Melvin Gaels flirt with disaster against Kiltubrid before extra-time success

The almost invisible line between success and failure never felt so fine as it did last Sunday in Shane McGettigan Park as Melvin Gaels flirted with exiting the Smith Monumentals IFC before turning on the style to blow Kiltubrid away in extra-time of an absorbing Quarter Final replay.

Going into the last ten minutes of a see-saw contest, Kiltubrid were leading by two and were  a man up after a black card for the influential Michael Ferguson. But the Gaels somehow summoned up a miraculous recovery, inspired by sub Peter McGowan and they never looked back.

Once the game got to extra time, they were the team full of running and energy, exploiting a tiring Kiltubrid effort. In fairness, Kiltubrid cut a five point lead back to two with a Karl Winters goal but two late three-pointers from Gary Clancy and Shane McGloin sealed a deserved win for the Kinlough men.

Kiltubrid made  the early running, even if Barry McWeeney and Gary Clancy swapped frees but when Danny McWeeney was taken down for a ninth minute penalty, it looked as if Kiltubrid were taking a decisive grip on the contest. However, Dermot McKeon lifted his spot kick too high, clipping the bar as it went over for a point.

Kiltubrid were creating the most chances but not taking them, Gary Clancy levelling the scores from a free on 17 minutes but then Peter Winters and Fionn O’Brien combined to release Barry McWeeney for a cracking finish to the bottom of the Gaels net.

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That seemed to wake Melvin Gaels up - Shane McGloin lost his balance as he bore down on goal but despite another Barry McWeeney frees, two crucial points from Gary (free) and Declan Clancy meant the scores stood at 1-3 to 0-4 in favour of Kiltubrid at the break, a lead wiped out with three minutes of the second half thanks to points from Philip McGowan and Michael Ferguson (free).

Kiltubrid weren’t about to crumble with Barry & Danny McWeeney scoring excellent points either side of a crucial Noel Gill save from a Philip McGowan goal bound effort. Two Ferguson frees tied the scores and Barry McWeeney and Clancy continued their duel, swapping points.

But after McWeeney drove through for a point on 18 minutes, the game seemed to turn in Kiltubrid’s favour when Michael Ferguson was blacked carded with less than ten minutes of normal time left. A poor kickout was pounced upon by Fionn O’Brien who set up Barry McWeeney for yet another point.

With a man advantage and a two point lead, Kiltubrid should have kicked for home but Melvin Gaels, who had brought Peter McGowan off the bench, were starting to win the breaking ball battle against a tiring Kiltubrid, Gary Clancy converting a free to narrow the gap.

McGowan won a break with less than two minutes left, Gary Clancy’s snap shot from out in the wing went over and we were level again. Momentum was with Melvin Gaels as Clancy dropped a long range free into Noel Gill’s hands and the game went to extra time.

Karl Winters, introduced for extra-time, made a strong impact with a fine point but Melvin Gaels were  motoring and three points from two Ferguson frees and one from Conor Sheridan suddenly had the Kinlough men two clear. Joe McGloin did extremely well to keep a wild shot in play to score from a tight angle but a Barry McWeeney free left the score at 0-15 to 1-10 at halftime of extra-time.

Again Melvin Gaels started with three points from Caolan Clancy, Declan Clancy and Joe McGloin, one of which could have led to a goal but with the Gaels seemingly cruising, Karl Winters rose highest to claim a cross and turned to bury a rocket in the Melvin Gaels to ignite the game once more.

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That left two between the teams but Melvin Gaels response was brilliant as they twice broke from defence at pace with sub Aidan Keegan particularly impressive, setting up Gary Clancy for the first goal and Shane McGloin palming the ball to the net for the second.

The match ended on a sour note, unfortunately if perhaps understandable after three titanic battles over the last two weeks, with Barry McWeeney sent off on a straight red, Danny McWeeney getting  a black card and a yellow for Melvin Gaels’ Jack Ronayne.

MELVIN GAELS

Scorers: Gary Clancy 1-6, 5f; Michael Ferguson 0-5, 5f; Shane McGloin 1-0; Declan Clancy & Joe McGloin 0-2 each; Conor Sheridan, Philip McGowan & Caolan Clancy 0-1 each

Team: Kevin McGloin; Kyle O’Driscoll; Kieran Clancy; Eoghan Gallagher; Shane McGloin; Liam Ryan, Sean McSharry, Michael Ferguson, Conor Sheridan; JJ Lipsett, Declan Clancy; Philip McGowan; Gary Clancy; Caolan Clancy, Jack Roynane. Subs: Joe McGloin for Roynane (37); Gero Gilmartin for E Gallagher (44); Peter McGowan for D Clancy (49); Aidan Keegan for Gilmartin (59); E Gallagher for McSharry (65); Ronayne for Lipsett (79)

KILTUBRID

Scorers: Barry McWeeney 1-7, 3f; Karl Winters 1-1; Dermot McKeon (f) & Danny McWeeney 0-1 each

Team: Noel Gill; Peter Winters; Shane Foley, Eamon Geoghegan; Diarmuid McKiernan, Dermot McKeon, Danny McWeeney; Mick McCormack; James Tighe, Fionn O’Brien; Jack Foley; Ciaran Redican, Barry McWeeney; Con Doyle; Dylan Easterbrook. Subs: Aidan McKiernan for Easterbrook (HT);  Shane Meehan for Redican (47); Patrick Meehan for Doyle (51); Easterbrook for P Winters (71); Doyle for Geoghegan (74)

Referee: Michael McGirl