SFC quarter-final replay: Watters seals dramatic injury-time win for Gaels
September 11, 2017
Sean O'Mahonys' Ben McLaughlin gets the better of David McComish of Dundalk Gaels during the Louth SFC semi-final at McGeough Park, Haggardstown.
DUNDALK GAELS 0-12
SEAN O'MAHONYS 0-11
Sean O'Mahonys reign as Louth Senior Champions was brought to an end in Haggardstown on Sunday night when Dundalk Gaels held on to win by a point in an entertaining quarter-final replay.
The Ramparts side were in impressive form in the first half and established a four-point advantage but they had to withstand a strong second half comeback before booking their place in the last four. In the end it was an injury-time point from Barry Watters that proved the difference between the teams.
After claiming a dramatic late draw in the first game, the Gaels began the game determined to make the most of their second chance and opened the scoring through Derek Crilly before Gerard McSorley and Jamie Faulkner stretched the advantage inside five minutes.
Conor Finnegan got the O'Mahonys off the mark from a free on six minutes before adding a second soon after.
However, the Gaels continued to play the better football and pressed home their advantage with scores from Eanna McArdle and McSorley to make it 0-5 to 0-2 approaching the end of the first quarter.
John O'Brien and Stephen Kilcoyne efforts were cancelled out by McArdle and Crilly before the latter kicked his third of the game to send his team in leading by 0-8 to 0-4 at the break.
The champions came out with renewed determiation in the second half and were soon very much back in contention thanks to efforts from O'Brien and Finnegan, only for the Gaels to reply with efforts from Chris Sweeney and McArdle to make it 0-10 to 0-6.
Once again the Gaels upped the tempo and with the help of two points from Barry Mackin they levelled the game at 11 points apiece with two minutes to play.
Both teams had chances to win the game but it was Barry Watters who proved to be the hero for the Ramparts men as he kicked the final point of the evening to send his side through to the last four.
SEAN O'MAHONYS: Stephen Faulkner; David McComish, Jamie Faulkner 0-1, Daire O'Callaghan; Oisin Murray, Niall McLaughlin, John O'Brien 0-2, Liam Dullaghan; Conor Martin, Shane Brennan; Conor Finnegan 0-3, Ben McLaughlin, Stephen Fisher; Stephen Kilcoyne 0-3, Conor Crawley, Johnny Connolly. Subs: Barry Mackin 0-2 for J Connolly, Johnny Connolly for C Finnegan.
Tweet
