Navan O’Mahony’s 0-10 St Colmcilles 1-12

Never judge a book by the cover and don’t always judge a game by the scoreboard. With seconds to go on the clock, this Reserve Cup Final under a full moon in Páirc Uí Rís was anyone’s game. A last-minute goal sealed it for the hosts.

Less than a minute after the throw in, Shane McCarthy registered the first score of the game with a well-taken point. A few minutes later, full forward Jack McConnell pushed Navan O’Mahony’s in front with two scores including an impressive forty yard shot. Just before the ten-minute mark, Clayton O’Sullivan left four between the sides.

A five-minute spell saw St Colmcilles come into the game and they soon narrowed the deficit to two points. The next ten minutes saw the sides back level again for the first time, with the hosts adding four points and McConnell and McCarthy adding to the Navan O’Mahony’s tally.

A spectacular effort, almost from the end line from Colm O’Toole gave Navan O’Mahony’s the edge at the interval. While the Brews Hill side will be left rueing missed chances in the first half, they could equally have gone in down at the break only for interventions from Evan Brady and Darren Reilly when St Colmcilles looked tom be through on goal

Navan O’Mahony’s 0-07 St Colmcilles 0-06

Quick out of the traps, St. Colmcilles equalised after three minutes and took the lead for the first time in the game after nine. It was always midway through the half when McConnell opened the scoring for Navan O’Mahony’s, converting a free to leave the sides level again.

With eight minutes remaining on the scoreboard, St Colmcilles had pushed themselves to a two-point lead. Navan O’Mahony’s had plenty of chances to reduce the deficit, thanks in no small part to good runs by the three Jacks – Flynn, McConnell and Bellamy –, McCarthy, Thomas Cully and substitute Ciaran Fitzsimons. Scores were hard to come by however, and when Flynn narrowed it to a single score, the hosts matched it to go ahead by two again. With two minutes to go, it was déjà vu as Flynn scored again, followed quickly by a Colmcilles score. 

Running out of time, it looked like Navan O’Mahony’s couldn’t win the game without that elusive goal. Unfortunately for Damien Moran and Rory Maguire’s lads, the goal came the other end, putting an end to Navan O’Mahony’s chances and leaving the scoreboard a harsh reflection on a very tight game.  

O'Mahonys: Niall Devlin, Riordan Russell, Evan Brady, Darren Reilly, Niall McGrane, Jack Bellamy, Colm O’Toole (0-01), Ciaran Vaughan, Jack Flynn (0-02), Shane McCarthy (0-02), Eoin Joyce, Thomas Cully, Ronan Clarke, Jack McConnell (0-04), Clayton O’Sullivan (0-01)

Subs: Jack Quinn for O’Sullivan, Robbie Keelaghan for Clarke, Ciaran Fitzsimons for Russell

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