managed to find a Brian Goldrick 2-pointer, a score from Shane Finn, finished off with a James Shanley goal to snatch the game at the death.
The story of the game will ultimately be Leitrim Gaels' last-minute heroics and a dramatic sending off of Liam Moreton; however, Allen Gaels deserve to be far more than a footnote because the standard of their football was exceptional.
The Drumshanbo men started with the momentum but couldn’t convert it into scores as they saw four shots head wide of the posts in the first five minutes.
No such issue for Leitrim Gaels, who bagged their first point through an Oisin Curley free on four minutes.
A Jake Tobin point got Allen Gaels on the board on seven minutes before Leitrim Gaels hit back with a lovely worked move involving Sean Gaffney and Donal Moreton, which ended with a James Shanley point.
Allen Gaels were playing nice fast football with kick passes going in early to their target man, Dara McCabe, who was winning out in front.
Still, Allen Gaels looked slightly ragged in the final third as a Wayne Gunning shot went wide of the post.
Any nerves were soon forgotten on nine minutes when the ball was flicked across the square to Alan Wynne, who riffled it into the net with about four Leitrim Gaels men closing in on him.
Buoyed by the momentum of the goal, Allen Gaels hit the next two without reply through a lovely Thomas Mulvey point from just inside the arch and a Senan McGowan free from off the right-hand side, which was well won by Daire McCabe, who fought well to keep the ball under pressure inside.
When Leitrim Gaels were under the gun and needed something to break the tide, wing-forward Daniel O’Sullivan stepped up as a really bright spark on their right-hand side, carrying the ball well, putting in tackles and feeding a lovely kick pass across the field to corner forward Sean Gaffney, who slotted over from 13 metres.
Leitrim Gaels brought a real bite to the game, which at times spilt over, like on fifteen minutes when Sean Gaffney picked up a yellow card for some off-the-ball action.
But they brought some real flair to the game as Eunan Treacy slipped inside the arch and swung over a point after finding some space with some lovely jinky footwork.
Drumshanbo continued to look dangerous. Colm Moran almost found the net, but he saw his shot come back off the post from 13 metres.
Robbie Casey stormed up the field to hammer over a massive two-pointer that was met with a ripple of applause from the crowd.
That was followed up by a point from the right boot of Fionn Curley and another point fromJames Shanley.
Tiredness was setting in at the end of the half with a few balls going astray and discipline slipping as Fionn Curley hit Senan McGowan with a clattering challenge.
Leitrim Gaels went down to 14 men just before the break when Liam Moreton was called up by the referee for an incident off the ball. The referee flashed a black card, which incensed the Leitrim Village man, who proceeded to kick the referee in the leg and was promptly sent off.
Allen Gaels finished the half out strong with a two-pointer from Colm Moran and another goal chance, this time from Daire McCabe, who cut down along the Leitrim Gaels endline, rode a number of defenders' tackles, only to be denied at point blank range by Leitrim Gaels keeper Dermot Daly.
The second half started in the inverse of the first with Leitirm Gaels missing four shots in a row before hitting their mark on 36 minutes courtesy of a James Shanley point off the right boot.
Senan McGowan knocked over a free in return for Allen Gaels, which was brought up to the 13-metre line for dissent.
Allen Gaels kicked on from here and took control of the game with Jake Tobin adding another point, and Senan McGowan fired over two free kicks in quick succession.
Leitrim Gaels were not without their chances, but Allen Gaels were all over them at the back, and Oisin McGarry was very impressive in the Drumshanbo goal, taking a high ball in a crowd and sweeping up dangerous balls over the top well off his line.
Senan McGowan knocked over another free for Allen Gaels while his opposition number, Connor McLoughlin, had to go off the field with a horrific-looking cramp.
Sean Gaffney knocked over a much-needed point to stem the Allen Gaels' momentum before Fionn Curley added another to bring them back within two points heading into the last ten minutes.
Allen Gaels looked to have taken the game by the horns with a beautifully worked goal with five minutes to go as corner-back Evan Foley found himself punching a hole in the Leitrim Gaels defence before a skilful hand-off under pressure put Alan Wynne in for his second goal, which he stuck into the top corner.
Despite being a man down and behind by five points in the closing minutes, Leitrim Gaels threw everything at the frantically defending Allen Gaels.
They came up with an inspired 2-pointer from Brian Goldrick and a point fromShane Finn, who darted up the field to take on the shot from just inside the arch.
They kept plugging, and a powerful run from Fionn Curley saw him break down the endline, ride the tackle of about five Drumshanbo men before his shot was saved by Oisin McGarry in the Allen Gaels goal.
The run wasn't in vain, however, as the deflected shot dropped into the path of the on-rushing James Shanley, who slotted into the net to snatch victory for Leitrim Gaels.
Allen Gaels
Oisin McGarry, Cian Byrne, Marc Gunning, Evan Foley, Shane Beirne, Stephan Kilcommons, Eoin Guckian, Wayne Gunning, Thomas Mulvey, Colm Moran, Jake Tobin, Senan McGowan, Raymond McGarry, Alan Wynne, Daire McCabe.
Scorers: Alan Wynne 2-0; Senan McGowan 0-5, 5f; Dara McCabe 0-1; Thomas Mulvey 0-2, 2f; Colm Moran 0-2; Jake Tobin 0-2.
Leitrim Gaels: Dermot Daly, Frank Cullen, Shane Finn, Rian Goldrick, Aaron McLoughlin, Robbie Casey, Michael Connolly, Geroid Curley, Conor McLoughlin, Donal Moreton, James Shanley, Fionn Curley, Sean Gaffney, Eunan Treacy, Oisin Curley. Subs: Ronan Connolly for Donal Moreton (48); Paddy Keane for Daniel O’Sullivan (47); Jamie Ryan for Sean Gaffney (52).
Scorers
Oisin Curley 0-1; James Shanley 1-4; Sean Gaffney 0-2; Eunan Treacy 0-1; Robbie Casey 0-2, 1tp; Fionn Curley 0-3; Brian Goldrick 0-2, 1tp; Shane Finn 0-1.