JFC quarter-final: Mitchels and Stabannon must do it again
August 31, 2015
Anthony Byrne - Stabannon Parnells
JOHN MITCHELS 1-6
STABANNON PARNELLS 1-6
Stabannon Parnells snatched a draw in injury after John Mitchels had led for long periods in a Junior Championship quarter-final that will be best remembered for the excitement in the closing stages rather than the quality on show in Tallanstown on Saturday evening.
In the first half that was dominated by the far hungrier John Mitchels, the first score didn't come until the 18th minutes when Ben O'Brien player fisted to the net to give the Mitchels the advantage.
The game should have over as a contest by half time but with 10 wides, the Mitchels only led 1-3 to 1-1 as a Niall Cluskey goal kept Stabannon in the game.
Stabannon closed the gap to a point early in the second half thanks to an Aidan Shevlin free but a couple of Diurmuid Durnin points had the Ballyballie men ahead by three points with ten minutes to go.
Stabannon levelled the game with three minutes to go thanks to three Aidan Shevlin frees but the Mitchels went ahead with a minute to go only for Shevlin to equalise in injury time to send the tie to a replay.
STABANNON: Gavin Sweeney, Alan Lynch, Sean Halpenny, Ken Lynch, Conor Fanning, Niall Cluskey 1-0, Anthony Byrne, Peter Shearman, Shane Sweeney, Aonghus Giggins, Peter Lynch, Cathal Halpenny, Anthony Byrne, David Cluskey, Thomas McBride 0-1, Aidan Shevlin 0-5. Subs: Andrew Mackin for K Lynch, Ciaran Shevlin for P Lynch, Barry Lynch for T McBride.
JOHN MITCHELS: David Anderson; Ryan Carroll, John Davitt, Conal Keenan; Brendan McDonnell 0-1, Rory Durnin, Mitchell Keenan; James Clarke, Conor Reilly 0-1; Aaron Keely, Ben O'Brien 1-0, Kevin Gallagher 0-2; Diarmuid Durnin 0-2, Stephen Coyle, Robbie Coyle. Subs: Phil Smith for R Coyle, Anto Coyle, Emmett Farrell, Aaron Kane, Ryan Cahill, Barry Kirk, Emmett Ward, Gerry Maguire, Gary Aylward.
