Navan fend off Dungannon’s brave fightback

St Patrick’s, Navan 1-11, St Patrick’s, Dungannon 1-10

Navan had been leading for the entire game, resting on the cushion of an early goal, until the 54th minute when Raymond Mulgrew’s goal levelled matters.

The next six minutes were fraught. Dungannon had spent the second-half chipping away at Navan’s healthy lead, and were playing at a different level. Meath teams have a tradition of fighting their way out of corners and that is exactly what they did. Cian Ward and Shane O’Rourke held their nerve to kick points, the defence stood their ground in the face of relentless pressure in the frenetic final minute. And St Pat’s Navan claimed another Hogan Cup under the guidance of Colm O’Rourke, Shane’s father.

O’Rourke watched his son score a magical goal mid-way through the first half, the goal that ensured Navan spent most of the game out of touch. Navan had already soared into a lead, 0-4 to 0-1, with Cian Ward and Stephen O’Toole showing some flair in the early stages.

In the 16th minute, the ball broke to Shane O’Rourke on the wing. Holding off his marker, He embarked on a 40-yard dash which he finished with aplomb, almost bursting the seams of the net with his shot. It was a fine goal and disheartened Dungannon even further.

The Ulster side were nervous in the early stages, reflected in the fact they fired six wides in the first 11 minutes. They would shoot two more before half-time, and many of those eight kicks would have been points on a different day. It is certainly a point the Dungannon players were brooding on afterwards.

Navan were flying in the first half, Ward knocked over three points in swift succession and heading for half-time, the Meath side were 1-7 to 0-1 up. Some Navan supporters ignited premature celebrations by lighting a flare. For a moment, Parnell Park was hosting the Istanbul derby, as a dusty smoke shrouded the ground.

The distraction lifted the Tyrone players more, and Karl McGuickin and James Lavery kicked a couple of scores to give Dungannon some hope in the second half as they went into their dressing-rooms, 1-7 to 0-3 down.

Dungannon came out a different team in the second half. Where Navan dominated midfield in the first half, now the Ulster side lorded this vital sector. Raymond Mulgrew was particularly impressive, notching 1-2 in their comeback. The possession Mulgrew and Edward Laverty were winning was being turned into quality ball, and the likes of Lavery and James Grimley were profiting.

Martin Murray was also beginning to torment the Navan defence with piercing runs from wing-back. It was Murray’s long punt that Mulgrew seized upon to score the goal and complete the fight-back. Navan had managed to keep their heads above water, mostly through the fine talent of Ward.

Mulgrew’s equaliser set up a nervous final minutes. Both O’Rourke and Ward showed no signs of nerves when they kicked two badly-needed scores. Murray, Mulgrew and Grimely all tried to find a route back into the match for Dungannon, but the Navan defence, held together by the excellent Kevin Reilly, resisted and St Pat’s were going back to Meath, celebrating their third Hogan Cup in five years.

Scorers: Navan: C Ward (0-6, 2 frees), S O’Rourke(1-1), P Smyth(0-2), S O’Toole, C O’Dwyer (0-1 each) Dungannon: R Mulgrew(1-2), J Grimley(0-4, all frees), K McGuickin (0-2), J Lavery, C O’Neill(0-1 each).

Navan: M Gaffney; C McGuiness, K Reilly, B O’Donnell, N McMahon, P Murray, D Corcoran; B Meade, C Kenny; S O’Toole, H Finnegan, S O’Rourke, C O’Dwyer, C Ward, P Smyth Subs: Reilly for Murray(13 mins), C Byrne for V Reilly(52 mins).

DUNGANNON: P laverty; R McGurk, D Lynch, P Girvan, D McCaul, S O’Hagan, M Murray; E Laverty, R Mulgrew; C O’Neill, C Donnelly, K McGuickin, J Grimley, J Lavery, P Forker Subs: B Donaghy for Lynch(h-t), O Coyle for McGuickin(41 mins), B O’Neill for O’Hagan(51 mins), C Bayne for C O’Neill(58 mins).

Referee P McEnaney (Monaghan).