UL complete great escape in seven-goal thriller
The home outfit, having found themselves two in arrears at the start of the second period of extra-time, were dealt a major blow on 75 minutes when Ian Burke received a red card for an off-the-ball challenge on Aiden Brennan. Throw into the mix the Limerick side were playing into the teeth of a near gale and it appeared the only matter still up for debate was the margin of Maynooth win.
Burke had narrowed the deficit to the minimum prior to his dismissal and the sides were level when UL’s Niall McDermott landed his fourth free. Maynooth had a chance to recapture the lead, but Henry Walsh’s free drifted wide. And when a UL attack broke down in the subsequent passage, two further periods of extra-time looked inevitable. Maynooth, however, stumbled over their lines; Gearóid Hegarty snapped up the loose ball, sent possession in the direction of the unmarked Jack Goulding and the sub fired over the winner in the 79th minute.
Having opted to play against the elements in the opening half, UL trailed the visitors 2-5 to 0-7 at the break – Ryan O’Rourke and Joey Wallace finding the net for Johnny Doyle’s side. It was by no means an insurmountable target, but a second green flag from Wallace, followed as it was by a superb Daniel Flynn goal, propelled Maynooth 4-7 to 0-8 clear within six minutes of the restart. Gearóid Hegarty pulled a goal back for the hosts, but with 50 minutes run on the clock, they were chasing a 4-8 to 1-11 deficit. Niall McDermott squandered a golden opportunity to half the gap when sending a 52nd-minute penalty the wrong side of the crossbar. And while Fergal Boland, Ian Burke and Brendan O’Keefe ate into their opponents’ lead, there was still four between them, 4-10 to 1-15, entering stoppages.
A foul on McDermott handed UL a 62nd-minute penalty, which Kerry’s Michael Geaney duly dispatched. Referee Derek O’Mahoney played two further minutes of additional time, with Fergal Boland splitting the posts to force extra time. Points from Caoimhin O’Reilly (0-2), Ciarán Sheridan and Wallace returned Maynooth four in front early in extra-time. A Shane Murphy goal hauled UL back into contention and somehow they held their nerve to pull through.
N McDermott (0-7, 0-4 frees, 0-1 pen); M Geaney (1-0 pen), S Ryan (1-2 each); F Boland (0-3); G Hegarty (1-0); I Burke (0-1 free), J Naughton (0-1 free), D Daly, B O’Keeffe, J Goulding (0-1 each).
J Wallace (2-2); D Flynn (1-1); R O’Rourke (1-0); H Walsh (0-3 frees), P Cribben (0-3 each); C O’Reilly (0-2, 0-1 free); T Hanifan, P Fogarty (0-1 free), C Sheridan, B Dardis (0-1 each).
B Redmond (Mayo); C Long (Kerry), J Mullins (Cork), S Courtney (Kerry); P White (Limerick), D Quinn (Donegal), F Boland (Mayo); G Hegarty (Limerick), C Sheehan (Limerick); C O’Dea (Clare), D Daly (Kerry), M Geaney (Kerry); J Naughton (Limerick), S Ryan (Kerry), N McDermott (Cavan).
D Brosnan (Kerry) for Courtney (28 mins); I Burke (Galway) for Daly (36); B O’Keefe (Kerry) for O’Dea (42, bc); J Goulding (Kerry) for Naughton (55).
E McDonagh (Sligo); A Brennan (Laois), M Hyland (Kildare), J Mooney (Meath); E Moloney (Tipperary), T Hanifan (Dublin), S McDonagh (Donegal); P Cribben (Kildare), C Gillespie (Meath); D Flynn (Kildare), P Fogarty (Kildare), B Dardis (Meath); R O’Rourke (Leitrim), J Wallace (Meath), H Walsh (Roscommon).
C Cannon (Donegal) for Gillespie (16 mins); D Mimnagh (Longford) for Mooney (HT); C O’Reilly (Cavan) for Fogarty (37) C Murphy (Laois) for Mimnagh (46); C Sheridan (Louth) for Dardis (60, bc); K O’Callaghan (Kildare) for Flynn (62); P Fogarty (Kildare) for Walsh (77).
D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
