Stunning Allen Gaels comeback shocks Fenagh in Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC

Sport sometimes defies logic and reason and certainly that was the case in Shane McGettigan Park on Saturday evening as a Fenagh St Caillins side who bossed the majority their Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Championship opening round found themselves going home empty handed as a resilient and never say die Allen Gaels produced a stunning rally over the final ten minutes to shock the team many regarded as the presumptive favourites for the title.

A thrilling game went right down to the wire, sub Kieran Kilcline landing a monster two point free after 61 minutes to put Allen Gaels in front before Ciaran McMorrow surged through to land an insurance point that was needed after Riordan O’Rourke scored a fine effort to take the game down to the wire, a dramatic end to a contest that went full gas from the word go and never let up.

Trailing by five points on the 51 minute mark, a gap that should have been much, much more were it not for the heroics of the man of the match Conor Flood, Allen Gaels suddenly burst into incredible life as they outscored Fenagh St Caillins by 1-6 to 0-2 in the final 13 minutes of action to take a stunning victory that will send reverberations around the championship as a team hotly tipped by many to lift the Fenagh Cup were defeated by last year’s Intermediate champions.

Those final minutes were a complete contrast to what went before as Allen Gaels were transformed - thoroughly dominated for the first 50 minutes around the middle of the field, the Drumshanbo outfit struggled to contain a Fenagh full-forward line where Ryan, Ruairi and Riordan O’Rourke looked as if they could get in for goal chances pretty much as they wished. With Donal Wrynn and Colm McLoughlin dominating the midfield sector, the Gaels were living off scraps but they were finding joy against a Fenagh defence that looked under pressure.

Fenagh will have nightmares about this one - my count had Conor Flood making four incredible stops to prevent certain Fenagh goals, one finger-tip save that diverted an Oisin McLoughlin piledriver onto the post the outstanding effort, as the visitors rued their lack of killer instinct in front of the posts. Allen Gaels were wasteful at times too but the quality of the goal chances spurned by his team will cause manager Mickey Graham no end of angst.

The tone of the contest was set early - Ruairi O’Rourke scored a nice, Thomas Mulvey answered with a monster two point before a little bit of fortune shone on the home team when Jake Tobin’s excellent long pass towards Brian Mulvey evaded both his teammate and Fenagh keeper Callum Andrews to end up in the net. Fenagh almost had an instant response but Conor Flood got a touch to divert Oisin McLoughlin’s rocket onto the woodwork and out for a fifty that Andrews put wide, Oisin McLoughlin following up with a miss from a 14 yard free almost in front of the post.

Fenagh, however, were starting to move - Ryan & Ruairi O’Rourke both landed good points with their pace either side of a McLoughlin free but the visitors had an escape when Mulvey got in behind the St Caillins defence again but his flicked effort came off the crossbar. Ruairi O’Rourke levelled with a fisted point before Fenagh won the kickout, Ryan O’Rourke charged down the right wing and fed the ball across to Riordan O’Rourke for an excellently taken goal.

Senan McGowan steadied Allen Gaels with a great point from the corner but Fenagh looked to be taking control when Riordan and Ryan O’Rourke both landed points. Daire McCabe converted two frees before Fenagh finished the half with a flourish, Ryan O’Rourke (2) and corner-back Shane Greenan landing points to give the visitors a 1-10 to 1-5 halftime advantage.

That lead was eaten into fairly quickly in the second half, a jersey pull on Ciaran McMorrow resulting in a penalty expertly converted by Jake Tobin. Oisin McLoughlin replied with a point but Allen Gaels saw Senan McGowan land a big two point free. Conor Flood came to Allen Gaels’ rescue when he made a vital interception to prevent a simple tap in as Fenagh came charging through and he made another brilliant diving save from a Ryan O’Rourke shot. Still, Fenagh’s lead stretched with Andrew landing a two point free before Riordan and Ryan O’Rourke (2) scored points to take the lead to six points on 42 minutes.

In that period, there was goalmouth chances at both ends, a Ciaran Walsh fisted effort knocked away while Ruairi O’Rourke put a goal chance wide at the other end but it was a massive score when sub Kieran Kilcline landed a huge two pointer. But Fenagh again responded, Andrews celebrating with glee after he converted another two point free on 47 minutes. Jake Tobin showed nice footwork to dodge his way past a defender to score from distance before Ryan O’Rourke left Fenagh five clear after 51 minutes.

There was no sign of an immediate change in fortunes despite Senan McGowan’s brilliant snap shot that landed a two pointer, Ryan O’Rourke instantly responding for Fenagh but with less than four minutes to go, Jake Tobin’s wonderful pass found Daire McCabe in behind the cover and the corner-forward made no mistake. Now the Drumshanbo crowd were coming alive as they trailed by a point but it looked as if their hopes were dealt a big blow when full-back Kyle Flynn was sent off for a challenge on Eoin McLoughlin.

Ciaran McMorrow put a chance wide but, over a minute into added time, the Gaels hit the front when Kilcline was fouled and he landed a huge two point free. Ciaran McMorrow fisted over almost immediately as a ravenous Allen Gaels won the kickout and despite a fine point from Riordan O’Rourke, they could get no closer as Allen Gaels celebrated a famous victory.

ALLEN GAELS

Scorers: Jake Tobin 2-1, 1 pen; Senan McGowan 0-5, tpf, tp; Daire McCabe 1-2, 2f; Kieran Kilcline 0-4, tpf, tp; Thomas Mulvey 0-2, tp; Ciaran McMorrow & Caleb Duffy 0-1 each

Team: Conor Flood, Adrian Sorohan, Kyle Flynn, Martin Raftery, Mark Gunning, Jake Tobin, Thomas Mulvey, Caleb Duffy, Arek Oberwan, Ciaran Walsh, Brian Mulvey, Senan McGowan, Daire McCabe, Colin Moran, Ciaran McMorrow. Subs: Kieran Kilcline for Gunning (36); Sean Lynch for T Mulvey (46)

FENAGH ST CAILLINS

Scorers: Ryan O’Rourke 0-8, 1f; Riordan O’Rourke 1-3; Callum Andrews 0-4, 2 tpf; Ruairi O’Rourke 0-3; Oisin McLoughlin 0-2, 1f; Shane Greenan 0-1

Team: Callum Andrews, Killian Mulvey, Gary Butler, Shane Greenan, Eoin McLoughlin, Caillin O’Rourke, Dara Greenan, Donal Wrynn, Colm McLoughlin, Ryan O’Rourke, James Gilheaney, Fergal McLoughlin, Ruairi O’Rourke, Oisin McLoughlin, Riordan O’Rourke. Subs: Daniel McLoughlin for F McLoughlin (46)

Referee: Mark McCloskey