Oldcastle claim the title in extra time
Oldcastle 0-22 Ballinlough 1-14 (AET)
Jesus Christ, Oldcastle don’t do things the easy way! Playing with the breeze in the first half, they were well ahead at the break, points from Conor Delaney, Pearse Sheridan, Kyle Kavanagh and five from the on-fire Keith Connell leaving the lads 0-10 to 0-04 up at halftime in the Rays Roofing and Renovations Div 7 FL Final played in Moylagh on Sunday evening (20 July 2024)
Division 7 League Final.
Ballinlough must have got a good talking to as they came out and got a goal within minutes. Pearse Sheridan pointed a free, and Kyle Kavanagh another, but Ballinlough started getting into the game, putting over three unanswered points. Rian Mulvanny was in top form this evening, and pulled off some Houdini-like saves. Another point from Kyle Kavanagh, but Ballinlough came again, Harry Ryan point frees from all angles, and gradually catching the Oldcastle lads. Pearse Sheridan pointed, but so did they, until finally Harry Ryan got the equaliser! A tense few minutes ensued, with chances for both sides, but when Ref Ray Tynan finally blew the whistle for full time, it was all level, Oldcastle -0-14, Ballinlough 1-11.
So extra time beckoned, and Pearse Sheridan was first on the scoreboard, a fine point, followed by another from Ben Grey, Keith Connell adding another soon after. Ballinlough came back with two frees, in a match that was getting increasingly fraught, with both sides losing lads to red cards, one for Oldcastle and two for Ballinlough. At the end of the first ten of extra time, it was still as tight as a very tight thing, Oldcastle leading by just a point.
Into the last ten minutes, and Harry Ryan pointed a free for Ballinlough, to level things once again. Oldcastle at last woke up, with a fine point from Paddy Gilsenan, and with just five minutes left, that same Paddy Gilsenan made a lovely run upfield and pointed once more, and with that the fight went out of Ballinlough, with Lee Healy, Keith and Pearse adding on more points in the final minutes to seal the deal, the Division 7 Champions on a scoreline of Oldcastle 0-22, Ballinlough 1-14.
Oldcastle: Rian Mulvanny, Lloyd Colleran, Louis Colleran, Darren Hawdon, Lee Healy (0-01), Conor Hetherton, Cillian Connell, Pearse Sheridan (0-07), Ross Cadden (Captain), Tom Lynch, Conor Delaney (0-01), Keith Connell (0-07), Rory Crawley, JP Purcell, Kyle Kavanagh (0-03). Subs: Ben Grey (0-01), Terry Farrelly, Barry Curran, Paul Hennessey, Paddy Gilsenan (0-02), Paddy Rahill, Fionn McCabe, Ryan Kevin.