Davitts secure top spot with late Gallagher winner
Davitts line up for the national anthem before the game against Hollymount/Carramore. Picture: Conor McKeown
A home quarter-final for the intermediate footballers of Davitts was secured in dramatic late fashion under lights in Garrymore as Dylan Gallagher snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. On an evening not conducive to good football, his side was trailing by a single point with just two minutes remaining as Hollymount/Carramore looked set for victory but an enormous kick from the Davitts corner forward drew the sides level, his team’s first point of the second half.
Then two minutes into injury time, Gallagher struck again, this time a free and from the resulting kickout, referee Eamon McAndrew blew for full-time.
“Very pleased with the result. It wasn’t exactly summer conditions under lights this evening in Garrymore.” said their veteran centre-back Colm Boyle afterwards to the . “That was pure championship. It was raw, it was very different from our first two games played in summary conditions. Tonight was the opposite. Howling wind and rain.” continued the four-time All-Star award winner.
“In fairness to our opponents, they were by far the better team in the first half, hungrier in the tackle, turned us over, and looked dangerous up front. We had a chat at half-time. In fairness we upped it, we probably got a little bit of luck. We found it very difficult to get shots away against the strong breeze but we came late with two big scores.
“We had only a penalty scored up until Dylan kicked a huge score from the left-hand side that got us into gear. That got us level and the end was brilliant. It was just one of those games we were delighted to win. We have a very young side and that championship win will do the team a world of good.”
Holly/Carra took to the field for their second consecutive championship match without star forward Darren Coen following on from his injury in their opening game to Kiltimagh. Still, despite his absence, they were the better side in the opening half but trailed by one, 0-6 to 1-2, at the interval.
It’s important to state however that Davitts did have the wind to their backs for the opening half, and only for goalie Dylan O’Brien, Holly/Carra would have goaled early, along with two other chances that could and should have gone in. Dylan Gallagher and Niall Treacy did the bulk of their side's scoring, accounting for five of their side's first-half points. A free by Jack Melvin late in the half was their only other scorer.
Two of Gallagher’s points came from play as well as one free with Treacy hitting one from play and a free also. While Holly-Carra only registered one score in the opening 23 minutes, it was a score that will be talked about for some time to come – a super individual goal by Jack Keane. The powerful midfielder won the ball out on the forty, ditched one man, then another before hitting a rasper of a shot high into the far corner of Dylan O’Brien’s net.
Matthew Morris from play and a Conor Heneghan free late on edged them ahead at the interval. Heavy mist continued to fall as the second half resumed but that didn’t bother Roundfort’s Heneghan as the professional darts player hit over three points in a row, two frees and one from play with the latter being the pick of the bunch.
However, his side still trailed 1-6 to 1-5 as Jack Melvin crashed home a penalty for Davitts. Eventually, Mark Concannon’s side drew level when Jack Keane hit over from play and looked set for victory as Enda Maloney kicked his side ahead seven minutes from time, but that would be it for Holly/Carra as Davitts finished the stronger with two late scores bringing the curtain down on a group stage campaign both sides will take a lot from.
