Close encounter in Millbrook

Oldcastle 1-07 Dunshaughlin 2-03

An underwhelming first half saw Oldcastle a point head ahead at the break, with scores from Garrett O’Reilly, Keith Connell and CJ Healy, and despite being a man down for ten minutes in the Div 2 FL game played in Millbrook (13 April 2024). The second-half was a more entertaining, if fractious affair. Dunshaughlin levelled it, but a foul on Conor Delaney soon after saw CJ put Oldcastle ahead again with the conversion. Dunshaughlin came back with a point to level it again, but with only eight minutes of normal time left, they also banged in a goal to go three ahead! Oldcastle chased the game, attacking again and again, but without scoring, and with tempers fraying, Dunshaughlin lost two men to cards. Oldcastle never gave up, even with normal time up they kept the pressure on, and a super Ben Grey intercept got the ball on to Garrett O’Reilly: he had no option but to take his point. Still two down and with the clock ticking, it was do or die and Oldcastle did! A sideline fracas saw the referee throw up the ball: it was Dylan Garrigan who came out of the melee at speed, ball in hand, on to CJ who chipped her into the goal area, and from the mass of bodies there it was the soaring Oran Mulvanny who got the hand to her and finished to the back of the net! No time for a response, as the referees whistle blew on an Oldcastle victory by the narrowest of margins!

Oldcastle: Conor McHugh, Oran O’Reilly, Cian McPartland, Darren Hawdon, Lee Healy, James Cooke, Dylan Garrigan, Oran Mulvanny, Pearse Sheridan, Ronan Maguire, Conor Delaney, Keith Connell, Rory Crawley, CJ Healy, Garrett O’Reilly. Subs: Paddy Gilsenan, Louis Colleran, Ben Grey.