Last minute goal sees Killeagh through as Na Piarsaigh crash out of Senior A HC
Na Piarsaigh's Eddie Gunning tangles with Killeagh's Gary Leahy. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
KILLEAGH advanced to the quarter finals after last gasp drama, with Patrick O’Brien’s goal securing a draw, enough to knock Na Piarsaigh out on scoring difference and get Killeagh through to the Senior AHC knockout phases.
The game was scintillating from start to finish, with both teams giving absolutely everything on the evening in Cobh.
It was a game where both could have won, but in the end, they shook hands on a point apiece. Unfortunately for the northsiders, it meant group stage elimination.
Ross O’Sullivan opened Na Piarsaigh’s account with his early free, and after four minutes Dylan McCarthy equalised with a place ball of his own.
Eoghan Keniry created the first goal chance of the game, as he ran through and shot across goal at Alan Hogan, but the Na Piarsaigh goalkeeper did enough to keep it out.
McCarthy gave the east Cork outfit the lead from his third free in the 13th minute, before Eoghan Keniry and Gary Leahy pointed, with the latter getting two from play to give them a 0-6 to 0-2 lead.
The northsiders eventually ended Killeagh’s scoring run with a long-range free from Eoin Moynihan, before getting the first goal of the game through Shane Forde.
In a brilliant display of pace and agility, Forde darted his way through the Killeagh defence, and his shot was too powerful for Philip O’Neill.
The goal spurred them into life, as points from Kevin Moynihan and O’Sullivan put them two ahead after 24 minutes.
O’Sullivan nearly managed a second goal for Piarsiaghs, but his powerful strike was slimly wide of the mark.
Daire Connery split the posts excellently after powering through three challanges and striking from distance, as Killeagh struggled to recover from the goal, and now trailed by five.
Seán Walsh finished off a nice move from Killeagh at the end of the half to get them back on the track, with Na Piarsaigh ahead 1-8 to 0-7 after the first period of play.
Upon the restart they traded frees, while Keniry pounced on a Piarsaigh mistake to get a big score for Killeagh.
Colm Leahy’s point on the turn lifted the entire Killeagh team, and McCarthy followed it up with his first from play to get the Imokilly club within one.
With momentum on Killeagh’s side they looked invincible, and Na Piarsaigh seemingly had no answer to their physicality, as Keniry levelled it on minute 40. McCarthy restored their lead from a 65, as Na Piarsaigh continued to struggle in the second half.
Moynihan’s free levelled the game once again, as Na Piarsaigh finally got to grips with the game. The two were still locked in a tense battle, and hardly ever separated by more than two points heading into the final quarter.
Each time the northsiders pointed Killeagh had an answer, with Dylan McCarthy’s second effort from play in the 50th minute being the pick of the scores, though Ryan McCarthy went one better with a sideline cut from 50 metres out that put Killeagh in front.
Luke Sheehan’s 52nd minute equaliser raised the stakes to a new high, with an atmosphere akin to a championship final in everything but name.
Connery put Piarsaighs back in front with a breathtaking free from his own 45 with just minutes to go, and as Moynihan and Evan Sheehan pointed, it looked as though they had done enough to win it.
With almost the last puck of the game, McCarthy dropped the ball in deep from a free, and after a scramble on the Na Piarsaigh goal line, O’Brien got it in to snatch the all-important draw.
D McCarthy 0-10 (0-7 f 0-1 65), E Keniry 0-3, P O’Brien 1-0, G Leahy, S Walsh 0-2 each, C Leahy R McCarthy (sideline) 0-1 each.
E Moynihan 0-8 (0-7 f), K Moynihan, R O’Sullivan (1 f) 0-3 each, S Forde 1-0, D Connery (1 f) L Sheehan 0-2 each, E Sheehan 0-1.
P O’Neill; S Long, P O’Brien, D Hogan; R McCarthy, K Murphy, G Walsh Wallace; Ciarán Leahy, S Walsh; D Walsh, E Keniry, S Smiddy, Colm Leahy, G Leahy, D McCarthy.
D O’Brien for Walsh Wallace (h-t), E Lane for S Walsh (50), A Leahy for D Walsh (53).
A Hogan; P Murphy, E Gunning, C Flynn; G Joyce, D Connery, C Buckley; D Gunning, E Moynihan; K Buckley, C Hanifin, K Moynihan; R O’Sullivan, P Rourke, S Forde.
L Sheehan for Hanifin (44), E Sheehan for Rourke (48), G Healy for Flynn (50).
Ciaran O’Regan (Ballyhea).
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