SFC quarter-final: O'Mahony's comeback reels in O Raghallaighs
August 31, 2015
Stephen Kilcoyne Sean O'Mahonys
O RAGHALLAIGHS 3-8
SEAN O'MAHONYS 1-14
Sean O'Mahonys produced a wonderful second half comeback to force a replay against O Raghallaighs in a well-contested quarter-final clash in Dunleer on Sunday evening.
With 20 minutes remaining the Drogheda side looked destined for the last four when a Ben Rogan goal put them seven points clear. However, not for the first time the O'Mahonys displayed their never-say-die qualities and they battled back to claim a draw with the help of a Ben McLaughlin goal.
Indeed, the Dundalk men looked to have won the game thanks to a late Stephen Kilcoyne point, but to O Raghallaighs snatched a draw thanks to a Ben Rogan free in injury time.
In what proved to be an entertaining encounter, it was the O'Mahonys who settled quicker and pointed through Kilcoyne and Liam Dullaghan before Barry Flanagn and Ruairi Moore levelled.
The Seans regained their advantage through Stephen Fisher and Kilcoyne before they suffered a setback when Ben Rogan fired home the opening goal from a penalty.
The Point Road side recovered from that blow with the next two scores to lead by 0-6 to 1-2.
That advantage didn't last too long as Eoin Moore found space to add a second goal and they had the better of the remainder of the half to go in leading by 2-4 to 0-7.
The Drogheda men maintained that momentum in the early stages of the second half with points from Ruairi Moore and Rogan, before the latter got through for his second goal to make it 3-6 to 0-8.
At that stage there looked to be now way back for the O'Mahonys but they proved the doubters wrong as Fisher and Kilcoyne led the comeback. McLaughlin's goal edged them ahead in the closing minutes before Ruairi Moore levelled the game.
In an exciting finish, Kilcoyne thought he had won it only for Rogan to cancel out that effort with a free that sent the game to a replay.
SEAN O'MAHONYS: Kevin Brennan; Ronan Byrne, Barry O'Brien, Kurt Murphy; Garry Mulligan, John O'Brien, Keith McLaughlin 0-1; Conor Martin, Shane Brennan; Liam Dullaghan 0-1, Peter Nixon, Conor Finnegan 0-2; Stephen Kilcoyne 0-3, Conor Crawley, Stephen Fisher 0-5. Subs: Mickey Clarke for B O'Brien, John Connolly for P Nixon, Ben McLaughlin 1-2 for L Dullaghan.
O RAGHALLAIGHS: Stephen Smith; Stephen Murphy, James Morgan, Stephen Kermode; Andrew Rogan, Ciaran Brassil, Alan Doyle; Eoin Morrison, James Moonan; Eoin Moore 1-1, Chris Smith, Ruairi Moore 0-4; Ben Rogan 2-1, Craig McEnteggart 0-1, Barry Flanagan 0-1. Subs: Robert Mulroy for A Rogan, Damhan Finnegan for C McEnteggart.
