Premier 1 MFC: Supersub Lynch helps Glanmire to thrilling victory over Carrigaline

Glanmire 4-12 (4-1-10) Carrigaline 4-9 (4-0-9)

A superb recovery in the closing eight minutes saw sub Liam Lynch land the winner for the hosts in a thrilling Rebel Óg Premier 1 MFC group clash at Glanmire. 

In a game that Carrigaline looked to be coasting in, they fell short in the crucial closing eight minutes as Glanmire finished stronger when defeat stared them in the face.

The home side should have taken the lead in the second minute when Craig Nolan was left unattended when through on goal, but his shot was blocked by Rian Boyle.

Carrigaline looked under pressure in the opening exchanges, but against the run of play they went ahead in the fifth minute courtesy of a magnificent Jack Connolly point.

A minute later the visitors got a great chance of raising the opening green flag, but the Glanmire goalkeeper denied Eoghan Ahern with a quality save.

It took eight minutes for Carrigaline to register their second point from the boot of Cillian Murphy that was immediately followed by a second Connolly white flag.

After going 14 minutes without registering a score Glanmire scored consecutive points to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

Credit to both sides they were playing expansive football but scoring continued to be of a rarity although Carrigaline’s Darragh McSweeney got on the end of a high ball to punch the ball to the net in the 21st minute.

Carrigaline went close again three minutes from the interval when Connolly was put through on goal but just as he was about to pull the trigger, he was denied by an incredible block by the Glanmire full back Finín O’Donovan.

We then witnessed a crazy two minutes when O’Mahony got in behind the Carrigaline defence for a quality goal and another green flag was raised in the 30th minute when Jack Tierney produced a goal right from the top drawer that gave Glanmire a 2-6 to 1-4 interval lead.

On the restart it only took the Carrigaline substitute Isaac Horan one minute to register a goal with his first touch with the Glanmire defence caught napping.

The pressure continued on Glanmire as three consecutive points in a five-minute period edged the visitors ahead by the minimum.

Carrigaline then took over and helped by further goals from Eoghan Ahern and Charlie Hanratty they looked home and hosed when commanding a six-point lead.

Luckily Glanmire responded to the wake-up call, and goals from Cian Daly and the late Lynch secured them maximum points against the odds.

Scorers for Glanmire: B O’Mahony 1-7 (0-4 f ), H Browne 0-4 (1 2 ptf), J Tierney, C Daly, L Lynch 1-0 each, C Galvin 0-1.

Carrigaline: C Hanratty 1-2, E Aherne 1-1, D McSweeney, I Horan 1-0 each, J Connolly 0-3 (0-1 f), C Murphy 0-2, F Walsh 0-1.

GLANMIRE: Z Deane; R Boyle, F O’Donovan, R Dennehy; C Condon, T O’Flynn, K Mulcahy; H Cogan, R Higgins; H Browne, C Galvin, J Tierney; C Nolan, B O’Mahony, D McSweeney.

Subs: L Lynch for C Nolan (50), G Grandon for C Condon (52).

CARRIGALINE: R McGrath; G O’Brien, N O’Keeffe, D Scannell; S Turner, J Shanahan, S Collins; M Kiernan, C Hanratty; F Walsh, E Ahern, L Davis; C Murphy, J Connolly, J Carolan.

Subs: I Horan for J Carolan (h-t), C Murphy for F Walsh (54).

Referee: Simon Stokes, Tullylease.